A Case Study in International Shark Conservation: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the Spiny Dogfish

This article examines whether, in the face of lax or nonexistent domestic and regional management, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ) can encourage and complement shark conservation efforts around the world. In particular, it focuses on spiny dogfish as a case study of concern. Low reproductive potential, well-documented depletion and persistent markets driving expanding international trade make spiny dogfish an excellent candidate for CITES attention. As discussed in Section II, CITES does not have an extensive history of regulating trade in marine fish species, and yet has given special attention to sharks and has even afforded protection to some shark species in recent years. Listings on the CITES Appendices, if adequately implemented as a complement to regional fisheries management, hold great promise for stemming depletion of spiny dogfish and other species of sharks in international trade. Securing such protection and associated fisheries management, however, presents many complicated challenges and in some cases may already be too late

A Case Study in International Shark Conservation: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the Spiny Dogfish

This article examines whether, in the face of lax or nonexistent domestic and regional management, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ) can encourage and complement shark conservation efforts around the world. In particular, it focuses on spiny dogfish as a case study of concern. Low reproductive potential, well-documented depletion and persistent markets driving expanding international trade make spiny dogfish an excellent candidate for CITES attention. As discussed in Section II, CITES does not have an extensive history of regulating trade in marine fish species, and yet has given special attention to sharks and has even afforded protection to some shark species in recent years. Listings on the CITES Appendices, if adequately implemented as a complement to regional fisheries management, hold great promise for stemming depletion of spiny dogfish and other species of sharks in international trade. Securing such protection and associated fisheries management, however, presents many complicated challenges and in some cases may already be too late

European Shark Fisheries: A Preliminary Investigation into Fisheries, Conversion Factors, Trade Products, Markets and Management Measures

Recommends new regulations to prevent shark finning -- an illegal practice in which a shark's fins are removed and its carcass dumped at sea -- and stresses the urgent need for effective shark conservation measures

Strengthening Marine Species Protections in Cuba: A Case Study on the Critically Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish

The Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinate), a critically endangered species of ray, is in urgent need of strong legal protection and conservation action in the Wider Caribbean Region, particularly in Cuba. Cuba has a long history of conservation initiatives for other marine species and is a signatory to multiple multinational agreements that direct the country to protect sawfish. Nevertheless, sawfish are only just beginning to be a species of concern on the island. Here we review existing domestic laws relevant to biodiversity and endangered species protection in Cuba, with a focus on safeguarding sawfish. We offer specific recommendations to improve sawfish protection in Cuba through clear prohibitions on killing and harassment, as well as safe release requirements for incidentally captured individuals.

The last frontier: Catch records of white sharks (carcharodon carcharias) in the northwest pacific ocean

White sharks are highly migratory apex predators, globally distributed in temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical waters. Knowledge of white shark biology and ecology has increased recently based on research at known aggregation sites in the Indian, Atlantic, and Northeast Pacific Oceans; however, few data are available for the Northwest Pacific Ocean. This study provides a meta-analysis of 240 observations of white sharks from the Northwest Pacific Ocean between 1951 and 2012. Records comprise reports of bycatch in commercial fisheries, media accounts, personal communications, and documentation of shark-human interactions from Russia (n = 8), Republic of Korea (22), Japan (129), China (32), Taiwan (45), Philippines (1) and Vietnam (3). Observations occurred in all months, excluding October-January in the north (Russia and Republic of Korea) and July-August in the south (China, Taiwan, Philippines, and Vietnam). Population trend analysis indicated that the relative abundance of white sharks in the region has remained relatively stable, but parameterization of a 75% increase in observer effort found evidence of a minor decline since 2002. Reliably measured sharks ranged from 126– 602 cm total length (TL) and 16–2530 kg total weight. The largest shark in this study (602 cm TL) represents the largest measured shark on record worldwide. For all countries combined the sex ratio was non-significantly biased towards females (1:1.1; n = 113). Of 60 females examined, 11 were confirmed pregnant ranging from the beginning stages of pregnancy (egg cases) to near term (140 cm TL embryos). On average, 6.062.2 embryos were found per litter (maximum of 10) and gestation period was estimated to be 20 months. These observations confirm that white sharks are present in the Northwest Pacific Ocean year-round. While acknowledging the difficulties of studying little known populations of a naturally low abundance species, these results highlight the need for dedicated research to inform regional conservation and management plannin

Do Women in Nepal Like Playing a Mobile Game? MANTRA: A Mobile Gamified App for Improving Healthcare Seeking Behavior in Rural Nepal

publishedVersio

Sympathy for the Devil: A Conservation Strategy for Devil and Manta Rays

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

Overfishing and Habitat Loss Drives Range Contraction of Iconic Marine Fishes to Near Extinction

Extinctions on land are often inferred from sparse sightings over time, but this technique is ill-suited for wide-ranging species. We develop a space-for-time approach to track the spatial contraction and drivers of decline of sawfishes. These iconic and endangered shark-like rays were once found in warm, coastal waters of 90 nations and are now presumed extinct in more than half (n = 46). Using dynamic geography theory, we predict that sawfishes are gone from at least nine additional nations. Overfishing and habitat loss have reduced spatial occupancy, leading to local extinctions in 55 of the 90 nations, which equates to 58.7% of their historical distribution. Retention bans and habitat protections are urgently necessary to secure a future for sawfishes and similar species

Extinction risk and conservation of the world\u27s sharks and rays

The rapid expansion of human activities threatens ocean-wide biodiversity. Numerous marine animal populations have declined, yet it remains unclear whether these trends are symptomatic of a chronic accumulation of global marine extinction risk. We present the first systematic analysis of threat for a globally distributed lineage of 1,041 chondrichthyan fishes—sharks, rays, and chimaeras. We estimate that one-quarter are threatened according to IUCN Red List criteria due to overfishing (targeted and incidental). Large-bodied, shallow-water species are at greatest risk and five out of the seven most threatened families are rays. Overall chondrichthyan extinction risk is substantially higher than for most other vertebrates, and only one-third of species are considered safe. Population depletion has occurred throughout the world’s ice-free waters, but is particularly prevalent in the Indo-Pacific Biodiversity Triangle and Mediterranean Sea. Improved management of fisheries and trade is urgently needed to avoid extinctions and promote population recovery