The IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (SSG) The SSG was established by the IUCN Species Survival Commission in 1991. The Group provides leadership for the conservation of threatened species and populations of all chondrichthyan fishes. There are 180 SSG members from 90 countries distributed among 12 ocean-region subgroups.

Mission To promote the long-term conservation of the world's sharks and related species (the skates, rays and chimaeras), effective management of their fisheries and habitats, and, where necessary, the recovery of their populations.

Network and Structure The Group appoints its members by invitation. They are volunteer experts who are actively involved in elasmobranch research and fisheries management, marine conservation and policy formulation. The work of the Group is led by two Co-Chairs and an Executive Committee. Area Coordinators appointed for Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia help to improve communications between regional groups in these areas and strengthen the network. Regional Vice-Chairs are appointed to co-ordinate work of the Group around the world and to provide a link between members, the Executive Committee, Co-Chairs, staff and the SSC. A Global cross-cutting working group includes people working on international issues and whose knowledge covers several regions. To learn about the SSG’s regional structure see our Regional Pages. Anyone interested in contributing to the work of the SSG should contact us, indicating their field of expertise. Also see the SSG’s Membership Policy.

Staff From 2001-2008 the Group employed a full-time Programme Officer. Since 2005 the group has employed a full-time Red List Officer.

IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) The SSC is a science-based network of ~ 7,500 volunteer experts from almost every country of the world, all working together towards achieving the vision of “A world that values and conserves present levels of biodiversity." Members include researchers, government officials, wildlife veterinarians, zoo and botanical institute employees, marine biologists, protected area managers, and experts on plants, birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. Most members are deployed in more than 100 Specialist Groups and Task Forces. Some groups address conservation issues related to particular groups of plants or animals while others focus on topical issues such as reintroduction of species into former habitats, or wildlife health. Working in close association with IUCN’s Species Programme, SSC’s major role is to provide information to IUCN on biodiversity conservation, the inherent value of species, their role in ecosystem health and functioning, the provision of ecosystem services, and their support to human livelihoods. SSC members also provide scientific advice to conservation organisations, government agencies and other IUCN members, and support the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing field projects all over the world; and bringing governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, international conventions, companies and local communities together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network- a democratic union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 professional staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. The Union’s headquarters are located in Gland, near Geneva, Switzerland.