the conservation status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras in the arabian sea and adjacent waters

234 Pages·2017·57.36 MB·English

THE CONSERVATION
STATUS OF SHARKS, RAYS,
AND CHIMAERAS IN THE

ARABIAN SEA AND
ADJACENT WATERS
2017
Edited by
Rima W. Jabado, Peter M. Kyne, Riley A. Pollom, David A. Ebert,
Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Gina M. Ralph, Nicholas K. Dulvy
© ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI (EAD) -- IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group
2017
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Published by: Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group
Citation: Jabado, R.W., Kyne, P. M., Pollom, R. A., Ebert, D. A., Simpfendorfer, C. A., Ralph, G.M., and Dulvy, N.K. (eds.)
2017. The Conservation Status of Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras in the Arabian Sea and Adjacent Waters. Environment
Agency – Abu Dhabi, UAE and IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, Vancouver, Canada 236 pp.
ISBN: 978-9948-10-050-8
Cover photo: Pink Whipray Pateobatis fai © Simone Caprodossi Photography
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THE CONSERVATION
STATUS OF SHARKS, RAYS,
AND CHIMAERAS IN THE

ARABIAN SEA AND
ADJACENT WATERS
2017
Edited by
Rima W. Jabado, Peter M. Kyne, Riley A. Pollom, David A. Ebert,
Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Gina M. Ralph, Nicholas K. Dulvy
1
Whitetip Reef Shark -- Triaenodon obesus © Simone Caprodossi Photography
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The IUCN Shark Specialist Group Arabian Sea and Adjacent
Waters Regional Red List Workshop was generously funded
by the Save Our Seas Foundation. The Environment Agency -
Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group also
thank the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Middle East
and Africa Office), and the Sharks MoU under the Convention
of Migratory Species (CMS) for their support.
The editors would firstly like to thank the management of
the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi for their support and
for hosting this workshop. We also thank all invited regional
and international experts who contributed their valuable time
to the assessments contained in this report. Each participant
provided extremely useful information and completed the
work with enthusiasm and positivity during the workshop and
the preparation of this report. This outcome would not be
possible without their ongoing commitment and dedication
to the conservation of sharks, rays, and chimaeras.
We would also like to thank Julia M. Lawson for help in prepa-
rations for this workshop, Caroline Pollock from the IUCN
Red List Unit for her ongoing support and help, Ana-Lucia
Soares for assistance in mapping species distribution records
during the workshop, Shamsa Mohamed Al Hameli for help
in reviewing assessment details, as well as Simone Caprodos-
si Photography, Elke Bojanowski (Red Sea Sharks), David P.
Robinson, Andy Murch (Elasmodiver.com), Philippe Lecomte,
Simon Weigmann, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Bineesh K.
K., Daniel Fernando, Akhilesh K.K., and Maitha Mohamed Al
Hameli, for kindly providing us with pictures to illustrate this
report.
Contributors (in alphabetical order)
Akhilesh K.V., Khadeeja Ali, Mohamud Hassan Ali, Tariq Al
Mamari, Bineesh K.K., Nicholas K. Dulvy, David A. Ebert, Igbal
Elhassan, Daniel Fernando, Edwin M. Grandcourt, Rima W.
Jabado, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Peter M. Kyne, Alec B.M.
Moore, Fereidoon Owfi, Riley A. Pollom, David P. Robinson,
Evgeny Romanov, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Julia L.Y. Spaet, Dawit
Tesfamichael, and Tooraj Valinassab.
3 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 2
SUMMARY 5
ACRONYMS 9
1. Introduction 10
1.1 The Class Chondrichthyes 11
1.2 The IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group 11
1.3 The IUCN Red List Categories 11
1.4 Objectives and Outputs of the Red List Assessment of Sharks,
Rays and Chimaeras in the Arabian Seas Region 15

