3.2.2 The IUCN Red List and the Tragedy of the Commons
Steller's sea cow
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Vaquita
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European beaver
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(18)Discovered in 1741 in the Bering Sea
Fed on kelp; had no fear of humans
Hunted by Russian sailors for meat
Population ~1500 on just two islands
Extinct within 27 years of discovery
Loss changed kelp forest food webs
Smallest porpoise; only 1.5 m long
Killed as bycatch in totoaba gillnets
Fewer than 10 remain; breeds every 2 yr
Mexico banned gillnets in habitat 2017
Captive breeding attempt failed in 2017
Illegal totoaba trade drives decline
Hunted for fur and castoreum
Reintroduced to 25+ European countries
Builds dams; creates wetland habitats
Dam-building can flood farmland
Recolonised Switzerland from France
Recovered from 1200 to 1.5 million
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