New Zealand and Pacific Islands: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas

The sixth region targeted by the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project covered New Zealand and Pacific Islands (Region 10). Stemming from the workshop in Nada, Fiji from 26-30 August, 2024, this resulted in the delineation of 179 ISRAs, two candidate ISRAs, and 50 Areas of Interest.
The fifth region region targeted by the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project covered the Central and South American Pacific (Region 1). Stemming from the workshop in Tirana, Albania from 27-29 May, 2024, this resulted in the delineation of 34 ISRAs, four candidate ISRAs, and 11 Areas of Interest.

The sixth Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) regional expert workshop was held in hybrid mode (in person and online) in Nadi, Fiji from 26–30 August 2024. The goal was to identify and delineate three-dimensional and discrete portions of habitat that are critical to the survival of sharks, rays, and chimaeras (hereafter ‘sharks’), and that have the potential to be managed for conservation. The region covered was New Zealand and Pacific Islands. This scientific collaboration amongst regional and global experts resulted in the identification of 179 Important Shark and Ray Areas, two candidate ISRA, and 50 Areas of Interest. Identified ISRAs range in size from small areas of 0.08 km2 at depths of 0–60 m (Tinian Grotto & Valhalla Caves inthe Northern Mariana Islands) to very large areas of 1,173,777 km2 (Southern Hawii which spans waters of Hawaii, Johnston Atoll, and areas beyond national jurisdiction) from 0–955 m.

Cite as:
Jabado RW, García-Rodríguez E, Armstrong AO, Rohner CA, Palacios MD, Gonzalez-Pestana A, Bettcher Brito V, Charles R, Batlle-Morera A. 2024. New Zealand and Pacific Islands: A regional compendium of Important Shark and Ray Areas. Dubai: IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. https://doi.org/10.59216/ssg.isra.2024.r10

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