2. Overview of the Arabian Seas Region 16

2.1 Arabian Seas Region -- Large Marine Ecosystems 17
2.2 Chondrichthyan Fishes in the Arabian Seas Region 19
2.3 Threats to Chondrichthyans in the Arabian Seas Region 21
2.4 Chondrichthyan Management in the Arabian Seas Region 28
2.4.1 International Measures 29
2.4.2 Regional Measures 32
2.4.3 National Measures 33
3. Methods 43
3.1 The Red Listing Process: Workshop and Data Collation 44
3.2 Application of the Red List Categories and Criteria 44
3.3 Taxonomic Scope 46
3.4 Species Mapping 47
3.5 Review and Consensus Process 48
3.6 Species Accounts 49
4. Results 54
4.1 Overview 55
4.2 Threatened Species 55
4.3 Near Threatened Species 59
4.4 Least Concern Species 60
4.5 Data Deficient Species 61
4.6 Endemic Species 62
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
5 Species Accounts 67
5.1 Sharks 69
5.2 Rays and Chimaeras 119
6 Future Directions and Recommendations 170
7 References 173
8. Annexes 218
Annex I Workshop Participants 219
Annex II Summary of IUCN Red List Criteria 222
Annex III List of Chondrichthyans Assessed during the Workshop within each IUCN
Red List Category (in Alphabetical Order by Genus) 223
Annex I About 229
Bowmouth Guitarfish -- Rhina ancylostoma © Andy Murch -- Elasmodiver.com
5 SUMMARY
SUMMARY cies) and 123 regional species assessments. All
assessments were agreed on by consensus at
the workshop and any changes to statuses dur-
SCOPE AND ASSESSMENT METHODS
ing the review process were agreed on through
This report provides an overview of the con- email correspondence with lead assessors and
servation status of chondrichthyans (sharks, contributors prior to their submission to the
rays, and chimaeras) in the Arabian Seas Region IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM and in-
(ASR) and describes the results of a regional clusion in this report.
Red List workshop held in Abu Dhabi, United
RESULTS
Arab Emirates, in February 2017. It identifies
those species that are threatened with extinc-
Overall, results indicate that 50.9 % (78 species)
tion at the regional level, so that appropriate
of the 153 chondrichthyans assessed are con-
conservation action can be taken to improve
sidered threatened within the ASR (9.2 % CR -
their status. A regional overview of chondrich-
Critically Endangered, 22.2 % EN - Endangered,
thyan fisheries, management and conservation
19.6 % VU - Vulnerable). Of these, three species
is also presented.
were also flagged as CR – Possibly Extinct as
they had not been recorded in the region for at
Although 184 species of sharks, rays, and chi-
least three decades despite increasing research
maeras occur in the ASR, only the confirmed
and survey efforts. A further 17.6 % (27 spe-
153 species were considered in this project. The
cies) are considered NT - Near Threatened and
geographic scope encompasses the Red Sea,
12.4 % LC - Least Concern (19 species). How-
Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Sea of Oman and the
ever, for 29 species (19 %), there was insufficient
Gulf. This includes the Exclusive Economic Zone
scientific information available to evaluate their
(EEZ) of 20 countries bordering three Large
risk of extinction and these are therefore clas-
Marine Ecosystems (i.e., the Arabian Sea, Red
sified as DD - Data Deficient. When more data
Sea, and Somali Current). This region comprises
become available, some of these species might
some of the largest and most important chon-
also prove to be threatened. By comparison, this
drichthyan fishing nations in the world, including
is a significantly higher level of threat than the
India and Pakistan.
same species face on a global scale. Globally, of
All assessments followed the IUCN Red List the 153 species assessed, 34 % are threatened
Categories and Criteria Version 3.1 and the (2.6 % CR, 7.2 % EN, 24.2 % VU), 17 % are NT,
Guidelines for Application of the IUCN Red 9.2 % are LC, 28.8 % are DD, and 11.1 % had
List Criteria at Regional and National Levels not been previously evaluated.
Version 4.0. During the workshop, a network
of leading international and regional experts on The best estimate of extinction risk, which as-
chondrichthyans and fisheries compiled data and sumes that DD species are equally threatened
knowledge to prepare 30 global (endemic spe- as data sufficient species, indicates that 62.9 % of
SUMMARY 6
extant species are threatened (assessed as CR, vation concern in the ASR is significantly higher
EN, and VU), although the precise figure is un- than in other areas where regional assessments
certain and could lie between 50.9 % (if all DD have been conducted. Only those undertaken
species are not threatened) and 69.9 % (if all for the Mediterranean region have shown such
