GENEVA - MORE than 1,000 freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction, reflecting the strain on global water resources, an updated global 'Red List' of endangered species showed on Tuesday.

The list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the most respected inventory of biodiversity covering more than 47,000 of the world's species.

Scientists looked at 3,120 freshwater fish this year, and 510 more than a year ago. They found that 1,147, or a third, are now threatened with extinction.

The scientists also added 1,360 species of dragonflies and damselflies to the Red List, and found that out of 1,989 in all, 261 were at risk of disappearing.

Overall, this year's survey found that over a third, or 17,291 species out of 47,677 assessed are now threatened with extinction.

Last year, the Red List examined 44,838 species and found that a similar proportion (16,298 species) were close to becoming extinct. - AFP