The present article argues that the IUCN
system and its application are flawed in multiple ways (inadequate
recognition of differences among species, inconsistency in application,
insufficient scientific documentation, lack of transparency), and that it
should be thoroughly overhauled or replaced by a new system, perhaps
operated by a different organization.
I am grateful to the editors
of Kachhapa for their invitation to give an outside perspective on the
arribadas of olive ridley turtles in India. From a distant viewpoint what I
see is waste, waste, and waste.
