Quarter of Atlantic sharks and rays face extinction because of overfishing, say scientists



More than a quarter of shark and ray species found in the north east Atlantic are threatened with extinction, conservationists have warned.



An assessment of the region's sharks, rays and chimaeras by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found seven per cent of species were critically endangered, while another seven per cent were endangered.

Most at risk include the porbeagle shark, the common skate, deepwater sharks and spiny dogfish.

Most at risk: The porbeagle shark is one of the species found in the north east Atlantic that is threatened with extinction

The IUCN said shark species, which are largely under pressure from overfishing, were much more threatened in the north east Atlantic than globally.

Some 26 per cent of species are threatened in the region, compared to 18 per cent globally, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessment found.

And the figure could be even higher, as there was insufficient data to assess more than a quarter of the region's sharks, rays and chimaeras.

Endangered: The beautiful angel shark is also fighting for its survival

Claudine Gibson, lead author of the report for the IUCN's shark specialist group, said:



'From angel sharks to devil rays, north east Atlantic populations of these vulnerable species are in serious trouble, more so than in many other parts of the world.

'Most sharks and rays are exceptionally vulnerable to overfishing because of their tendency to grow slowly, mature late and produce few young.



'Those at greatest risk in the north east Atlantic include heavily fished large sharks and rays, like porbeagle and common skate, as well as commercially valuable deepwater sharks and spiny dogfish.'

The scientists from the IUCN shark specialist group said over-exploitation - either fishing for the sharks deliberately or catching them accidentally while fishing for other species - was the biggest cause of decline in the north east Atlantic.

The conservation group, along with wildlife organisation Shark Alliance, called for European countries to take steps to protect the threatened species.

Currently the UK and Sweden are the only countries in the region to provide full national protection for certain shark and ray species, the IUCN said.

Dying out: The common skate is another species in serious trouble

The European Union sets specific fishing limits for only four of the region's 116 shark, ray and chimaera species.

While basking sharks and great white sharks are legally protected in the EU, fishing limits for spiny dogfish and porbeagles are regularly set in excess of scientific advice.



So too are broad EU limits across species of skates, rays and deepwater sharks, the conservationists said.

The upcoming setting of annual quotas, an EC action plan on sharks and meetings of international fisheries and wildlife bodies provide numerous opportunities to improve the situation, the IUCN and Shark Alliance said.

Sonja Fordham, policy director for the Shark Alliance, said: 'Country officials should heed the dire warnings of this report and act to protect threatened sharks and rays at national, regional and international levels.

'Such action is immediately possible and absolutely necessary to change the current course toward extinction of these remarkable ocean animals.'

Earlier this year the IUCN warned more than half the world's wide-ranging ocean sharks were threatened with extinction - also the result of overfishing.

The Shark Alliance welcomed proposals published on Monday by the European Commission to stop fishing of six threatened north east Atlantic shark and ray species in 2009.

The Commission proposed setting the total allowable catch for spiny dogfish and porbeagle sharks at zero, prohibiting fishermen from keeping angel sharks, common skates, undulate rays or white skates, and improving management of skate and ray fisheries.

Ms Fordham said: 'We are impressed with the Commission's strong stance and unprecedented adherence to the scientific advice with respect to fishing limits for several of Europe's most endangered sharks and rays.

'These proposals demonstrate the most solid step to date toward a new, more responsible era in the management of European shark fisheries.'

