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Status of Southeast Asia's marine sharks and rays
Author(s) -
ClarkShen Naomi,
Chin Andrew,
Arunrugstichai Sirachai,
Labaja Jessica,
Mizrahi Meira,
Simeon Benaya,
Hutchinson Neil
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/cobi.13962
Subject(s) - threatened species , fishery , enforcement , china , southeast asia , geography , conservation status , near threatened species , fisheries management , marine species , geopolitics , business , ecology , habitat , biology , fishing , political science , ethnology , archaeology , history , politics , law
In Southeast Asia, elasmobranchs are particularly threatened. We synthesized knowledge from the peer‐reviewed and gray literature on elasmobranchs in the region, including their fisheries, status, trade, biology, and management. We found that 59% of assessed species are threatened with extinction and 72.5% are in decline; rays were more threatened than sharks. Research and conservation is complicated by the socioeconomic contexts of the countries, geopolitical issues in the South China Sea, and the overcapacity and multispecies nature of fisheries that incidentally capture elasmobranchs. The general paucity of data, funds, personnel, and enforcement hinders management. Reduced capacity in the general fishery sector and marine protected areas of sufficient size (for elasmobranchs and local enforcement capabilities) are among recommendations to strengthen conservation.