In this article from Mongabay, a publication from the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project was featured. It highlights how almost half of the Western Indian Ocean’s shark and ray populations are considered threatened with extinction, as populations decline.
Read the latest update on the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project.
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
Read the latest publication stemming from the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) project released in Ecology and Evolution where authors analysed ISRAs across the Western Indian Ocean (WIO).
Read here a new story featuring IUCN SSC SSG Chair, Rima Jabado, and about the Global Status of Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras in this article by Science News Explores.
We welcome you to explore further information about the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group’s (SSG) work and results in 2024–2025.It is available online on the SSC SSG’s portal
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).
