1
|
Finucci B, Pacoureau N, Rigby CL, Matsushiba JH, Faure-Beaulieu N, Sherman CS, VanderWright WJ, Jabado RW, Charvet P, Mejía-Falla PA, Navia AF, Derrick DH, Kyne PM, Pollom RA, Walls RHL, Herman KB, Kinattumkara B, Cotton CF, Cuevas JM, Daley RK, Dharmadi, Ebert DA, Fernando D, Fernando SMC, Francis MP, Huveneers C, Ishihara H, Kulka DW, Leslie RW, Neat F, Orlov AM, Rincon G, Sant GJ, Volvenko IV, Walker TI, Simpfendorfer CA, Dulvy NK. Fishing for oil and meat drives irreversible defaunation of deepwater sharks and rays. Science 2024; 383:1135-1141. [PMID: 38452078 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade9121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The deep ocean is the last natural biodiversity refuge from the reach of human activities. Deepwater sharks and rays are among the most sensitive marine vertebrates to overexploitation. One-third of threatened deepwater sharks are targeted, and half the species targeted for the international liver-oil trade are threatened with extinction. Steep population declines cannot be easily reversed owing to long generation lengths, low recovery potentials, and the near absence of management. Depth and spatial limits to fishing activity could improve conservation when implemented alongside catch regulations, bycatch mitigation, and international trade regulation. Deepwater sharks and rays require immediate trade and fishing regulations to prevent irreversible defaunation and promote recovery of this threatened megafauna group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Finucci
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Nathan Pacoureau
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Cassandra L Rigby
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jay H Matsushiba
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nina Faure-Beaulieu
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Wildlands Conservation Trust, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - C Samantha Sherman
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wade J VanderWright
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rima W Jabado
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Elasmo Project, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Patricia Charvet
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemática, Uso e Conservação da Biodiversidade (PPGSis), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Paola A Mejía-Falla
- Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS Colombia, Cali, Colombia
- Fundación Colombiana para la Investigación y Conservación de Tiburones y Rayas -SQUALUS, Cali, Colombia
| | - Andrés F Navia
- Fundación Colombiana para la Investigación y Conservación de Tiburones y Rayas -SQUALUS, Cali, Colombia
| | - Danielle H Derrick
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter M Kyne
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Riley A Pollom
- Species Recovery Program, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel H L Walls
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Bineesh Kinattumkara
- Zoological Survey of India, Marine Biology Regional Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Charles F Cotton
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Science, State University of New York-Cobleskill, Cobleskill, NY, USA
| | - Juan-Martín Cuevas
- Wildlife Conservation Society Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ross K Daley
- Horizon Consultancy, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Dharmadi
- Research Centre for Fisheries Management and Conservation, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Government of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - David A Ebert
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown, South Africa
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Malcolm P Francis
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Charlie Huveneers
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - David W Kulka
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Robin W Leslie
- Fisheries Management Branch, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Sciences, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
- MA-RE Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Francis Neat
- Global Ocean Institute, World Maritime University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Alexei M Orlov
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Getulio Rincon
- Coordenação do Curso de Engenharia de Pesca, Universidade Federal do Maranhão-UFMA Campus Pinheiro, Pinheiro, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Glenn J Sant
- TRAFFIC, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- ANCORS, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Igor V Volvenko
- Pacific Branch of Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (TINRO), Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Terence I Walker
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Nicholas K Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hochkirch A, Bilz M, Ferreira CC, Danielczak A, Allen D, Nieto A, Rondinini C, Harding K, Hilton-Taylor C, Pollock CM, Seddon M, Vié JC, Alexander KN, Beech E, Biscoito M, Braud Y, Burfield IJ, Buzzetti FM, Cálix M, Carpenter KE, Chao NL, Chobanov D, Christenhusz MJM, Collette BB, Comeros-Raynal MT, Cox N, Craig M, Cuttelod A, Darwall WRT, Dodelin B, Dulvy NK, Englefield E, Fay MF, Fettes N, Freyhof J, García S, Criado MG, Harvey M, Hodgetts N, Ieronymidou C, Kalkman VJ, Kell SP, Kemp J, Khela S, Lansdown RV, Lawson JM, Leaman DJ, Brehm JM, Maxted N, Miller RM, Neubert E, Odé B, Pollard D, Pollom R, Pople R, Presa Asensio JJ, Ralph GM, Rankou H, Rivers M, Roberts SPM, Russell B, Sennikov A, Soldati F, Staneva A, Stump E, Symes A, Telnov D, Temple H, Terry A, Timoshyna A, van Swaay C, Väre H, Walls RHL, Willemse L, Wilson B, Window J, Wright EGE, Zuna-Kratky T. A multi-taxon analysis of European Red Lists reveals major threats to biodiversity. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293083. [PMID: 37939028 PMCID: PMC10631624 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge and minimizing extinction rates is the goal of several multilateral environmental agreements. Policy decisions require comprehensive, spatially explicit information on species' distributions and threats. We present an analysis of the conservation status of 14,669 European terrestrial, freshwater and marine species (ca. 10% of the continental fauna and flora), including all vertebrates and selected groups of invertebrates and plants. Our results reveal that 19% of European species are threatened with extinction, with higher extinction risks for plants (27%) and invertebrates (24%) compared to vertebrates (18%). These numbers exceed recent IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) assumptions of extinction risk. Changes in agricultural practices and associated habitat loss, overharvesting, pollution and development are major threats to biodiversity. Maintaining and restoring sustainable land and water use practices is crucial to minimize future biodiversity declines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Axel Hochkirch
- Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany
- IUCN SSC Invertebrate Conservation Committee, Trier, Germany
- IUCN SSC Steering Committee, Caracas, Venezuela
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
| | - Melanie Bilz
- Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- IUCN SSC Freshwater Plant Specialist Group, Stroud, United Kingdom
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Catarina C. Ferreira
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
- UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Danielczak
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany
| | - David Allen
- IUCN, Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Nieto
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
- IUCN, Species Conservation Action Team, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Carlo Rondinini
- Global Mammal Assessment program, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome; Rome, Italy
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Kate Harding
- IUCN, Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Mary Seddon
- IUCN SSC Invertebrate Conservation Committee, Trier, Germany
- IUCN SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Christophe Vié
- IUCN SSC Steering Committee, Caracas, Venezuela
- Fondation Franklinia, Genève, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Plant Conservation Committee, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Emily Beech
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Biscoito
- Funchal Natural History Museum, Funchal, Portugal
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Yoan Braud
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
| | - Ian J. Burfield
- BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- IUCN SSC Red List Authority for Birds, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Filippo Maria Buzzetti
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
- Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto, Sezione Zoologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marta Cálix
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
- Rewilding Portugal, Guarda, Portugal
| | - Kent E. Carpenter
- IUCN Marine Biodiversity Unit, Biological Sciences, Norfolk, VA, United States of America
| | | | - Dragan Chobanov
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Bruce B. Collette
- IUCN Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Mia T. Comeros-Raynal
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai’i, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Neil Cox
- IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Matthew Craig
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Annabelle Cuttelod
- IUCN Red List Unit, IUCN Global Species Programme, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Benoit Dodelin
- IUCN Specialist Adviser on European Saproxylic Beetles, Truro, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas K. Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Eve Englefield
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, United Kingdom
| | - Michael F. Fay
- IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group, Royal Botanic Gardens; Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Fettes
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
- Scott Cawley, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jörg Freyhof
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Mariana García Criado
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
- School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Harvey
- IUCN Marine Biodiversity Unit, Biological Sciences, Norfolk, VA, United States of America
| | - Nick Hodgetts
- European Committee for the Conservation of Bryophytes, Portree, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Shelagh P. Kell
- The University of Birmingham, School of Biosciences, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - James Kemp
- IUCN European Regional Office, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sonia Khela
- IUCN SSC Cave Invertebrate Specialist Group, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Julia M. Lawson
- IUCN Red List Unit, IUCN Global Species Programme, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Joana Magos Brehm
- The University of Birmingham, School of Biosciences, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- IUCN SSC Crop Wild Relative Specialist Group, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel Maxted
- The University of Birmingham, School of Biosciences, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca M. Miller
- IUCN Red List Unit, IUCN Global Species Programme, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Baudewijn Odé
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
- FLORON Plant Conservation Netherlands, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - David Pollard
- Department of Ichthyology, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia
| | - Riley Pollom
- Species Recovery Program, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Rob Pople
- BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gina M. Ralph
- IUCN Marine Biodiversity Unit, Biological Sciences, Norfolk, VA, United States of America
| | - Hassan Rankou
- IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group, Royal Botanic Gardens; Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Malin Rivers
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, United Kingdom
- IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart P. M. Roberts
- Department of Agroecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Barry Russell
- IUCN Snapper, Seabream and Grunt Specialist Group, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
| | - Alexander Sennikov
- Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fabien Soldati
- Office National des Forêts, Laboratoire National d’Entomologie Forestière, Quillan, France
| | - Anna Staneva
- BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emilie Stump
- IUCN Marine Biodiversity Unit, Biological Sciences, Norfolk, VA, United States of America
| | - Andy Symes
- BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dmitry Telnov
- Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- Coleopterological Research Center, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Helen Temple
- The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Terry
- Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasiya Timoshyna
- IUCN SSC Medicinal Plant Specialist Group, Ottawa, Canada
- TRAFFIC, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chris van Swaay
- Vlinderstichting (Dutch Butterfly Conservation), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Henry Väre
- Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rachel H. L. Walls
- Reef Environmental Education Foundation, Key Largo, FL, United States of America
| | - Luc Willemse
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Brett Wilson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jemma Window
- IUCN, Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Thomas Zuna-Kratky
- IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group, Trier, Germany
- Ingenieurbüro für Landschaftsplanung und Landschaftspflege, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dulvy NK, Pacoureau N, Rigby CL, Pollom RA, Jabado RW, Ebert DA, Finucci B, Pollock CM, Cheok J, Derrick DH, Herman KB, Sherman CS, VanderWright WJ, Lawson JM, Walls RHL, Carlson JK, Charvet P, Bineesh KK, Fernando D, Ralph GM, Matsushiba JH, Hilton-Taylor C, Fordham SV, Simpfendorfer CA. Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5118-5119. [PMID: 34813743 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
4
|
Dulvy NK, Pacoureau N, Rigby CL, Pollom RA, Jabado RW, Ebert DA, Finucci B, Pollock CM, Cheok J, Derrick DH, Herman KB, Sherman CS, VanderWright WJ, Lawson JM, Walls RHL, Carlson JK, Charvet P, Bineesh KK, Fernando D, Ralph GM, Matsushiba JH, Hilton-Taylor C, Fordham SV, Simpfendorfer CA. Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4773-4787.e8. [PMID: 34492229 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The scale and drivers of marine biodiversity loss are being revealed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment process. We present the first global reassessment of 1,199 species in Class Chondrichthyes-sharks, rays, and chimeras. The first global assessment (in 2014) concluded that one-quarter (24%) of species were threatened. Now, 391 (32.6%) species are threatened with extinction. When this percentage of threat is applied to Data Deficient species, more than one-third (37.5%) of chondrichthyans are estimated to be threatened, with much of this change resulting from new information. Three species are Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), representing possibly the first global marine fish extinctions due to overfishing. Consequently, the chondrichthyan extinction rate is potentially 25 extinctions per million species years, comparable to that of terrestrial vertebrates. Overfishing is the universal threat affecting all 391 threatened species and is the sole threat for 67.3% of species and interacts with three other threats for the remaining third: loss and degradation of habitat (31.2% of threatened species), climate change (10.2%), and pollution (6.9%). Species are disproportionately threatened in tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Science-based limits on fishing, effective marine protected areas, and approaches that reduce or eliminate fishing mortality are urgently needed to minimize mortality of threatened species and ensure sustainable catch and trade of others. Immediate action is essential to prevent further extinctions and protect the potential for food security and ecosystem functions provided by this iconic lineage of predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas K Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Nathan Pacoureau
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Cassandra L Rigby
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Riley A Pollom
- IUCN SSC Global Center for Species Survival, Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46222, USA
| | - Rima W Jabado
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; Elasmo Project, PO Box 29588, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - David A Ebert
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape 6140, South Africa
| | - Brittany Finucci
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Caroline M Pollock
- IUCN, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Jessica Cheok
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Danielle H Derrick
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | | | - C Samantha Sherman
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Wade J VanderWright
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Julia M Lawson
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, 2400 Bren Hall, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA
| | - Rachel H L Walls
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - John K Carlson
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center-Panama City Laboratory, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408, USA
| | - Patricia Charvet
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemática, Uso e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará 60440-900, Brazil
| | - Kinattumkara K Bineesh
- Marine Biology Regional Centre, 130 Santhome High Road, Marine Biology Regional Centre, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India
| | - Daniel Fernando
- Blue Resources Trust, 86 Barnes Place, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka; Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE 39182 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Gina M Ralph
- International Union for Conservation of Nature Marine Biodiversity Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Jay H Matsushiba
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Craig Hilton-Taylor
- IUCN, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Sonja V Fordham
