124 Important Shark and Ray Areas Identified Across the European Atlantic

PRESS RELEASE | 23 September 2025

​Major step forward for threatened species conservation in Northern Europe.

Dubai, September 22, 2025. A landmark scientific workshop has identified 124 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) across the European Atlantic, providing the first comprehensive map of critical habitats for threatened species such as Basking Shark, Tope, Spiny Dogfish, Sicklefin Devil Ray, and Angelshark.

Held in Den Haag, the ninth regional ISRA workshop coordinated input from 214 experts and contributors from across Northern and Western Europe. In addition to the 124 ISRAs, experts delineated 30 Areas of Interest and 5 candidate ISRAs, covering everything from shallow reproductive areas to deep offshore habitats vital for reproduction, feeding, and migration.

“These results finally give us a roadmap for action,” said Dr. Rima Jabado, Deputy Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and Chair of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. “If we want species like the Angelshark to recover, we must focus conservation where it matters most.”

The ISRA initiative provides governments, fisheries managers, and conservation groups with robust, evidence-based information to guide protection efforts. While ISRAs are not protected areas themselves, they are designed to support marine spatial planning, fisheries management, and environmental impact assessments.

The findings come at a critical time, as European nations move to meet the 30x30 biodiversity target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.

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