Asia's shark and ray hotspots remain poorly protected, study finds

A study says Asia’s key habitats for sharks and rays remain far less protected than mapping efforts suggest, arguing that governments should move from identifying sites to managing them. Reporting in Biodiversity and Conservation, researchers assessed the network of important shark and ray areas (ISRAs) across 19 Asian countries and territories and found only 5.4% of the combined area overlaps with recognized marine protected areas (MPAs). Even less falls within fully protected, no-take zones, at just 2.8%. The ISRAs cover more than 1 million square kilometers and support sharks, rays and chimaeras, with nearly three-quarters of species threatened on the IUCN Red List. Lead author Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana, a Ph.D. candidate at Charles Darwin University and an IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group member, said ISRAs lack legal status but can guide marine spatial planning. Since 2022, the ISRA program has identified more than 990 ISRAs worldwide. The Western Indian Ocean showed similar gaps, and a Sri Lanka case study highlighted range-restricted species as highly vulnerable.