26% of Northeast Atlantic Sharks & Rays Threatened with Extinction
A new report has revealed that shark, ray and chimaera species are much more threatened in the Northeast Atlantic than they are globally.
The report, released by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG), reveals that 26 percent of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays etc) in the Northeast Atlantic region are threatened with extinction, compared with 18 percent globally.
Out of the species threatened in the region, 7 percent are classified as Critically Endangered, 7 percent as Endangered, and 12 percent as Vulnerable.
“From angel sharks to devil rays, northeast Atlantic populations of these vulnerable species are in serious trouble, more so than in many other parts of the world,” says Claudine Gibson, former Programme Officer for the IUCN SSG and lead author of the report.
Gibson also explains that overfishing is a major problem for chondrichthyans.
“Most sharks and rays are exceptionally vulnerable to overfishing because of their tendency to grow slowly, mature late, and produce few young. Those at greatest risk of extinction in the northeast Atlantic include heavily fished, large sharks and rays, like porbeagle and common skate, as well as commercially valuable deepwater sharks and spiny dogfish” she said.
Overfishing results in these creatures being killed, then discarded back into the ocean. A recent study revealed that a million tonnes of fish are discarded each year in the North Sea alone.
Most Threatened
According to the report, the species most at risk from extinction in the area are listed below. Note that each species’ global status is listed in parenthesis, and its scientific name is listed in italics.
Critically Endangered
- White skate (EN) Rostroraja alba
- Spiny dogfish (VU) Squalus acanthias
- Gulper shark (VU) Centrophorus granulosus
- Porbeagle (VU) Lamna nasus
- Angel shark ** Squatina squatina
- Smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata
- Common sawfish Pristis pristis
- Common skate ** Dipturus batis
Endangered
- Basking shark (VU) Cetorhinus maximus
- Leafscale gulper shark (VU) Centrophorus squamosus
- Portuguese dogfish (NT) Centroscymnus coelolepis
- Blackchin guitarfish Rhinobatos cemiculus
- Common guitarfish Rhinobatos rhinobatos
- Undulate ray Raja undulata
- Giant devilray** Mobula mobular
- Scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini
Vulnerable
- Birdbeak dogfish (LC) Deania calceus
- Kitefin shark (DD) Dalatias licha
- Lowfin gulper shark Centrophorus lusitanicus
- Angular rough shark Oxynotus centrina
- Sandy ray** Leucoraja circularis
- Spiny butterfly ray Gymnura altavela
- Smalltooth sandtiger Odontaspis ferox
- Bigeye thresher Alopias superciliosus
- White shark Carcharodon carcharias
- Shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus
- Longfin mako Isurus paucus
- Oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus
- Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus
- Sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus
Near Threatened
- Rabbitfish** Chimaera monstrosa
- Large-eyed rabbitfish Hydrolagus mirabilis
- Frilled shark Chlamydoselachus anguineus
- Sharpnose sevengill shark Heptranchias perlo
- Bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus
- Black dogfish (LC) Centroscyllium fabricii
- Velvet belly (LC) Etmopterus spinax
- Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus
- Norwegian skate * Dipturus nidarosiensis
- Longnose skate Dipturus oxyrinchus
- Shagreen ray** Leucoraja fullonica
- Blonde ray** Raja brachyura
- Thornback ray Raja clavata
- Smalleyed ray** Raja microocellata
- Common stingray (DD) Dasyatis pastinaca
- Lusitanian cownose ray ** Rhinoptera marginata
- Thresher shark (VU) Alopias vulpinus
- Atlantic catshark** Galeus atlanticus
- Nursehound Scyliorhinus stellaris
- Silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis
- Tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier
- Blue shark Prionace glauca
- Smooth hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena
* Northeast Atlantic endemics
** Global distribution restricted to the Northeast Atlantic and adjacent areas (Mediterranean and Northwest African shelf)
Opportunity to Protect
IUCN says that with upcoming meetings of international fisheries and wildlife bodies, the annual process for setting EU quotas, and a long-awaited European Community Plan of Action for sharks and related species, there are many opportunities to revive the populations of the threatened chondrichthyans species.
Sonja Fordham, Deputy Chair of the IUCN SSG and Policy Director for the Shark Alliance said ”Never before have European countries had more reason or opportunity to safeguard the beleaguered shark and ray species of the northeast Atlantic,”
“Country officials should heed the dire warnings of this report and act to protect threatened sharks and rays at national, regional and international levels. Such action is immediately possible and absolutely necessary to change the current course toward extinction of these remarkable ocean animals.” she continued.
