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Angel sharks were once widespread throughout Europe’s seas, but are now extinct from much of their former range. In particular, the Angel Shark (Squatina squatina) historically ranged from Scandinavia down to north-western Africa, including the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Canary Islands. Over the past several decades, overfishing and high bycatch of this species has severely depleted and fragmented these populations, leading to this species being listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2006. Today, the Canary Islands is the only place where the Critically Endangered Angel Shark is regularly sighted. However, here too they are under threat and urgent action is required to protect them in their last remaining stronghold. Two other species of angel shark, the Sawback Angelshark (S. aculeata) and the Smoothback Angelshark (S. oculata), are also found in European waters and are also listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. We have reached a critical point for angel shark conservation in Europe and urgently need to secure the future of angel sharks across their natural range.
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Angelshark (Squatina squatina) in the Canary Islands. Photo Credit: Tony Gilbert
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Publications
Please visit our list of publication linked to the Angel Shark Conservation Strategy to download the documents...
