Editing Coelacanth (section)

== Conservation ==
Because little is known about the coelacanth, the conservation status is difficult to characterize. According to Fricke et al. (1995), it is important to conserve the species. From 1988 to 1994, Fricke counted some 60 individuals of ''L.&nbsp;chalumnae'' on each dive. In 1995 that number dropped to 40. Even though this could be a result of natural population fluctuation, it also could be a result of [[overfishing]]. The [[IUCN]] currently classifies ''L.&nbsp;chalumnae'' as "[[critically endangered]]",<ref name=iucn_chal>{{cite iucn |author=Musick, J.A. |date=2000 |title=''Latimeria chalumnae'' |volume=2000 |page=e.T11375A3274618 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T11375A3274618.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> with a total population size of 500 or fewer individuals.<ref name="ref1" />{{rp|39}} ''L.&nbsp;menadoensis'' is considered [[vulnerable species|Vulnerable]], with a significantly larger population size (fewer than 10,000 individuals).<ref name=iucn_mel>{{cite iucn |author=Erdmann, M. |date=2008 |title=''Latimeria menadoensis'' |volume=2008 |page=e.T135484A4129545 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135484A4129545.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref>

The major threat towards the coelacanth is the accidental capture by fishing operations, especially commercial deep-sea [[trawling]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/jan/08/food.fishing |title=Dinosaur fish pushed to the brink by deep-sea trawlers |work=The Observer |date=7 January 2006 |first=Inigo |last=Gilmore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Coelacanth|url = http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/river-monsters/fish-guide/coelacanth/|website = Animal Planet|access-date = 2015-10-29|date = 2012-08-27}}</ref> Coelacanths usually are caught when local fishermen are fishing for [[oilfish]]. Fishermen sometimes snag a coelacanth instead of an oilfish because they traditionally fish at night, when oilfish (and coelacanths) feed.
Before scientists became interested in coelacanths, they were thrown back into the water if caught. Now that they are recognized as important, fishermen trade them to scientists or other officials. Before the 1980s, this was a problem for coelacanth populations. In the 1980s, international aid gave fiberglass boats to the local fishermen, which moved fishing beyond the coelacanth territories into more productive waters. Since then, most of the motors on the boats failed, forcing the fishermen back into coelacanth territory and putting the species at risk again.<ref name="ref1" />{{rp|40}}<ref name="ref14">{{cite journal |bibcode=1995Natur.374..314F |title=Yet more danger for coelacanths |last1=Fricke |first1=Hans |last2=Hissmann |first2=Karen |last3=Schauer |first3=Jürgen |last4=Plante |first4=Raphael |volume=374 |year=1995 |pages=314–5 |journal=Nature |doi=10.1038/374314a0 |pmid=<!--none--> |issue=6520|s2cid=4282105 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Methods to minimize the number of coelacanths caught include moving fishers away from the shore, using different laxatives and malarial salves to reduce the demand for oilfish, using coelacanth models to simulate live specimens, and increasing awareness of the need for conservation. In 1987 the Coelacanth Conservation Council advocated the conservation of coelacanths. The CCC has branches located in Comoros, South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Japan, and Germany. The agencies were established to help protect and encourage population growth of coelacanths.<ref name="ref1" />{{rp|40}}<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title = Endangered Species Act Status Review Report for the Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) |url = http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/Status%20Reviews/coelacanth_sr_2014.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150907232943/http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/Status%20Reviews/coelacanth_sr_2014.pdf|archive-date = 2015-09-07|website = nmfs.noaa.gov|access-date = 2015-10-30|author=<!--staff writer-->}}</ref>

A "deep release kit" was developed in 2014 and distributed by private initiative, consisting of a weighted hook assembly that allows a fisherman to return an accidentally caught coelacanth to deep waters where the hook can be detached once it hits the seafloor. Conclusive reports about the effectiveness of this method are still pending.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-03/html/2015-04405.htm|title=Proposed Rule To List the Tanzanian DPS of African Coelacanth as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act|publisher=NOOA (US)|access-date=30 October 2015}}</ref>

In 2002, the South African Coelacanth Conservation and Genome Resource Programme was launched to help further the studies and conservation of the coelacanth. This program focuses on biodiversity conservation, evolutionary biology, capacity building, and public understanding. The South African government committed to spending R10&nbsp;million on the program.<ref name="ref16">{{cite press release |title=South Africa announces plans for Coelacanth Programme |publisher=Science in Africa |date=February 2002 |url=http://scienceinafrica.com/south-africa-announces-plans-coelacanth-programme |access-date=19 April 2013 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402191757/http://scienceinafrica.com/south-africa-announces-plans-coelacanth-programme |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ref15">{{cite web |title=South African Coelacanth Conservation and Genome Resource Programme |publisher=African Conservation Foundation |url=http://www.wildnetafrica.org/explorer/item/south-african-coelacanth-conservation-and-genome-resource-programme?category_id=2545 |access-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155421/http://www.wildnetafrica.org/explorer/item/south-african-coelacanth-conservation-and-genome-resource-programme?category_id=2545 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2011, a plan was made for a Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park to conserve biodiversity for marine animals including the coelacanth. The park was designed to reduce habitat destruction and improve prey availability for endangered species.<ref name="auto" />

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File:Coelacanth sea world.JPG|Coelacanth
File:Coelacanth in Kuwait by Prof Dr Norman Ali Khalaf July 2019.jpg|Coelacanth at Abdallah Al Salem Cultural Center in Kuwait
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