The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released a global report, Global Status of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras, that highlights new knowledge compiled by 353 experts from 115 countries, including researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Science. The report stresses the urgent need to address overfishing and bycatch of sharks, rays and chimaeras in all countries.
The report is more than 2 000 pages long and the key findings includes severe population declines in species like rhino rays, whiprays, angel sharks, and gulper sharks, driven largely by bycatch and unsustainable fishing practices. The good news is that with over two decades of research, and major policy changes, the solutions are now outlined country by country and can guide governments to implement conservation action and make fisheries more sustainable.
Sweden, with a coastline spanning the Skagerrak, Kattegat, and the Baltic Sea, hosts over 30 shark and ray species, though only a third are considered native. Key concerns include environmental challenges like eutrophication in the Baltic Sea and changes to temperature and salinity, which impact shark and ray populations. Ten species are currently listed as threatened including the nationally extinct Common Blue Skate.
Christopher Griffiths is one of the five researchers from SLU who developed the section on Sweden in the report.
– In Sweden, fisheries primarily target other species like shrimp and herring, and most shark and ray captures occur as bycatch in trawl fisheries. In addition, prohibitions and low market demand result in minimal landings, says Christopher.
– However, there are currently research gaps that include limited knowledge on shark and ray abundance, behaviour and fisheries interactions. What we also need is survival studies of bycatch species, spatial habitat research and tagging to better inform management action. Advances in bycatch reduction tools like sorting grids and deterrents are also encouraged, Christopher concludes.
The image shows smoked ray. The IUCN report highlights, among other things, a significant increase in the trade of shark and ray products since 2005. The value of meat from sharks and rays now surpasses the fin trade, while other products like liver oil and ray skins are valued at nearly USD 1 billion annually. Photo: Ghofrane Labyedh.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s largest global environmental network composed of both government and civil society organisations. It is a membership union with more than 1,400 member organisations and over 17,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. This diversity and vast expertise make IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
Read the full report:The global status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras.