Extinction risk and conservation of the world's sharks and rays

Dulvy, Nicholas K., Fowler, Sarah L., Musick, John A., Cavanagh, Rachel D., Kyne, Peter M., Harrison, Lucy R., Carlson, John K., Davidson, Lindsay N.K., Fordham, Sonja V., Francis, Malcom P., Pollock, Caroline M., Simpfendorfer, Colin A., Burgess, George H., Carpenter, Kent E., Compagno, Leonard J.V., Ebert, David A., Gibson, Claudine, Heupel, Michelle R., Livingstone, Suzanne R., Sanciangco, Jonnell C., Stevens, John D., Valenti, Sarah, and White, William T. (2014) Extinction risk and conservation of the world's sharks and rays. eLife, 3. e00590. pp. 1-34.

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Abstract

The rapid expansion of human activities threatens ocean-wide biodiversity. Numerous marine animal populations have declined, yet it remains unclear whether these trends are symptomatic of a chronic accumulation of global marine extinction risk. We present the first systematic analysis of threat for a globally distributed lineage of 1,041 chondrichthyan fishes—sharks, rays, and chimaeras. We estimate that one-quarter are threatened according to IUCN Red List criteria due to overfishing (targeted and incidental). Large-bodied, shallow-water species are at greatest risk and five out of the seven most threatened families are rays. Overall chondrichthyan extinction risk is substantially higher than for most other vertebrates, and only one-third of species are considered safe. Population depletion has occurred throughout the world's ice-free waters, but is particularly prevalent in the Indo-Pacific Biodiversity Triangle and Mediterranean Sea. Improved management of fisheries and trade is urgently needed to avoid extinctions and promote population recovery.

Item ID: 31450
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 2050-084X
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This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

Funders: Conservation International, Packard Foundation, Save Our Seas Foundation, UK Department of Environment and Rural Affairs, US State Department, US Department of Commerce, MarineConservation Biology Institute, Pew Marine Fellows Program, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Zoological Society of London, Canada Research Chairs Program, Natural Environment Research Council, Canada, Tom Hass and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Oak Foundation, Future of Marine Animal Populations, Census of Marine Life, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth UK, New England Aquarium Marine Conservation Fund, The Deep, Hull, UK, Blue Planet Aquarium, UK, Chester Zoo, UK, Lenfest Ocean Program, Univeristy of Oxford, Univeristy of Miami, Flying Sharks
Date Deposited: 22 Jul 2014 01:12
FoR Codes: 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity @ 40%
05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050209 Natural Resource Management @ 60%
SEO Codes: 83 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8302 Fisheries - Wild Caught > 830299 Fisheries- Wild Caught not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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