Red Data FISHES as EIA INDICATORS:CASE STUDY IN THE GREATER MEKONG SUBREGION

Chavalit Vidthayanon

Wetland Project, WWF Thailand

Criteria in EIASpecies base: Red list, Economic, Endemic, Global/Local-National Redlist Status

Habitat base: Diversity Hotspot, Area of Endemism, Rare Ecosystem, Critical habitat of spp.

A species is THREATENED when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria for either Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable.

Endangered (EN)

Considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Vulnerable (VU)

Considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild

Considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

Critically Endangered (CR) วิ�กฤติ�

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A species that has been evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify for a threatened category and is not Extinct or Extinct in the Wild is either:

Least Concern (LC)

When it does not qualify for a threatened category or Near Threatened. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Data Deficient (DD)

When there is inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its extinction risk.

Near Threatened (NT)

When it is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

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A Population reduction

B Restricted geographic range

C Small population size & decline

Very small or restricted populationD

E Quantitative analysis

CRITERIA

Quantitative thresholds

THREATENED CATEGORIES

Critically Endangered (CR)

Endangered (EN)

Vulnerable (VU)

Nature of the Red List Criteria

Taxa and assemblages to be focused/ reassessment

IUCN 2004-07 S/SE Asian outdated taxa

Highly endemism/exploited areas

Troglobitic taxa

Highly exploited wild stocks, but never / rarely been captive breed

30 Coral reef spp.

14 estuarine spp.

60 Sharks and rays. 49 Bony fishes.

34 Involve in Life Reef Fish Trade

Thai Redlist Seafishes

Betta simplex

• Inhabits only few limestone swamps in Krabi Province, South. Thailand.• EOO less than 100 km2

• AOO < 10 km2 or location < 10• Occurrence declining continuously including habitat alteration• Continuously exploited for aquarium trades as well as local exploitation as baitfish

CR A1acd by Thai Country Evaluation, 2006IUCN Redlist 2004 as VU D2

Probarbus jullieni2007 Red List AssessmentEN EN A1ac    ver 2.3 (1994) (out of date)

Over-evaluated case

Fact• Population/fishing record reduction observed less than 30%• Wide ranging over Mekong basinwide and Pahang basin• Genetic diversity show healthy populations in the Mekong• Captive bred carrying out, commercially

2007 Thai Red List AssessmentVU E

Population SizePopulation Size(mature individuals only)(mature individuals only)

SubpopulationsSubpopulations

PopulationPopulation

Lake Lanao’s PaitPuntius amarus

Last 10 years or 3 generations (whichever is longer)

90% Critically Endangered90% Critically Endangered

70% Endangered70% Endangered

50% Vulnerable50% Vulnerable

Present

Sub-criterion A1Observed, estimated, inferred or suspected past decline where causes of decline are understood, AND are reversible, AND have now ceased

80% Critically 80% Critically EndangeredEndangered

50% Endangered50% Endangered

30% Vulnerable30% Vulnerable

Last 10 years or 3 generations (whichever is longer)

Present

Sub-criterion A2Observed, estimated, inferred or suspected past decline where causes of decline may not be understood, OR may not be reversible, OR may not have ceased

Points to remember: CR EN VU

• extent of occurrence, EOO <100 km2 <5000 km2 < 20,000 km2

• area of occupancy. AOO <10 km2 <500 km2 < 2,000 km2

• Severely fragmentation

by number of fragments =1 < 5 < 10

• IUCN (2004: 73 spp.)– 1 EW– 3 Critical– 12 Endangered

–22 Vulnerables– 12 Near Threatened– 12 Lower Risk– 11 D ata Deficient

• OEPP (1998: 224 spp.)– 3 Extinct– 29 Endangered– 155 Vulnerables– 4 Threatened in the wild– 33 D ata Deficient

Threatening Status of Thai Fishes

Species bases

This Thai Categorizes: 273

1 Extinct, 2 Extirpated18 Critical42 Endangered

155 Vulneraaaad21 Near Threatened30 D ataDeficient11 Threatened in situ

IUCN (2006: 70 Thai Marine spp.)4 Critical (> 90% losses)3 Endangered (>60-90%)

22 Vulnerabled (>40-60%)24 Near Threatened (15-40%)13 Lower Risk 7 Data Deficient from www.redlist.org

Including 20 species in LRFTMost of sharks/rays and others are bycatch and habitat loss threats

Criteria for indicator• Sensitive species

– Endemic species – Specialist (stenotopic)

spp.