- Shark Advocates International c/o The Ocean Foundation, 1320 19th Street NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Walls RHL, Dulvy NK. Tracking the rising extinction risk of sharks and rays in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15397. [PMID: 34321530 PMCID: PMC8319307 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94632-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The loss of biodiversity is increasingly well understood on land, but trajectories of extinction risk remain largely unknown in the ocean. We present regional Red List Indices (RLIs) to track the extinction risk of 119 Northeast Atlantic and 72 Mediterranean shark and ray species primarily threatened by overfishing. We combine two IUCN workshop assessments from 2003/2005 and 2015 with a retrospective backcast assessment for 1980. We incorporate predicted categorisations for Data Deficient species from our previously published research. The percentage of threatened species rose from 1980 to 2015 from 29 to 41% (Northeast Atlantic) and 47 to 65% (Mediterranean Sea). There are as many threatened sharks and rays in Europe as there are threatened birds, but the threat level is nearly six times greater by percentage (41%, n = 56 of 136 vs. 7%, n = 56 of 792). The Northeast Atlantic RLI declined by 8% from 1980 to 2015, while the higher-risk Mediterranean RLI declined by 13%. Larger-bodied, shallow-distributed, slow-growing species and those with range boundaries within the region are more likely to have worsening status in the Northeast Atlantic. Conversely, long-established, severe threat levels obscure any potential relationships between species' traits and the likelihood of worsening IUCN status in the Mediterranean Sea. These regional RLIs provide the first widespread evidence for increasing trends in regional shark and ray extinction risk and underscore that effective fisheries management is necessary to recover the ecosystem function of these predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel H L Walls
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Nicholas K Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fernandes PG, Ralph GM, Nieto A, García Criado M, Vasilakopoulos P, Maravelias CD, Cook RM, Pollom RA, Kovačić M, Pollard D, Farrell ED, Florin AB, Polidoro BA, Lawson JM, Lorance P, Uiblein F, Craig M, Allen DJ, Fowler SL, Walls RHL, Comeros-Raynal MT, Harvey MS, Dureuil M, Biscoito M, Pollock C, McCully Phillips SR, Ellis JR, Papaconstantinou C, Soldo A, Keskin Ç, Knudsen SW, Gil de Sola L, Serena F, Collette BB, Nedreaas K, Stump E, Russell BC, Garcia S, Afonso P, Jung ABJ, Alvarez H, Delgado J, Dulvy NK, Carpenter KE. Coherent assessments of Europe’s marine fishes show regional divergence and megafauna loss. Nat Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
7
|
Lawson JM, Fordham SV, O'Malley MP, Davidson LNK, Walls RHL, Heupel MR, Stevens G, Fernando D, Budziak A, Simpfendorfer CA, Ender I, Francis MP, Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Dulvy NK. Sympathy for the devil: a conservation strategy for devil and manta rays. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3027. [PMID: 28316882 PMCID: PMC5354073 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND International trade for luxury products, medicines, and tonics poses a threat to both terrestrial and marine wildlife. The demand for and consumption of gill plates (known as Peng Yu Sai, "Fish Gill of Mobulid Ray") from devil and manta rays (subfamily Mobulinae, collectively referred to as mobulids) poses a significant threat to these marine fishes because of their extremely low productivity. The demand for these gill plates has driven an international trade supplied by largely unmonitored and unregulated catches from target and incidental fisheries around the world. Scientific research, conservation campaigns, and legal protections for devil rays have lagged behind those for manta rays despite similar threats across all mobulids. METHODS To investigate the difference in attention given to devil rays and manta rays, we examined trends in the scientific literature and updated species distribution maps for all mobulids. Using available information on target and incidental fisheries, and gathering information on fishing and trade regulations (at international, national, and territorial levels), we examined how threats and protective measures overlap with species distribution. We then used a species conservation planning approach to develop the Global Devil and Manta Ray Conservation Strategy, specifying a vision, goals, objectives, and actions to advance the knowledge and protection of both devil and manta rays. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Our literature review revealed that there had been nearly 2.5-times more "manta"-titled publications, than "mobula" or "devil ray"-titled publications over the past 4.5 years (January 2012-June 2016). The majority of these recent publications were reports on occurrence of mobulid species. These publications contributed to updated Area of Occupancy and Extent of Occurrence maps which showed expanded distributions for most mobulid species and overlap between the two genera. While several international protections have recently expanded to include all mobulids, there remains a greater number of national, state, and territory-level protections for manta rays compared to devil rays. We hypothesize that there are fewer scientific publications and regulatory protections for devil rays due primarily to perceptions of charisma that favour manta rays. We suggest that the well-established species conservation framework used here offers an objective solution to close this gap. To advance the goals of the conservation strategy we highlight opportunities for parity in protection and suggest solutions to help reduce target and bycatch fisheries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Lawson
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , British Columbia , Canada
| | - Sonja V Fordham
- Shark Advocates International, The Ocean Foundation , Washington , D.C. , United States of America
| | - Mary P O'Malley
- WildAid, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; Manta Trust, Dorchester, Dorset, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay N K Davidson
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , British Columbia , Canada
| | - Rachel H L Walls
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , British Columbia , Canada
| | - Michelle R Heupel
- Australian Institute of Marine Science , Townsville , Queensland , Australia
| | - Guy Stevens
- Manta Trust, Dorchester, Dorset, United Kingdom; Environment Department, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Fernando
- Manta Trust, Dorchester, Dorset, United Kingdom; Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden; Blue Resources, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Ania Budziak
- Project AWARE Foundation , Rancho Santa Margarita , CA , United States of America
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia
| | - Isabel Ender
- Manta Trust , Dorchester , Dorset , United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm P Francis
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research , Wellington , New Zealand
| | | | - Nicholas K Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , British Columbia , Canada
| |
Collapse
|