Asparagus maritimus

In Spain the anthropogenic threats to this species include urbanization of areas within the plant's natural habitat, dessication of humid zones, trampling and installation of new communication lines. Additionally, competition with both native and alien flora, low ecological plasticity and the number of reproducing mature individuals are thought to be threatening Spanish populations (Moreno 2008). Threats across the rest of this species range remain unknown. However, as stated by Kell (2011), urbanization and coastal development could be a threatening factor for this species given it's natural habitat.

The genus Asparagus is included in Annex 1 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which aims to guarantee sustainable agriculture and food security through the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use (FAO 2009). 
 
This species has a limited availability in genebanks (Štajner et al. 2002a) and is not yet found in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV Data Portal 2013) or the EURISCO Catalogue (2013). However, one accession is held ex situ at the Northeast Regional Plant Introduction Station (Plant Genetic Resources Unit, USDA-ARS, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University), for which origin and status are undisclosed (ECPGR 2007–2010). According to Botanical Garden Conservation International (BGCI 2013), this species has living collections in 15 botanical gardens worldwide, although the origin and location of the collections are not detailed in this resource (garden locations are undisclosed to protect rare and valuable plant species). The gathering of germplasm for ex situ collections is a priority for this species.

The Flora Croatica Database (2004) reports this species as having national legal protection in 2004, 2006 and 2009, although this species is not included in the Regional Red Data Book (Flora Croatica database 2004). Additionally, this species was assessed as Critically Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) in Spain, and is protected in the region of Murcia in the category of plants of 'special interest' (Moreno 2008). It is also protected in the French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Poitou-Charentes (Association Tela Botanica 2000–2010). This species is recorded in the Laguna di Venezia protected area (Italy), which may be an opportunity for the inclusion of this species in the existing management plan of the protected area.