While India has expanded legal protections for sharks and rays, key breeding, nursery, and feeding habitats remain vulnerable. A new study has identified 11 Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Indian waters and found that many fall outside existing marine protected areas.
A global database documenting the location of critical habitats for sharks, rays, and chimaeras has recently expanded to include Australia, with years of extensive research by Charles Darwin University (CDU) contributing to this crucial digital record.
158 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) have been identified across Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean, including 143 within State and Territory jurisdictions.
Across nine regions, IUCN located 816 areas where at least one threatened species of sharks and rays hosts key activities.
Almost half of the Western Indian Ocean’s shark and ray populations are considered threatened with extinction, as populations decline.
Shark and ray populations are struggling across the world due to overfishing and other threats. A new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help them recover.
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project is coming to North America! Colleagues, if you think your data suggests that you’ve identified an Important Shark and Ray Area in your study site, here’s how to submit your data and participate.
The Central and South American Pacific region, as a recent publication points out, is a prime example of both the opportunities and challenges of shark conservation.
Em um registro raro, pesquisadores filmaram dezenas de tubarões-galha-preta na Baía de Ilha Grande, em Angra dos Reis, na Costa Verde do Rio de Janeiro.
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.
©Balazs Fodor-Ocean Image Bank
©Larsvon Ritter Zahony-Ocean Image Bank