Mexico Criticized for Slow Updates to Endangered Species List

Conservationists argue that the country's outdated and opaque listing system leaves many vulnerable species without adequate protection.

Mexico's national endangered species list has not been updated since August 2019, despite a legal requirement to do so every three years.
Conservationists argue that the Mexican government's system for listing species is slow and opaque, with species only able to be proposed for listing during set periods for public comment.
Compared to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Mexican government lists 250 fewer species as needing some kind of protection.
Species like the queen conch and elkhorn coral, which have seen significant population declines, are not adequately protected under Mexico's current endangered species list.
Mexico ranks third in the world for the number of endangered species, after Ecuador and Madagascar, according to the IUCN.