• Alien invasion • Fish anomalies

Habitat integrity – Existing of Keystone

species/Umbrella spp.– Can be use as Flagship

species

Sensitive species• Endemic species : good in

local base• Specialist (stenotopic)

spp. : good in habitat base

• Wide ranging taxa: best for all ranges and types

• Large/top predatory and trophic diversity: Ecosystem health and fish stocks

Habitat bases

• Habitat diversity– Habitat types/landscapes– Heterozygousity

• Species diversity and Taxonomic diversity

• Genetic diversity– Population sizes– Size compositions– Juveniles and spawners diversity

• Ethno-diversity– Ethno-fisheries– Socio-economic value– Fish ecosystem function and

services

• Taxonomic diversity– Fish in higher taxa– Aquatic fauna and

flora in higher taxa• Invertebrate phyla• Vertebrate taxa• Submerge and

riparian dominant vegetation

Biodiversity indices• Number of indigenous spp.• Stock of alien spp.• Relative % of tolerant and sensitive

spp.• % of trophic and habitat specialist• Incident of disease and anomalies• % of mature, large individuals• Reproduction of sensitive spp.• Number of size-, age-classes

20 hotspots of future Ramsar Sites potential

Cave fishes

FW Fish Significant

Coastal/marine habitats

Mekong Giant catfish

Endemic fishes

High diversity150-300 spp.

Good place to see indicator fishes: Local markets

Dominate replacement of farm/alien species indicate degradations of the wetlands: as well as abandon of local fishing gears/ knowledge

Over 27 Fishing methods

• Kut Ting 27 types• Bueng Khong Long 17 types

Ethno-Diversity

Over 25 types of fishing gears from hand collecting to larger barrages

6 Trophic diversity

Planktivores

Insectivores

Herbivores

Large piscivores

Small carnivores

Benthic feeders

insectivore

Herbivore

Larger piscivore

Small predator

Benthic carnivore

Benthic herbivore

Trophic diversity

Planktivores

Juvenile diversity

At least 70 spp. juveniles occurred

Over 30 species in 2 wetlands

Taxonomic Diversity

9 crustacean 18 mollusks11 FW reptiles 16 amphibians

Taxonomic Diversity

Kut Ting

Bueng Kong Long

Waterplant Vegetation profiles

Bio-indicator in Hillstreams

Sensitive taxa

Tolerant taxa

Ecological impact

Bio-indicator in

marshlands

Sensitive species

Tolerant species

Indicator in Mainstream rivers

Sensitive and larger species

Tolerant and small species

Fishing impact

Ecological impact

Mekong Delta Fish

68 families/>460 species80 cyprinids

70 Gobiids

70 catfishes

Estuaries-lower reaches Fish

Gobies diversity

mudskippers

Up to 70 species in the Delta

Bio-indicator in Estuaries

Sensitive and larger species

Tolerant/ alien species

Fishing impact

Ecological impact

Elasmobranches

Criteria for Red Data VS EIA• Thai/Over all population,

ranges ?• Refill opportunity ?• Sub population/subspecies?• Habitat health function

indicator• Ecosystem services

Socio-Economic Importance

: Fisheries

: Tourism

: Flagshipness

Sensitive species• Endemic species : Material

or non material value

• Specialist (stenotopic) spp. : Rare Ecosystem

• Wide ranging taxa: % of existing populations

• Large/top predatory and trophic diversity: Ecosystem health and stock indices

Mitigation process• No-take Zones designation

• Fishing regulation

• Breeding and restocking

• Translocate to Satellite habitats

• Habitat rehab.

• Habitat Zoning

• Modified Project

• Cancel project !!?

Local participation

base

Thank you

www.wwfthai.orgwww.wwfgreatermekong.org

www.siamensis.org

WWF-Canon/R. Kongmoung