Angel shark (Squatina squatina)

Species: Angel shark (Squatina squatina)

Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Interesting Fact: With its flat body and large pectoral fins, the angel shark more closely resembles a large ray than a shark.

The angel shark is a large, stocky fish with strong jaws and sharp, needle-like teeth. An ambush predator, it spends the day lying buried in mud or sand with just its eyes protruding, and bursts out with impressive speed to catch fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Female angel sharks give birth to up to 25 pups after a gestation period of 8 to 10 months. The angel shark historically occurred from Norway to North Africa, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean and Black Seas, but it has now vanished from many parts of its former range.

Although the angel shark is not a major target of fisheries, its habit of lying on the ocean bottom makes it vulnerable to becoming bycatch in trawl fisheries. As a result, its populations have undergone a dramatic decline. Like other Squatina species, the angel shark is protected within three Balearic Islands marine reserves, where fishing for these sharks is banned. However, more research is needed to better understand the status of the angel shark across its range, so that appropriate conservation measures can be put in place to protect it.

Find out more about the conservation of sharks and rays at Save Our Seas Foundation, Project Aware and The Shark Trust.

See images and videos of the angel shark on ARKive.

Liz Shaw, ARKive Text Author

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Green sawfish (Pristis zijsron)

Species: Green sawfish (Pristis zijsron)

Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Interesting Fact: The green sawfish uses its bizarre saw-like snout to swipe at shoals of fish and to rake crustaceans and molluscs out of the sediment.

A type of ray, the green sawfish is easily recognised by its highly elongated snout, known as a saw. This strange structure bears up to 37 pairs of teeth and is often held upwards at an angle as the fish rests on the ocean floor. The green sawfish is the largest sawfish species, occasionally reaching over seven metres in length. It gives birth to live young, and the saws of the young fish are covered in a gelatinous coating at birth to protect the mother. The green sawfish is found in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, where it inhabits muddy or sandy bottom habitats in inshore areas or the lower parts of rivers.

The main threat to the green sawfish is accidental bycatch in fisheries, with its large size and long saw meaning it easily becomes entangled in nets and is difficult to set free. This species has also been deliberately caught in fisheries and its fins used to make shark fin soup. Habitat degradation is an additional threat to this large fish, and its slow reproductive rate makes it difficult for its populations to recover. Although once common, the green sawfish has now been lost from many parts of its former range. International trade in this species is banned by CITES, but strict legal protection is needed, together with further research into its distribution and ecology, and monitoring of bycatch levels.

Find out more about the conservation of sharks and rays at Save Our Seas Foundation and Project AWARE.

See images of the green sawfish on ARKive.

Liz Shaw, ARKive Text Author

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It’s ARKive’s 10th birthday this year and we want you to join our celebrations by helping us find the World’s Favourite Species.

We think all the world’s species are amazing but which is your favourite? Which animal, plant or fungi is so special that it deserves to be crowned the World’s Favourite Species?

Nominate today!

Nominations are now open and it couldn’t be simpler to vote  - simply find your favourite species on ARKive and click the ‘Nominate Today!’ button.

You have until 3rd April to suggest your favourites (and yes, you can choose more than one species!), after which we’ll draw up the shortlist and put it to the public vote. This shortlist will be whittled down to determine the Top Ten World’s Favourite Species – as chosen by you.

We can’t do it without your input – please spare a few moments to make your nomination TODAY!

Need some inspiration?

There are over 15,000 species on ARKive to nominate, so here are a few suggestions to start you off…

Will you nominate the polar bear - our most visited species so far this month?

What about a newly discovered species? Is the Louisiana pancake batfish your favourite?

The osprey features as our no.1 video, but will it be no. 1 species?

Vote now, and share your nominations on Facebook and Twitter!

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The most accurate assessment yet of the consequences of commercial shark fishing estimates that around 100 million sharks are killed every year.

shark killed by fishermen, lying on beach

Shark warning

Ahead of the 16th meeting of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species that runs from the 3rd to the 15th of March this year, researchers are again warning that sharks are in need of better protection. A new report, published in the journal Marine Policy, estimates the annual number of sharks killed by commercial fishing to be around 100 million, although the actual number could be anywhere between 63 million and 273 million.

The large range in these estimates is due to the poor quality of data available. However, the median estimate of 100 million is by far the most accurate to date. It is extremely difficult to gauge the actual level of shark fishing globally as many sharks are killed at sea and their bodies discarded without being included in official reports.

The oceanic whitetip shark is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and its fins are highly prized in international trade

Unsustainable exploitation

Commercial shark fishing is driven mainly by high demand for shark fin soup which is considered to be a delicacy in Asia. Sharks are often ‘finned’, which means their fins are removed, and the dead carcasses discarded at sea. However, they are also killed for sale of their meat, liver oil, cartilage and other body parts.

Although a ban on shark finning is in place in the European Union, Canada and the USA, it has not had the desired effect in terms of protecting vulnerable shark species. Fisheries have responded to the ban by no longer finning sharks at sea, instead keeping the carcasses, other parts of which can also be sold. The number of sharks killed has barely changed, the root cause of the problem has yet to be solved, and finning is still widely unregulated in many parts of the world.

The current rates of exploitation are vastly unsustainable and a number of vulnerable shark species are in decline. Sharks are slow to grow and reproduce; Boris Worm, one of the report’s authors from Dalhousie University in Halifax, says, “Biologically, sharks simply can’t keep up with the current rate of exploitation and demand. Protective measures must be scaled up significantly in order to avoid further depletion and the possible extinction of many shark species in our lifetime.”

