Journal article
Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected
Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol.35(7), pp.1-38
2026
Abstract
The Asia region harbors exceptional chondrichthyan (shark, ray, and chimaera) diversity but faces intense fishing pressure. The Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) process provides a collaborative, evidence-based framework to identify critical habitats and inform spatial management. We assessed ISRAs across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific to characterize their extent, ecological significance, and conservation relevance. We delineated 122 ISRAs spanning ~ 1 million km2 (~ 3% of the region) across 12 jurisdictions and international waters, encompassing habitats for 121 species (~ 30% of Asia’s chondrichthyans), 76% of which are threatened. Depleted taxa (e.g., giant guitarfishes, Glaucostegidae) were represented, but charismatic megafauna (e.g., Whale Shark Rhincodon typus) were overrepresented. In contrast, deepwater and freshwater species were underrepresented. Reproductive Areas were the most common ISRA sub-criterion applied (52% of ISRAs), largely in nearshore zones, while areas for range-restricted species were less frequently (18%) identified. Twelve ISRAs overlapped with biodiversity hotspots, including seven in areas of high overall chondrichthyan species richness and five in areas of high range-restricted species richness. Citizen science was the predominant research method used to delineate ISRAs, while fisheries data were underused despite the region’s major fisheries footprint. Geographic coverage was uneven: Indonesia held the most ISRAs (n = 40; 71.7% of ISRA coverage) while eight jurisdictions (e.g., Viet Nam, China, Republic of Korea) lacked ISRAs due to data gaps. Protection shortfalls are stark: MPAs cover < 5% of national waters in 16 jurisdictions (eight with < 1%); 5.4% of ISRA area lies within MPAs; and only 2.8% of ISRA spatial extent overlaps with no-take zones. These results provide a regional foundation to guide spatial planning, prioritize management, close data gaps, and support recovery of Asia’s diverse and imperiled chondrichthyan assemblages.
Details
- Title
- Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected
- Authors
- Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana (Corresponding Author) - Charles Darwin UniversityPeter M. Kyne - Charles Darwin UniversityEmiliano García-Rodríguez - IUCN Species Survival CommissionRyan Charles - IUCN Species Survival CommissionVanessa Bettcher Brito - IUCN Species Survival CommissionAsia O. Armstrong - University of the Sunshine CoastAmanda Batlle-Morera - IUCN Species Survival CommissionMarta D. Palacios - IUCN Species Survival CommissionChristoph A. Rohner - IUCN Species Survival CommissionGiuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara - IUCN Species Survival CommissionJo Marie V. Acebes - BALYENA.ORG (Phillipines)Serena Adam - IUCN Species Survival CommissionAriana S. Agustines - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute PhilippinesFaqih Akbar Alghozali - Universitas Muhammadiyah TangerangChethana L. Amadoru - Blue Resources TrustRohani Ambo-Rappe - Hasanuddin UniversityMaria Theresa R. Aquino - WATCHGonzalo Araujo - Qatar UniversityJanis Argeswara - Marine Megafauna FoundationBella Riskyta Arinda - IPB UniversitySirachai Arunrugstichai - Thai Red Cross SocietyElisabeth Astari - IPB UniversityLisa-Marie Auditore - Marine Megafauna FoundationAvik Banerjee - Wildlife Conservation Society IndiaClare M. Baranowski - National TrustAlissa J. Barnes - Wildlife Conservation Society IndiaCalvin S. Beale - Murdoch UniversitySweta Beura - Zoological Survey of IndiaJessica-Anne Blakeway - University of the Sunshine CoastTitus E. Cañete - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute PhilippinesNantarika Chansue - Public AgendaAndrew Chin - James Cook UniversitySupachok Chittapisan - Thai Red Cross SocietyMetavee Chuangcharoendee - IUCN Species Survival CommissionFung Chen Chung - Universiti of Malaysia SabahThilini Dilrukshi - Blue Resources TrustMareike Dornhege-Lazaroff - Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research CenterChristine L. Dudgeon - University of the Sunshine CoastMark V. Erdmann - IUCN Species Survival CommissionFahmi - IUCN Species Survival CommissionElisabeth Fahrni Mansur - IUCN Species Survival CommissionDaniel Fernando - IUCN Species Survival CommissionKeisuke Furumitsu - Nagasaki UniversityAnna L. Flam - Marine Megafauna FoundationSyamsidar Gaffar - Universitas Borneo TarakanPeter