Catch composition and life history characteristics of sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii) landed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Detailed information on shark and ray fisheries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India are limited, including information on the diversity and biological characteristics of these species. We carried out fish landing surveys in South Andamans from January 2017 to May 2018, a comprehensive and cost-effective way to fill this data gap. We sampled 5,742 individuals representing 57 shark and ray species landed from six types of fishing gears. Of the 36 species of sharks and 21 species of rays landed, six species of sharks (Loxodon macrorhinus, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, Sphyrna lewini, C. albimarginatus, C. brevipinna, and Paragaleus randalli) comprised 83.35% of shark landings, while three species of rays (Pateobatis jenkinsii, Himantura leoparda and H. tutul) comprised 48.82% of ray landings, suggesting a species dominance in the catch or fishing region. We provide insights into the biology of species with extensions in maximum size for seven shark species. Additionally, we document an increase in the known ray diversity for the islands and for India with three previously unreported ray species. We found that amongst sharks, mature individuals of small-bodied species (63.48% males of total landings of species less than 1.5 m total length when mature) and immature individuals of larger species (84.79% males of total landings of species larger than 1.5 m total length when mature) were mostly landed; whereas for rays, mature individuals were predominantly landed (80.71% males of total landings) likely reflecting differences in habitat preferences along life-history stages across species and fishing gear. The largest size range in sharks was recorded in landings from pelagic longlines and gillnets. Further, the study emphasizes the overlap between critical habitats and fishing grounds, where immature sharks and gravid females were landed in large quantities which might be unsustainable in the long-term. Landings were female-biased in C. amblyrhynchos, S. lewini and P. jenkinsii, and male-biased in L. macrorhinus and H. leoparda, indicating either spatio-temporal or gear-specific sexual segregation in these species. Understanding seasonal and biological variability in the shark and ray landings over a longer study period across different fisheries will inform future conservation and fishery management measures for these species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Elasmobranch conservation, challenges and management strategy in India: recommendations from a national consultative meeting

Historically, India has been projected as one of the major elasmobranch fishing nations in the world. However, management and conservation efforts are not commensurate with this trend. Along with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, several generic conservation measures are in place at the regional/local level. But India is still a long way from meeting global conservation commitments. We present here the status of elasmobranch management and conservation in India, with the specific objec-tive of identifying the gaps in the existing set-up. We also present recommendations based on a national consultative workshop held at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, in February 2020. We recommend the implementation of a National Plan of Action (NPOA-Sharks) and more in-clusive governance and policymaking for elasmobranch conservation in India

New records of sharks (Elasmobranchii) from the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago in India with notes on current checklists

The diversity of sharks occurring off the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago in India has received increased attention in recent years. Yet, available checklists are out of date, often with inaccurate information and a number of commercially important species have not been documented through research and fish landing surveys. Here we report on shark species examined during fish landing surveys conducted from January 2017 to April 2018. Records of twelve previously unreported species from the archipelago are presented and include the bignose shark (Carcharhinus altimus), pigeye shark (Carcharhinus amboinensis), bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), snaggletooth shark (Hemipristis elongata), slender weasel shark (Paragaleus randalli), Arabian smoothhound shark (Mustelus mosis), Indonesian houndshark (Hemitriakis indroyonoi), sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), Indonesian bambooshark (Chiloscyllium hasseltii), tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus), dwarf gulper shark (Centrophorus atromarginatus), and the Indonesian shortsnout spurdog (Squalus hemipinnis). These records increase the reported shark species for the archipelago from 47 to 59 and for India from 114 to 116. Additionally, a size extension in the total length of C. hasseltii by 27 cm and of P. randalli by 8 cm is reported. Owing to the bio-geographical location of these islands, species diversity around the archipelago is unique and appears to overlap with that of southeast Asia. With increasing reports of over-exploitation and the operation of a targeted shark fishery by distant water fleets in these waters, the limited information on shark diversity from this region is of concern. Systematic and long-term monitoring of catches, combined with accurate species identification, is crucial to provide information on management measures

Utilization and trade of sharks and rays in the Andaman Islands, India

Overfishing is recognized as the most pervasive threat to sharks and rays globally. While there is increasing emphasis on ecological aspects of shark and ray fisheries, socio-economic considerations are often poorly incorporated into management policies. Here, we assess the utilization and trade of sharks and rays across the Andaman Islands by conducting semi-structured interviews with 87 fishers and eight traders. Sharks and rays were exported to supply the meat market in peninsular India and contribute to the international trade in products such as fins, gill plates, and liver oil. A large proportion of fishers (n = 38, 43.67%) consumed sharks and rays due to declines in reef fish, as an accessible and cheap protein source. Small-sized sharks (<1 m total length), juvenile hammerheads, and uniformly coloured rays were preferred for local consumption. Fishers (n = 43, 49.42%) noted the difficulty of relying on profits from shark fishing due to declines in shark populations. However, it was easier to fish and trade rays due to their perceived abundance, few regulations, and increased demand for their products. Traders (n = 7, 87.5%) mentioned a rising demand for ray meat from peninsular India, leading to the development of a targeted ray fishery. Expanding and targeted shark and ray fisheries benefit the stakeholders who have the resources to invest, while affecting the livelihoods of others due to declining local fisheries resources. Our results highlight the need to revise and improve legal frameworks to consider the conservation needs of threatened species and likely impacts on local communities

The terrestrial life of sea kraits : insights from a long-term study on two Laticauda species (Reptilia: Squamata: Elapidae) in the Andaman Islands, India

CITATION: Tyabji, Z. et al. 2018. The terrestrial life of sea kraits : insights from a long-term study on two Laticauda species (Reptilia: Squamata: Elapidae) in the Andaman Islands, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 10(11):12443–12450, doi:10.11609/jott.4311.10.11.12443-12450.The original publication is available at https://threatenedtaxa.orgSea kraits forage in water and return to land to digest their prey, mate, slough, and lay their eggs. The temporal terrestrial patterns in encounter rate and behaviour of two species of sea kraits Laticauda colubrina and L. laticaudata were studied over four years at the New Wandoor beach in the southern Andaman Islands. The encounter rate of L. colubrina was found to be 20 times higher than L. laticaudata, and sea kraits were observed to prefer the natural refuge that the microhabitat of uprooted trees provide. Additionally, nesting observations are presented that emphasize the need to promote the conservation of these crucial terrestrial habitats.Andaman Nicobar Environment Teamhttps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/4311Publisher's versio

Occurrence and distribution of tetraodontiform fishes of the&amp;nbsp;Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Some fish groups are common on coral reefs, but we still lack fundamental information about how fish assemblages&amp;nbsp;vary across seascapes. The order Tetraodontiformes, which includes pufferfish, triggerfish, shingles, porcupinefish,&amp;nbsp;burrfish, leatherjacketfish, filefish, and trunkfish, is one such group. We systematically surveyed 75 sites around 52&amp;nbsp;islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of tetraodontiform fishes.&amp;nbsp;We recorded 25 species from 16 genera and 6 families. We found the distribution of fishes to vary between sites and&amp;nbsp;geographical regions, with the southern Nicobar region having higher species richness than other geographical regions in the island group. Possible reasons for the observed patterns of the occurrence and distribution of tetraodontiform&amp;nbsp;fishes are discussed