News Penguin is raising awareness about the plight of the banded houndshark (Triakis scyllium) by naming it as the "Endangered Species of the Month" for January.

The species is primarily found in the waters off Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and has seen a population decline of 50-79% over the past 40 years due to bycatch. The banded houndshark was listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species in 2019.

Despite this, the banded houndshark has not yet been designated as a protected species by South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, leaving it vulnerable to fishing in Korean waters.

Commenting on the designation, News Penguin CEO Kim Kijeong said, "We selected the banded houndshark as January’s Endangered Species of the Month to bring attention to the need for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to take action to protect this species."

The "Endangered Species of the Month" program is an initiative by News Penguin to increase public awareness about endangered species. Each month, the committee selects one or two species to focus on, and creates artwork, character designs, and NFTs to highlight their importance. The NFTs are created in a sustainable way by PUBLISH.