Friday, May 28, 2010

Wiped out

Looks like we caused another species to be lost forever:
Grebe from Madagascar extinct after introduction of carnivorous fishThe Alaotra grebe, also called the rusty grebe, had been highly vulnerable as it was found only in Lake Alaotra, eastern Madagascar, according to the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles the Red List of endangered species.
The grebe was wiped out by habitat destruction, by the introduction of a carnivorous fish called the snakehead murrel and by nylon gill-nets which accidentally caught and drowned many birds.
"No hope now remains for this species. It is another example of how human actions can have unforeseen consequences," said Leon Bennun, director of science at BirdLife International.
The IUCN sounded the alarm for wetland birds, imperilled by the draining of marshlands and by alien species that are introduced for food.
"Invasive alien species have caused extinctions around the globe and remain one of the major threats to birds and other biodiversity," Mr Bennun said.
So sad.

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