Logo image
Back
Only One Percent of Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Western Indian Ocean Are Fully Protected From Fishing Pressure
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

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

Jesse E M Cochran, Ryan Charles, Andrew J Temple, Peter M Kyne, Emiliano García-Rodríguez, Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana, Amanda Batlle-Morera, Théophile L Mouton, Asia O Armstrong, Christoph A Rohner, …
Ecology and Evolution, Vol.16(1), pp.1-22
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72690
PMCID: PMC12793059
PMID: 41531916
pdf
Ecology and Evolution - 2026 - Cochran - Only One Percent of Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Western Indian Ocean Are4.21 MBDownloadView
Published Version Open Access CC BY V4.0

Abstract

conservation fisheries biodiversity marine spatial planning threatened species global biodiversity framework
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several species- and jurisdiction-specific variables on ISRA delineation, and explore the importance of incorporating unpublished data into the delineation process.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% of total regional surface area) were identified within the WIO from surface waters to ~2000 m depth. These ISRAs contain over one-third (n = 104, 39%) of the 270 chondrichthyan species reported from the region, with 76% being threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The underlying evidence supporting ISRA identification was primarily drawn from relatively inexpensive research methods, such as visual census (25%) or fish-market/landing site surveys (22.6%), as well as citizen science (9.5%). Incorporating unpublished records substantially increased the frequency of ISRA delineation, leading to expanded taxonomic and geographic coverage. Still, the full dataset was influenced by the same biases as the published record, tending to favour large-bodied, wide-ranging, and shallow-dwelling species. Only 7.1% of ISRAs are within designated MPAs, with just 1.2% in fully protected no-take areas. The highest no-take overlap occurs in the Seychelles and Chagos Archipelago. These findings highlight the shortfalls in spatial protection of chondrichthyan habitats, but also present a strategic opportunity for policy-makers and resource managers to improve current MPA coverage and meet their commitments under international agreements, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Details

Metrics

16 Record Views
5 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#14 Life Below Water
#15 Life on Land

Source: SDGs from InCites

Logo image