DD species are threatened). For sharks, results high numbers of threatened chondrichthyan
indicate that 61.9 % of extant species are threat- species, where 39 of 73 species are considered
ened (range between 50.6 % and 68.8 %), while threatened (53.4 %). The completion of this ASR
for rays, 66.1 % of extant species are threatened regional assessment provides an important base-
(range between 52.7 % and 72.9 %). Of the two line for monitoring the regional status of sharks,
species of chimaeras assessed, one was DD and rays, and chimaeras.
the other LC. Furthermore, the proportion of
species of elevated conservation concern (de- Pressure from artisanal and industrial fisheries
fined as (EW - Extinct in the Wild + CR + EN + are clearly a significant issue in the region, with
VU + NT) / (assessed – DD)) is high at 84.6 % bycatch considered the biggest threat to the
for all assessed chondrichthyans, 80.9 % for majority of chondrichthyan fishes. Limited spe-
sharks, and 89.8 % for rays. cies-specific reporting from fisheries does not
allow for a full assessment of the chondrich-
Of the 30 species that are endemic to the ASR,
thyan catch in the region. However, any increase
three were CR (10 %), three EN (10 %), two
in fishing effort, particularly if unregulated, is a
VU (6.6 %), five NT (16.6 %), eight LC (26.6 %),
cause of concern in the absence of species-spe-
and nine DD (30 %). In total, 26.6 % of these
cific monitoring. Furthermore, the increasing
species are threatened, and 43.2 % are in either
decline in the extent and quality of habitat as
threatened or Near Threatened categories. It is
a result of coastal development and other an-
interesting to note that most of the species as-
thropogenic disturbances, particularly for those
sessed as LC mostly occur in deepwater, there-
critical habitats that many species depend on
fore placing the majority of their populations
(e.g., coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses) pose a
outside the range of current fishing pressure.
serious threat to the survival of many species.
Species accounts are presented for all chon-
There is also an urgent need for concerted na-
drichthyans assessed. Each account provides the
tional and regional actions, and management
global and/or regional IUCN Red List Category
measures, to ensure the sustainability of most
and summarizes the documentation supporting
chondrichthyan species. It is vital that measures
the Red List assessment.
are taken in the region to strengthen research,
conservation, policy-making, and enforcement
RECOMMENDATIONS
mechanisms. This will require increasing efforts
The ASR is home to some of the most threat- and commitments from all countries bordering
ened chondrichthyan populations in the world. the ASR to regulate the exploitation of already
The proportion of species with elevated conser- depleted stocks. Although limited data availability
7 SUMMARY
remains a challenge, a precautionary approach should be ap-
plied. A series of recommendations intended to complement
and enhance existing scientific advice on the conservation
and management of chondrichthyans occurring in the ASR is
provided. These recommendations mostly pertain to improve-
ments in governance, research, and collaboration including:
• Use the outcomes of this workshop to inform revisions,
and implementation, of relevant national legislation;
• Make provisions for the full protection of chondrichthyan
species considered as CR and EN in the region;
• Take immediate measures to reduce incidental catches
of species assessed as threatened and encourage proper
handling techniques and live release;
• Ensuring the implementation and compliance with
requirements from international agreements;
• Initiating the development of an Arabian Seas Regional
Shark Plan;
• Establish and enforce Marine Protected Areas with no-
take zones;
• Develop and facilitate training, particularly in the fields
of taxonomy, monitoring methods, and stock assessment;
• Collect fisheries-dependent data on artisanal and
commercial fisheries, especially data on catch composition,
bycatch, landings, discards, and Catch Per Unit Effort;
• Conduct basic biological research for deepsea and DD
species, especially those that are commercially exploited;
and,
• Encourage research aimed at identifying and mapping
critical habitats in the region.
Evaluating the conservation status of species is a dynamic,
iterative process and the IUCN requires that the status of
a species be re-evaluated, in the least, every 10 years. Key
challenges for the future are to improve monitoring and data
quality, and to further develop data openness and dissemina-
tion so that the information and analyses presented here can
be updated and improved, and conservation actions can be
given as solid a scientific basis as possible.