The identified habitats are used by these species as reproductive areas or aggregation sites, feeding locations, or migratory pathways. Many shark and ray species found in Asian waters are assessed as threatened with extinction, and these newly identified areas should be considered for protection or fisheries management measures.

A regional workshop was held in January of this year in Bali, Indonesia, and brought together a team of 33 scientists including 23 experts from throughout the region along with 208 of contributors. The ISRA Criteria that were discussed throughout the workshop have been designed to capture important aspects of shark biology, ecology, and population structure and to encompass multiple aspects of species vulnerability, distribution, abundance, and key life cycle activities, as well as areas of high diversity. Almost 200 preliminary Areas of Interest were considered, and after review by an expert Independent Review Panel, the finalised list of 122 approved ISRAs (and 45 areas of Interest) is now available in the Compendium and the freely accessible eAtlas.

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