Guitarfishes are plucked: Undermanaged in global fisheries despite declining populations and high volume of unreported international trade

Some sharks and rays are subject to fisheries catch and international trade regulations. However, the Guitarfishes (family Rhinobatidae) are a highly threatened group with minimal regulations. The true volume of Guitarfishes in international trade is underestimated and masked by substantial underreporting of catch and the use of broad commodity codes for traded products. Here, we begin to document the extent of trade by collating international trade information for Guitarfishes that have not readily been documented in trade, possibly due to poor resolution of molecular genetic markers. We also assess the shortfall in fisheries management (M-Risk) for all species of Guitarfish based on 99 assessments across 28 countries. Globally, Guitarfishes are inadequately managed, with an average M-Risk of 45% of an ideal score, resulting in 76% of species being threatened globally. The high and unregulated catch and trade volume, paired with the management shortfalls, require global integrated improvement in fisheries management, supported by regulating international trade to sustainable levels

High overexploitation risk due to management shortfall in highly traded requiem sharks

Most of the international trade in fins (and likely meat too) is derived from requiem sharks (family Carcharhinidae), yet trade in only two of the 56 species is currently regulated. Here, we quantify catch, trade, and the shortfall in national and regional fisheries management (M-Risk) for all 56 requiem shark species based on 831 assessments across 30 countries and four Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). Requiem sharks comprise over half (60%) of the annual reported global Chondrichthyan catch with most species (86%) identified in the international fin trade. Requiem sharks are inadequately managed by fisheries, with an average M-Risk of half (50%) of an ideal score, consequently 70% of species are threatened globally. The high catch and trade volume and shortfall in management of these iconic species require worldwide fisheries management for sustainable catch, supported by full implementation of CITES regulations for international trade of this newly listed family

Half a century of rising extinction risk of coral reef sharks and rays

Sharks and rays are vital coral reef species. This study shows that nearly two thirds (59%) of the 134 coral-reef associated species are threatened with extinction. The main cause of their decline is found to be overfishing, both targeted and unintentional, and extinction risk is greater for larger species found in nations with higher fishing pressure and weaker governance