By Brittany Finucci of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and Cassandra Rigby of James Cook University: The deep ocean, beyond 200 metres of depth, is the largest and one of the most complex environments on the planet. It covers 84% of the world’s ocean area and 98% of its volume – and […]
Every year, around 70,000 turtles and 200,000 seabirds die as a result of being caught as bycatch in EU fishing fleets. Bycatch is when other marine species are unintentionally trapped by commercial fishing gear. This can account for up to 40% of total fishing catches, globally reaching as much as 38 million tonnes discarded per […]
The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project has released the first electronic atlas of priority areas for sharks, rays, and chimaeras. Sharks and rays are some of the most threatened vertebrates on Earth, and the ISRA project uses the best available science to identify regions across global waters most critical for the long-term survival […]
Nearly two-thirds of coral reef shark and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction, a new study in Nature Communications shows. The results suggest that the extinction risk of coral reef sharks and rays, as a percentage of threatened species, is almost double that of all 1,199 known shark and ray species. The findings highlight the […]
Emmanuel Macron: ‘There is no vaccine for a sick planet’ – opening address and Guardian overview IUCN Marine News Issue 16 is here! IUCN’s one-stop source of ocean-related news from across the Union To mark the opening of the 2021 World Conservation Congress in Marseille, IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme is releasing the 2021 edition of […]
BBC ‘Countries have agreed to strengthen protections for 18 threatened species of sharks and rays, including those hunted for their meat and fins. The proposal was passed at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) on Sunday. The newly protected species include mako sharks, wedgefishes and guitarfishes. A demand for shark fin soup […]
World’s first-ever best-practice guide for responsible shark and ray tourism released Hong Kong – This World Wildlife Day, March 3, Project AWARE®, WWF and The Manta Trust are pleased to release Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice, the world’s first-ever guidelines for shark and ray tourism operators. The Guide aims to provide practical, science-based […]
Shark Trust: ‘Conservationists are delighted that CITES* Parties have officially listed devil rays, thresher sharks, and the Silky Shark under CITES Appendix II. The listing proposals were supported by more than the two-thirds majority required for adoption in Committee on Monday, and finalised today in Plenary. “This is a big win for all these species […]