Shark catch in Kesennuma, Japan. Photo by Shawn Heinrichs
Last month scientists released a study warning that one quarter of all sharks and rays are threatened with extinction.
The research, published in the open-access journal eLife on January 21, was the result of collaboration between 300 scientists from 64 countries. It concluded that overfishing is the biggest threat to the most number of species, noting that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year for their fins alone.
“Fins, in particular, have become one of the most valuable seafood commodities,” the authors write, “It is estimated that the fins of between 26 and 73 million individuals, worth US$400-550 million, are traded each year.”
The study found that large, shallow-dwelling species are most likely to be at risk, while five out of the seven most threatened chondrichthyan families are rays.
“Overall chondrichthyan extinction risk is substantially higher than for most other vertebrates, and only one-third of species are considered safe,” concluded the study.
Below are a set of pictures released in conjunction with the report, as well as images published separately by WildLifeRisk after an investigation into the Chinese whale shark trade.
Deepwater shark and ray catch at Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia. Deepwater sharks and rays are increasingly threatened as fisheries deplete the shallow coastal seas and move into deeper waters. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Guitarfishes and wedgefishes are among the most threatened rays, due to the high value of their large fins. This Giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) reaches over 3 metres long and is classified as Vulnerable by IUCN. Photograph credit — Matt D. Potenski
Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus spp) landings at Muara Angke, Jakarta. Species of this shark-like ray family are listed as Vulnerable and Endangered by IUCN. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Wedgefish and Sawfish landings at Muara Angke, Jakarta, Indonesia. Species of these shark-like rays are highly valued for their fins and are listed as Endangered and Critically Endangered by IUCN. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
The Near Threatened Mangrove whipray Himantura granulata resting in mangrove roots, Orpheus Island, Great Barrier Reef. Photograph credit — Michelle Heupel, Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Shark trunks being weighed and logged at Muara Baru, Jakarta. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Daily shark landings being auctioned at Tanjung Luar, Lombok. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Thresher shark tails in Dubai
Thresher shark fins at processing centre at Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia. All three thresher shark species are listed as Vulnerable by IUCN. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Sharkfin in an Asian market
Living whale shark. Photo courtesy of WildLifeRisk
Shark slaughterhouse at Pu Qi. Photo courtesy of WildLifeRisk
Shark slaughterhouse at Pu Qi. Photo courtesy of WildLifeRisk
Shark slaughterhouse at Pu Qi. Photo courtesy of WildLifeRisk
Shark slaughterhouse at Pu Qi
Whale shark being slaughtered in China. Photos courtesy of WildLifeRisk
Shark finning technique where only a band of skin to keep the fin attached to the spine is retained and the remainder of the body discarded at sea. This method is aimed at circumventing legislation banning finning which states that the fins of the shark must be ‘naturally attached’ to the body. Images courtesy of INTERPOL.
Whitetip Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus from Sipadan Island, Borneo, Indonesia is listed as Near Threatened by IUCN. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Shark fins from Galapagos National Park
Devil ray having its gill rakers removed at a fishing port in Sri Lanka. The gill rakers of devil rays and closely related mantas are valuable for use in Chinese medicine. Photograph credit — Sonja Fordham
Port Jackson Shark Heterodontus portusjacksoni from Perth, Western Australia s listed as Least Concern by IUCN. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Research on chondrichthyans, including this Critically Endangered Northern River Shark Glyphis garricki, is providing information for management and recovery of threatened species. Photograph credit — Grant Johnson.
Some of the most threatened species, including rays and skates, have declined due to incidental capture in fisheries targeting other species This Blue-spotted Maskray Neotrygon kuhlii, caught as bycatch in a prawn trawl fishery, is listed as Data Deficient by IUCN. Photograph credit — Peter Kyne
Bluespotted Maskray Taeniura lymma from Bali, Indonesia is listed as Near Threatened by IUCN. Photograph credit — Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO.
Endangered sharks and rays graphic published to coincide with the release of the report.
CITATION: Dulvy, Nicholas K., Sarah L. Fowler, John A. Musick, Rachel D. Cavanagh, Peter M. Kyne, Lucy R. Harrison, John K. Carlson, et al. 2014. “Extinction Risk and Conservation of the World’s Sharks and Rays.” eLife 3. doi:10.7554/eLife.00590.
