​What does it take to assess the extinction risk of an entire class of cartilaginous fishes? 

​A new paper reflects on three decades of work coordinated through the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group to develop global IUCN Red List assessments for sharks, rays, and chimaeras — and explores how these assessments have evolved to better support conservation action.

The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) team have published a new paper focused on the Asia region. The key findings include:

• Across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific, 122 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) were identified (~1 million km² or ~3% of the region)
• These ISRAs support 121 species – 76% are threatened
• There were significant differences in representation between charismatic vs deepwater and freshwater species
• Citizen science provided the most information to delineate ISRAs
• There was uneven coverage: Indonesia held the most ISRA coverage ~72%
• Protection remains low: 5.4% in of ISRAs overlap with MPAs but only 2.8% with no-take zones

In this latest article from the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) regional compendium for Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean was discussed.

158 Important Shark and Ray Areas Identified Across Australia and the Southeast Indian Ocean
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New scientific map highlights critical habitats for threatened and endemic species

​A major scientific workshop has identified 158 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) across Australia and the southeast Indian Ocean, providing the most comprehensive map to date of habitats essential for threatened and endemic species in the region.

The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project was featured in this new article from Green Matters. It provides a summary on across nine regions, IUCN located 816 areas where at least one threatened species of sharks and rays hosts key activities.

In this article from Mongabay, a publication from the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project was featured. It highlights how almost half of the Western Indian Ocean’s shark and ray populations are considered threatened with extinction, as populations decline.

Read the latest update on the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project. Featured on Mongabay, this article highlights "Ocean Travellers: Safeguarding Critical Habitats for Migratory Sharks and Rays". This new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help shark and ray populations recover following decades of overfishing.

The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project is coming to North America! In this blog from Southern Fried Science, the ISRA team is interviewed on ISRAs, detailing how to submit your data and participate.