Only about 1% of Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Western Indian Ocean are protected from fishing pressure and 98% of that is in Seychelles, says a new paper.
Globally, sharks and rays are in serious trouble. About one in every three species is now at risk of extinction. That puts them among the most threatened animals on Earth. This is a fast-moving crisis unfolding in our oceans right now, and without urgent action, many species could disappear within our lifetimes.
The ISRA process is a collaborative, evidence-based approach used to identify critical habitat for sharks and rays.
The new paper reveals that Seychelles scores high in the total number of ISRAs (11) second only to Maldives (27 ISRAs) in the Western Indian Ocean region. More importantly in terms of protection, there are more ISRAs located in no-take marine protected areas in Seychelles than in any other country in the Western Indian Ocean (98%). But that’s only 21,814 sq.kms.
The Western Indian Ocean is a global crisis zone for sharks and rays. The region has some of the world’s highest diversity of these species, and some of the highest fishing pressure. Overall, there are 270 species of sharks and rays in the WIO comprising 147 sharks, 114 rays, and 9 chimaeras.
Nearly half of all these species in the the WIO are now threatened with extinction. 10% are already Critically Endangered, on the brink of extinction.
Weak regulation, harmful fishing subsidies, limited enforcement, and high dependence on sharks and rays for food and income are driving steep declines. These pressures are made even worse by very high levels of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Protecting sharks and rays in the Western Indian Ocean is not an option. It is essential for preventing extinctions, for food security, livelihoods and the health of marine ecosystems.
Note: The WIO, as defined through the ISRA process, extends from approximately 20° N to 35° S and from 20° E to 80° E, bounded to the west from the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa to the northern most point of the Red Sea and extending eastward through the Arabian Sea and the Arabian/Persian Gulf to the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the Maldives and Chagos Archipelagos.
