biostudies-literatureUnknown16(1)Cochran JEMShark Conservation FundThe 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several species- and jurisdiction-specific variables on ISRA delineation, and explore the importance of incorporating unpublished data into the delineation process.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%Ecology and evolutione72690https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12793059biostudies-literatureOnly One Percent of Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Western Indian Ocean Are Fully Protected From Fishing Pressure.PMC12793059Gausman Pde Necker LFinucci BRahangdale SJaquemet SElston CWilson LDaly RPeinemann VNKyne PMZerr KMBarnes AJMcIvor AJFernando SMCSawers TJPeterson BBrighton ENelso LETemple AJCochran JEMGonzalez-Pestana ABoldrocchi GNazurally NVossgaetter LKattan AAlmojil DO'Toole KASilva LMason-Parker CGarcia-Rodriguez EDiamant SBennett RHMoore ABMWilliams CTKarnad DKoester AVenables SKRichardson EBMurra TSBraun CDStrike EMRambahiniarison JHsu HHSpaet JLYCanovas Perez CBraulik GTWilliams IDKock AAManjebrayakath HThomas SKuboja BNRastgoo ARAlmealla RKMateos-Molina DWillson AJPerisic NCharles RKizhakudan SJWeideli OCGupta TCliff GSchmidt JVHafeez MAndrzejaczek SCullain NJacoby DMPAskin ANHilbourne STEbert DABanerjee AABehzadi SMahadalle OSolonomenjanahary JBocchi FCarpenter MBullock RWSreekanth GBHempson TNBein AGauthier ARGKaunda-Arara BJabado RWvan Beuningen DOlbers JMChauca IPittman SJBatlle-Morera ABabu K K ISilva IMPeel LRBargahi HRMouton TLHardenstine RSFassbender NArmstrong AOOstrovski RLFlam ALPierce SJBarteneva-Vitry SElhassa ISEid EAli Abedi HBerumen MLCurnick DJDonati GFABudd FKPFarrag MMSRobinson DPEverett BICoker DJSamoilys MAChapple TKHaines JLAMenon MNakhawa ADHarvey-Carroll JRohner CARezaie-Atagholipour MHarris JLFennessy STIbrahim NDHagy BNStevens GMWNevill JEGMourier JCrochelet EScannell BJPalm LCarlisle ABKuguru BLAkhilesh KVZareer IHLea JSEfalseOnly One Percent of Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Western Indian Ocean Are Fully Protected From Fishing Pressure.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%2026-01-01T00:00:00Z2026 Jan2026-07-16T06:47:16.907Z2026-07-09T10:42:04.711ZS-EPMC127930594153191610.1002/ece3.72690