Gausmann - Ruhr University BochumRamajeyam Gobiraj - Blue Resources TrustMichael I. Grant - James Cook UniversityAlifa B. Haque - University of DhakaKojiro Hara - Green ChemistrySimon T. Hilbourne - National TrustKooi Chee Ho - Marine Research FoundationHua Hsun Hsu - IUCN Species Survival CommissionNeil Hutchinson - James Cook University SingaporeNesha K. Ichida - ThriveDavid M. P. Jacoby - Lancaster UniversityEswar S. Jarugulla - Wildlife Conservation Society IndiaDivya Karnad - Ashoka UniversityBineesh Kinattumkara - IUCN Species Survival CommissionShoba Joe Kizhakudan - Central Marine Fisheries Research InstituteAlp Gokgoz - University of ChesterMuhammad Wiralaga Dwi Gustianto - WWF-IndonesiaThanda Ko Gyi - Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research UnitLavina - Wildlife Conservation Society IndiaChia-Yun J. Li - Fisheries AgencyEurida Liyana - Ghent University HospitalAaron Savio Lobo - Wildlife Conservation Society IndiaKirsty Magson - New Heaven Reef Conservation ProgramPetch Manopawitr - Thai Health Promotion FoundationCatherine D. McCann - OGT Amenity (Ireland)David A. McCann - OGT Amenity (Ireland)Muktha Menon - IUCN Species Survival CommissionMeira Mizrahi - Wildlife Conservation Society—Southeast Asia PacificAnil Mohapatra - Zoological Survey of IndiaMaizah Mohd Abdullah - Universiti Malaysia TerengganuRichard N. Muallil - Mindanao State UniversityRyan Murray - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute PhilippinesEfin Muttaqin - Universitas Dian NusantaraEvan M. Nazareth - Nature Conservation FoundationAnusha Neranjan - Blue Resources TrustRaisa Noor - Wildlife Conservation SocietyBudi Nugraha - IPB UniversitySimon P. Oliver - University of ChesterSue Andrey Ong - Wildlife Conservation SocietyAlexei M. Orlov - IUCN Species Survival CommissionSharang Payyat - Wildlife Conservation Society IndiaNicolas J. Pilcher - Marine Research FoundationAlessandro Ponzo - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute PhilippinesPrehadi - Ministry of Marine Affairs and FisheriesMochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra - Konservasi IndonesiaVan Quang Vo - Institute of Marine Geology and GeophysicsJoshua Rambahiniarison - Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute PhilippinesL. Remya - Central Marine Fisheries Research InstituteAkbar Reza - Universitas Gadjah MadaSubal Kumar Roul - Central Marine Fisheries Research InstituteSwatipriyanka Sen - Central Marine Fisheries Research InstituteCitra Septiani - IPB UniversityAbraham B. Sianipar - Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia (Indonesia)Pascal Sebastian - The Ocean FoundationEdy Setyawan - Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia (Indonesia)Mohammad Shamsuddoha - Jahangirnagar UniversityRafid A. Shidqi - Duke UniversityBenaya M. Simeon - Charles Darwin UniversitySitha Som - Mississippi State UniversitySerena J. Stean - The Ocean FoundationDavies Austin Spiji - Wildlife Conservation SocietyDipani Sutaria - James Cook UniversityAkshay Tanna - IUCN Species Survival CommissionAmy Y. H. Then - University of MalayaSujitha Thomas - Central Marine Fisheries Research InstituteNicholas J. Tolen - Universiti Malaysia TerengganuMicaela L. Trebol - University of Negros Occidental – RecoletosZoya Tyabji - Dalhousie UniversityJean Asuncion T. Utzurrum - Silliman UniversityStephanie K. Venables - Marine Megafauna FoundationIgor V. Volvenko - Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionChristine A. Ward-Paige - Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma SocietyAtsuko Yamaguchi - Nagasaki UniversityArnel Yaptinchay - WATCHRanny R. Yuneni - IUCN Species Survival CommissionJie Zhang - IUCN Species Survival CommissionFabienne Ziadi-Künzli - Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityMasiat A. Zubair - University of DhakaRima W. Jabado - James Cook University
- Publication details
- Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol.35(7), pp.1-38
- Publisher
- Springer Dordrecht
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10531-026-03356-2
- ISSN
- 1572-9710
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The complete information for species, habitats, and ISRA Criteria related to each one of the ISRAs can be found and downloaded from the ISRA website (https://sharkrayareas.org/). IUCN distribution maps are available on the IUCN Red List website [https://www.iucnredlist.org/].
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991233181202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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