[leebca]

From: Hindu News Service

Overfishing continues to put pressure on many fish species, as does demand from the aquarium trade. The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni), which is highly prized in the aquarium industry, is entering the IUCN Red List for the first time in the Endangered category. The fish, which is only found in the Banggai Archipelago, near Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been heavily exploited, with approximately 900,000 extracted every year. Conservationists are calling for the fish to be reared in captivity for the aquarium trade, so the wild populations can be left to recover.

And what is the IUCN Red List, you ask:
Red List Info
also
Red List Defined

Ocean corals have, for the first time, also made this list. Ocean plants are on the list, although many in both these categories belong to the Galapagos Island area.

The Red List carries no regulatory authority with it. That is to say, it is up to the government(s) to decide whether to ban, restrict, etc. any particular species on the List.

According to: UN Environment Programme
The US delegation to the UN CITES asked (a few months ago) that this species of marine fish be put onto the UN list of endangered species, but Indonesia won their argument that rather than do this, Indonesia will regulate the collection and export of these fish. The US petition to the UN was withdrawn by the US, based on the discussion.

No news yet as to what action, if any, the US government will take.