The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation", the ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court called it “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation". The purposes of the ESA are two-fold: to prevent extinction and to recover species to the point where the law's protections are not needed. It therefore “protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend" through different mechanisms. For example, section 4 requires the agencies overseeing the Act to designate imperiled species as threatened or endangered. Section 9 prohibits unlawful ‘take,’ of such species, which means to “harass, harm, hunt...” Section 7 directs federal agencies to use their authorities to help conserve listed species. The Act also serves as the enacting legislation to carry out the provisions outlined in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Supreme Court found that "the plain intent of Congress in enacting" the ESA "was to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost." The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). FWS and NMFS have been delegated the authority to promulgate rules in the Code of Federal Regulations to implement the provisions of the Act.
The Neretva also known as the Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four HE power-plants with large dams provide flood protection, power and water storage. It is recognized for its natural environment and diversity of its landscape.
The huchen or Danube salmon is a large species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus.
Telestes turskyi is a species of cyprinid restricted to lake Buško Blato in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Čikola River, a tributary of the Krka in Croatia. This species was thought to be extinct, but was found in May 2002 by J. Freyhof and N. Bogutskaya. Its habitat continues to decline due to water extraction and drought.
An IUCN Red List Critically Endangered (CR) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of 2020, there are 6,811 species that are considered to be Critically Endangered. This is out of the 120,372 species currently tracked by the IUCN.
The Neretvan nase or Dalmatian nase, Serbo-Croatian: podustva, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
The minnow-nase, Serbo-Croatian: podbila, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Its natural habitats are rivers, intermittent rivers, and inland karsts. It is threatened by habitat loss and considered Endangered (EN).
Cobitis narentana is a species of ray-finned fish in the true loach family (Cobitidae). It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. This fish was long believed to be part of the widespread Spined Loach.
Delminichthys adspersus is a species of cyprinid fish.
Phoxinellus alepidotus is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Delminichthys jadovensis is a species of cyprinid fish.
Telestes metohiensis is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Its natural habitats are freshwater springs and inland karsts. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Phoxinellus pseudalepidotus is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Squalius illyricus, the Illyrian chub, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It inhabits karstic waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Albania. Its natural habitats are rivers and water storage areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Squalius svallize is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Mediterranean killifish, Mediterranean banded killifish or South European toothcarp is a species of fish in the family Cyprinodontidae. It is found in Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Montenegro, Slovenia, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. Its natural habitats are saline lakes, saline marshes, and coastal saline lagoons.
Salmo marmoratus is a species of freshwater fish in the family Salmonidae. It is characterized by a distinctive marbled color pattern and high growth capacity. The marble trout is found in only handful drainages and rivers of the Adriatic basin in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, while in Albania, the species is considered most likely extirpated.
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invasive species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species, and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land development, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.
Delminichthys is a genus of cyprinid fish which is found in the karst region of the Balkans, Eastern Europe. Until 2006 it was considered part of the genus Phoxinellus. It currently contains four species.
The fish fauna of the Neretva river basin in the western Balkans is representative of the Dinaric karst region and characterized by several endemic and endangered species.
