The #SharkConservationFund 2023 Impact Report is here! 🎉

Explore our efforts to safeguard #sharks & #rays through strategic grantmaking. From legal protections driven by CITES to new management measures in MPAs, we celebrate our progress and eagerly anticipate the year ahead.🦈

BREAKING: new study led by Brit Finucci finds that 1 in 7 species of deepwater sharks and rays are threatened with extinction, driven by shark liver oil markets and the meat trade.

Paper: science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

Press release: dulvy.com/sharksinthedar…

It was a massive assessment, and we couldn't have done it without the most generous help of Cassie Rigby & the team at IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Finally, it is Published. All sawfish species are now Critically Endangered, designated by IUCN Red List. The time for action is now.

Breaking: the Javan Stingaree has become the first species of marine fish declared extinct in modern times.

Learn more: cdu.edu.au/news/global-bi…

Learn more: iucnredlist.org/species/60095/…

Photo credit: Edda Aßel, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.

It is with great #sadness that today IUCN Red List declares the #JavaStingaree #Extinct

An assessment led by Julia Constance reveals the first #marine #fish extinction caused by humans #Extinct ionIsForever

iucnredlist.org/species/60095/…

📷Edda Aßel, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

Have common #stingray declined in abundance and body size in response to fishing? 🦈🎣

Have they shifted their distribution northwards in response to #climatechange ? 🔥❄️🌎

We explore this in the paper below⬇️

NEW🚨 Jan Geert Hiddink Alec Moore & I collated & analysed common #stingray records across ~200 years to reconstruct their population trajectory & distribution around Great Britain ICES 🦈

Excited to have seen my masters work develop Ocean Sciences

academic.oup.com/icesjms/advanc…

Despite an increase in the total number of stingray records over time in Britain, the last common stingray recorded in the waters of Scotland and northern England (> 53°N) was 1991 and 1998, respectively.

Angelshark (blue) showed a very similar decline in reports at the start of the observation period, while the uptick in records and the sightings at the end of the observation period was very limited compared to the common stingray (black).

We reconstruct the population trajectory and distribution of the common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca around Great Britain, using opportunistic records, mostly obtained by recreational anglers from Sea Angler magazine

Catches reported by anglers showed no long-term trend over 50 years, but decreased from 1970 to 1995 and an increase in abundance since 1995. While records were found around much of Great Britain, nearly all were from south of 54°, and have contracted southwards since 2000.

With Ryan Charles 🦈 and Alec Moore we reconstructed the population trajectory and distribution of the common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca around Great Britain, using opportunistic records, mostly obtained by recreational anglers.
academic.oup.com/icesjms/advanc…

Happy to get my hands on this lovely signed #sawfish print by Marc Dando at the #EEA2023 student bursary auction The Shark Trust 🦈

2. ISRAs 🌍

Ryan Charles 🦈 presented some interesting updates from Important Shark and Ray Areas - ISRAs. As work continues on their designation, some general patterns are emerging: coastal and charismatic species are receiving more attention in ISRA proposals, whilst chimaeras are underrepresented

#EEA2023 what a week! Immense thanks to all of you who made the event so memorable! Thanks again to our sponsors Save Our Seas Innovasea Lotek for their generous support, & all our speakers.
Watch this space for a final wrap-up video.

Great to see results of the Important Shark and Ray Areas - ISRAs IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group Important Shark and Ray Area process to date during #EEA2023

A huge collaborative process with 100s people involved - gathering data to delineate areas most important using specific criteria

Was a great pleasure presenting Important Shark and Ray Areas - ISRAs at European Elasmobranch Association #EEA2023 in Brighton 🇬🇧 Thank you The Shark Trust !!🦈

Work with sharks, rays, or chimaeras in Asia? 🦈Tell us where you think the most important areas are!

Please share with your colleagues. See details below.

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group Shark Conservation Fund #sharkscience