The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project is coming to North America!
A landmark global report maps over 750 vital shark and ray habitats, revealing migration routes, breeding and feeding grounds across 70% of the ocean, giving governments powerful new science to guide conservation and climate-resilient ocean management.
IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group unveils the first-ever coordinated global map of Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) for CMS-listed sharks and rays
Major step forward for threatened species conservation in Northern Europe.
In response to these challenges, the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project convened its ninth regional workshop in Den Haag, the Netherlands, from 17–21 May 2025. Over five days, over 180 preliminary Areas of Interest proposals submitted by 214 experts working across northern Europe and Macaronesia, using the latest scientific data on life-history, reproduction, migration, and feeding patterns. After careful evaluation and independent review, 124 ISRAs, 30 Areas of Interest, and 5 candidate ISRAs were identified, ranging from shallow coastal reproductive areas to deep offshore aggregation or feeding sites. All results are now freely accessible on the ISRA e-Atlas (www.sharkrayareas.org).
In a recent article from Forbes the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project’s publication entitled ‘Shortfalls in the protection of Important Shark and Ray Areas undermine shark conservation efforts in the Central and South American Pacific’.
NEW PAPER ALERT | Read the latest publication from the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project in the journal iScience highlighting:
Important Areas are tools to support effective marine conservation planning;
1. Adding critical habitats to range maps enhances systematic conservation solutions;
2. Including critical habitats in solutions can cover a similar area but differ in cost; and
3. Considering Important Areas will enhance outcomes for threatened species protection
NEW PUBLICATION
We looked at how Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) can also support the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).
Our findings? 1 in 5 ISRAs already qualify as KBAs.
These area-based management tools are complimentary and using them together can be powerful to ensure nations meet their 30×30 commitments under Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
See the newest publication on the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project published in the journal, PLOS One.
García-Rodríguez E, Gonzalez-Pestana A, Charles R, Palacios MD, Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Alfaro-Shigueto J, et al. (2025). Mapping Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Central and South American Pacific: existing knowledge and data needs. PLoS One 20(4): e0322445. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322445
