Only One Percent of Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Western Indian Ocean Are Fully Protected From Fishing Pressure.

ABSTRACT: The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) is known for its high diversity of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras). However, intense fishing pressure has led to severe population declines and local extinctions of several species. The Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) process is a collaborative, evidence-based approach used to identify critical habitat for chondrichthyans. We analysed ISRAs across the WIO to quantify the diversity of research methods used to identify them, evaluate spatial overlap with designated marine protected areas (MPAs), model the influence of several species- and jurisdiction-specific variables on ISRA delineation, and explore the importance of incorporating unpublished data into the delineation process. In total, 125 ISRAs (covering > 2.8 million km²; ~10%

SUBMITTER: Cochran JEM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12793059 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature