Jakarta, IO – Java stingaree (Urolophus javanicus) was declared extinct by an international research team led by Charles Darwin University (UCD), Australia. This stingray species is considered extremely rare and has only been recorded once in the late 1800s.
Scientists stated that a number of problems contributed to the disappearance of Javanese stingrays, one of which was human activity. This information was revealed after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the latest Red List of Threatened Species, per detikcom, Sun (18/12).
Since 1964, the IUCN Red List has identified more than 41,200 species that face extinction globally. This list provides information about the range, habitat and conservation actions that form the basis for decision making and policy changes needed to protect the species.
“Intensive and generally unregulated fishing is likely the main threat resulting in the decline of Javan stingray populations, with catches of coastal fish in the Java Sea already declining in the 1870s,” said Julia Constance, the team’s lead researcher.
Benaya Simeon, a PhD student at UCD who studies endangered stingrays in Indonesia, said that despite surveys since 2001, no additional species have been discovered.
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He explained that the absence of this species, characterized by an oval-shaped pectoral fin disc longer than wide, and a tail with a dorsal fin in front of the stinging spine and a caudal fin, during the survey period further confirmed its extinction.
“A number of fish landing sites along the north coast of Java and throughout Indonesia have been extensively monitored but no sighting of the Javanese stingrays has ever been reported,” said Simeon. (un)