The status of the seal species klappmyts has gone from "vulnerable" to "endangered", while the skäggsälen and grönlandssälen are now considered to be near endangered.
The seals are threatened by global warming which occurs up to four times faster in the Arctic than in the rest of the world and affects the ice they are dependent on. Also, increased shipping, mining, oil extraction, industrial fishing and hunting contribute to the growing threat, according to the organization.
Many birds are also threatened worldwide. According to IUCN, 11.5 percent of the over 11,000 evaluated bird species are at risk. As much as 61 percent of all bird species show decreased populations – an increase from 44 percent in 2016. The destruction of tropical forests is highlighted as one of the most serious threats to birds.
However, positive development is also occurring: the green sea turtle is no longer endangered. Decades of targeted conservation efforts have, according to IUCN's report, led to the population increasing by 28 percent since the 1970s.
