The Franciscana is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil are signatories, and in Appendices I and II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which Brazil has not yet signed up to. In Brazil, the species is included on the National list of Brazilian Fauna Threatened with Extinction, having been classifi ed as ‘VU’ in the Action Plan for Aquatic Mammals Brazil, and as ‘EN’ in the Red Book of the Biodiversitas Foundation. The species was also recently included in several states lists of Brazilian wildlife threatened with extinction, including Rio Grande do Sul (the ‘vulnerable’ category – ‘VU’), Paraná (the ‘in danger’ category – ‘EN’), São Paulo (the ‘vulnerable’ category – ‘VU’), Rio de Janeiro (the ‘vulnerable’ category – ‘VU’), and Espírito Santo (the ‘in danger’ category – ‘EN’). The main threat to the conservation of the Franciscana is death due to accidental capture in fi shing nets, especially seine nets. Swallowing plastic objects has also been a cause of general concern since analysis of the stomach contents of the Franciscana has shown that the species is also vulnerable through swallowing various types of detritus including pieces of net and fi shing line. Added to these factors is the reduction of fi sh stocks, which causes seasonal variations in the diet of the species, as does the ingestion of residues related to chemical pollution. |