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Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA)

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Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA)

Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) are “discrete, tri-dimensional portions of habitat, important for one or more shark species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation”.

ISRA

Why Important Shark and Ray Areas?

Chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras – hereafter referred to as ‘sharks’) are facing a global extinction crisis. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it is now estimated that over one-third of sharks are threatened with extinction. Over the last century, fisheries have had a massive cumulative impact on sharks and this threat has been compounded by habitat loss and climate change. Threat levels are highest in coastal habitats where 75% of threatened species occur. This makes sharks one of the most threatened taxon in the marine environment, second only to Amphibians at the global scale.

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Sand tiger shark
Carcharias taurus

Bluespotted Lagoon Ray
Taeniura lymma

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What are ISRA?

ISRA are not MPAs. The identification of ISRA is an evidence-driven, purely biocentric process based on the application of scientific criteria supported by the best available science.

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NEWS

Stay updated on ISRA developments from around the world

Fernando de Noronha é identificada como ‘área importante para tubarões e raias’ por comissão internacional

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Fernando de Noronha foi identificada como uma das 32 áreas importantes para tubarões e raias (sigla em inglês ISRAs - Important Shark and Ray Area), no Atlântico Sul-Americano.
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Mapping ISRAs in the Central and South American Pacific – existing knowledge and data needs

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Identifying critical habitats is key to the conservation and recovery of threatened species. A third of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) are threatened with extinction but robust biological and ecological information to delineate critical habitats for many species remains limited.
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Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs): A blueprint for conservation

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The ocean is home to magnificent diversity, including over 1,200 species of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras), each playing a vital role in maintaining balance in marine ecosystems.
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Turning the tide for sharks: Important Shark and Ray Areas

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Two years after the Important Shark and Ray Areas project was launched, nearly two-thirds (63.8%) of global marine waters have been examined and 4.3% are identified as critical habitats for the persistence of sharks, rays and chimaeras (hereafter sharks).
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