Our History

Our History

The below timeline provides an overview of the SSG history from when it was founded in 1991 by Dr Samuel Gruber (also known as ‘Doc‘ or ‘Sonny‘) with the support from Deputy Chair Sarah Fowler, to the present day.

IUCN SSC Specialist Groups disband and reform every three to four years, following the World Conservation Congress. IUCN’s current quadrennium runs from 2025-2029.

2025 – 2029 (quadrennium)
Chair
- Rima Jabado (United Arab Emirates)
Red List Authority Coordinator
- Brittany Finucci (New Zealand)
Regional Groups and Regional Vice-Chairs
- North America: John Carlson (USA) & Meaghen McCord (Canada)
- Central America and the Caribbean: Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki (Mexico) and Ana Hacohen-Domené (Guatemala)
- South America: Patricia Charvet-Almeida (Brazil) and Ma. Lourdes (Marilú) Estalles (Argentina)
- Northern Europe: Sophy R. McCully Phillips (United Kingdom) & Eva Meyers (Canary Islands, Spain; Germany)
- Mediterranean: Fabrizio Serena (Italy) , Alen Soldo (Croatia), & Ioannis Giovos (Greece)
- Africa: Rhett Bennett (South Africa), Issah Seidu (Ghana), & Ghofrane Labyedh (Cameroon)
- Indian Ocean: Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur (Bangladesh) & Ali Reza Rastgoo (Iran)
- Asia: Fahmi (Indonesia) & Serena Adam (Malaysia)
- Oceania: Christine Dudgeon (Australia) & Alastair Harry (Australia)
Program Officer
- Alexandra Z.A. Morata (United Arab Emirates)
Chair
- Rima Jabado (United Arab Emirates)
Red List Authority Coordinator
- Cassandra Rigby (Australia)
- Brittany Finucci (New Zealand) (2023)
Working Groups Chairs
- Deep Sea Chondrichthyan: Brittany Finucci (New Zealand)
- Bycatch : Dave W. Kulka (Canada) & Gustavo Chiaramonte (Argentina)
- Integrative Taxonomy : Simon Weigmann (Germany)
- Human Dimensions : Divya Karnad (India)
- Aquarium : Lisa A. Hoopes (USA) & Paula Carlson (USA)
- Assess : Cassandra Rigby (Australia)
- Communication : Michael Scholl (Switzerland)
- Marine Historical Ecology: Manuel Dureuil (Germany) & Heike Zidowitz (Germany)
Regional Groups and Regional Vice-Chairs
- North America: John Carlson (USA) & Chelsey Young (USA)
- Central America and the Caribbean: Mario Espinoza (Costa Rica) & Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki (Mexico)
- South America: Patricia Charvet-Almeida (Brazil), Vicente Faria (Brazil) & Carlos Bustamante (Chile)
- Northern Europe: Heike Zidowitz (Germany) & Sophy R. McCully Phillips (United Kingdom)
- Mediterranean: Fabrizio Serena (Italy) & Alen Soldo (Croatia)
- Africa: Melita Samoilys (Kenya) & Mika S. Diop (Senegal)
- Indian Ocean: Daniel Fernando (Sri Lanka) & Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur (Bangladesh)
- Asia: Fahmi (Indonesia) & Jie Zhang (China)
- Oceania: Christine Dudgeon (Australia) & Alastair Harry (Australia)
Program Officer
- Alexandra Z.A. Morata (United Arab Emirates)
2021 – 2025 (quadrennium)
2017 – 2020 (quadrennium)
Chair
- Nick Dulvy | Simon Fraser University | Canada
- Colin Simpfendorfer | James Cook University | Australia
Deputy Chair
- Sonja Fordham | Shark Advocates International | USA
Red List Authority Coordinator
- Peter Kyne | Charles Darwin University | Australia
- Cassandra Rigby | James Cook University | Australia
- Riley Pollom | Simon Fraser University | Canada
Working Groups Chair
- Trade : Shelley Clarke | Sasama Consulting | Japan
- Traffic : Glenn Sant | TRAFFIC | Australia Vice-Chair
- Taxonomy : David Ebert | Pacific Shark Research Center | USA
- Strategy : Michelle Heupel | Australian Institute of Marine Research | Australia
Regional Groups and Regional Vice-Chairs
- Northeast Atlantic: Edward Farrell (Ireland) & Heike Zidowitz (Germany)
- Northwest Atlantic: Dave Kulka (Canada) & John Carlson (USA)
- Northeast Pacific: David Ebert (USA) & Chris Lowe (USA)
- Northwest Pacific: Alexei Orlov (Russia) & Atsuko Yamaguchi (Japan)
- Southeast Asia: Fahmi (Indonesia) & Ahmad Bin Ali (Malaysia)
- Indian Ocean: Rima Jabado (UAE) & Alec Moore (UK)
- Sub-equatorial Africa: Simon Pierce (Mozambique) & Melita Samoilys (Kenya)
- West Africa: Mika Diop (Senegal)
- Central America and the Caribbean: Mario Espinoza (Costa Rica) & Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki (Mexico)
- Western South America: Carlos Bustamante (Chile)
- Eastern South America: Patricia Charvet (Brazil) & Vicente Faria (Brazil)
Program Officer
- Riley Pollom | Simon Fraser University | Canada
Chair
- Nick Dulvy | Simon Fraser University | Canada
- Colin Simpfendorfer | James Cook University | Australia
Deputy Chair
- Sonja Fordham | Shark Advocates International | USA
Program Officer
- Rachel Walls | Simon Fraser University | Canada (2013 – 2015)
- Julia M. Lawson | Canada (2015 – 2016)
Red List Authority Coordinator
- Peter Kyne | Charles Darwin University | Australia
- Rachel Walls | Simon Fraser University | Canada (2013 – 2015)
2013 – 2016 (quadrennium)
2009 – 2012 (quadrennium)
Chair
- Nick Dulvy | Simon Fraser University | Canada
- Andres Domingo Balestra | Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos | Uruguay
Deputy Chair
- Sonja Fordham | Shark Advocates International | USA
Vice Chairs
- International Treaties : Sarah Fowler | The Nature Conservation Bureau | United Kingdom
Program Officer
- Lucy Harrison | Canada

OUR TEAM

OUR MEMBERS

2025 – 2029 (quadrennium)

2021 – 2025 (quadrennium)

2017 – 2020 (quadrennium)

2013 – 2016 (quadrennium)

2009 – 2012 (quadrennium)