OHI, Iconic Species

Iconic species are those that are relevant to local cultural identity through a species’ relationship to one or more of the following: 1), traditional activities such as fishing, hunting or commerce; 2), local ethnic or religious practices; 3) existence value; and 4), locally-recognized aesthetic value (e.g., touristic attractions/common subjects for art such as whales). Habitat-forming species are not included in this definition of iconic species, nor are species that are harvested solely for economic or utilitarian purposes (even though they may be iconic to a sector or individual),. This sub-goal assesses how well those species are conserved.