Dead sharks are often discarded back into the sea once their fins have been removed

Calls for increased protection

Previous attempts to increase the protection of some species of shark have failed, but scientists are hopeful that this time increased trade controls will be introduced for species such as porbeagle, hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks. Proposals at this year’s CITES meeting suggest the listing of five shark species on Appendix II of the Convention, including three species of hammerhead shark, which would mean that international trade in these species should be carefully regulated.

Elizabeth Wilson, Manager of conservation charity Pew Environment says, “A simple vote ‘yes’ to support their listing could turn things around for some of the world’s most threatened shark species. Countries should seize this opportunity to protect these top predators from extinction.”

Proposals suggest increased trade restrictions on five shark species, three of which are hammerheads

The number of sharks caught between 2000 and 2010 has not changed significantly, and as a result there are fears that some shark populations will crash as commercial fisheries continue to meet demands. Trade in manta ray species is also increasing, which has led to a decline in the numbers being recorded and is also having an effect on the tourism industry. Divers pay large sums of money to view manta rays in the wild, and their decline could have massive impacts on the tourist industry in places such as Mozambique, where there has already been an 86% decline in manta rays.

Trade has increased in manta ray species, causing population decline

“We want to see better protection for sharks and will be pushing for this strongly at CITES next week. I am keen to see trade controls introduced for vulnerable and endangered species like porbeagle, hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks and manta rays,” says the UK environment minister, Richard Benyon.

 Read more on this story at BBC – Shark kills number 100 million annually, research says, and The Guardian – 100 million sharks killed each year, say scientists

View photos and videos of porbeagle, hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks on ARKive.

Kaz Armour, ARKive Text Author

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For years, mackerel has been considered to be an ethical choice of fish for consumers, yet recent overfishing has led to this species no longer being a sustainable choice, according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Mackerel has been downgraded to ‘amber’ on the MCS Good Fish Guide

Green to amber

In light of the drastic decline in stocks of cod and other much-loved food fish in recent years, mackerel has been promoted by the likes of Jamie Oliver and Raymond Blanc as an ethical, and healthy, alternative for consumers.

However, mackerel is distinctly absent from the most recent list of fish deemed by MCS to be from well-managed, sustainable stocks or farms, and is therefore no longer considered to be the best option for consumers. In its latest update to the Good Fish Guide, MCS has downgraded mackerel to the amber category, meaning that the society recommends that consumers only eat mackerel occasionally. International arguments over quotas have been cited as the reason for this species no longer being viewed as a sustainable choice.

“At the moment, the stock biomass according to the scientific data is above the levels that are recommended. However, the number of fish being removed is above the target and too high,” said Bernadette Clarke, Fisheries Officer at MCS. “The stock is good for now but it is currently declining. It is now rated as a fish to eat only occasionally – it is not rated as one to avoid.”

Atlantic mackerel

Placing the blame

Once found mainly in the northeast Atlantic, mackerel stocks have since been on the move, following their prey of squid and crustaceans westwards towards Iceland and the Faroe Isles. As a result of this shift, it has been reported that Icelandic and Faroese fisheries have increased the amount of mackerel that they catch, leading to overexploitation of the stock.

“The total catch is now far in excess of what has been scientifically recommended and previously agreed upon by all participating countries,” said Clarke. “Negotiations to introduce new catch allowances have so far failed to reach agreement.”

Yet in a statement issued last year, Icelandic ambassador to the UK Benedikt Jonsson insisted that his country had worked for years to reach an agreement on mackerel fishing.

“We have repeatedly offered proposals that sustain the mackerel population and ensure a fair outcome for all countries,” he said. “Unfortunately, certain countries have responded with attacks on Iceland and threats of sanctions, while simultaneously demanding a vastly oversized portion of the mackerel catch. The facts are clear: Icelandic fishing is generally recognised as sustainable and responsible.”

Atlantic herring has been suggested as an alternative to mackerel

Celebrity endorsement

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who has promoted mackerel as an alternative fish in the past, has now said that he would be dropping his call for mackerel to be more widely eaten, with the exception of locally caught fish in support of fishermen. Fearnley-Whittingstall is angered by the fact that mackerel stocks have been allowed to become depleted, and urges countries involved in current disputes to reach an accord as soon as possible.

“When we started the mac bap campaign two years ago, mackerel was certified as sustainable and part of a well managed fishery,” he said. “Unfortunately, things have changed, and politics and greed are getting in the way of common sense. If the countries involved could agree sensible catch limits this could still be a certified sustainable fishery.”

Moving forward

MCS has recommended that consumers should seek alternatives to mackerel, including herring and sardines, or ensure that any mackerel purchased is caught locally using traditional methods, therefore being as sustainable as possible.

However, such recommendations have not been well received by Scottish fishermen for whom mackerel is a critical stock, with £164 million of the popular fish landed in 2011.

“The stock is actually still well above the precautionary level, even if Iceland and the Faroes continue to do this,” says Bertie Armstrong of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.

So far, political representatives have been involved in 12 rounds of talks in an attempt to come to a mutual agreement on mackerel quotas, and the UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) believes that this is the only way forward. It is clear that action needs to be taken for mackerel stocks to recover.

“We hope that these so-called mackerel wars can be laid to rest as soon as possible, so we can all go back to eating mackerel again with a clear conscience,” said Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Read more on these stories at BBC News – Dispute means mackerel is no longer catch of the day and The Telegraph – Mackerel no longer an ‘ethical’ choice because of overfishing.

Learn more about the work of the Marine Conservation Society.

Find out more about the Atlantic mackerel on ARKive.

Kathryn Pintus, ARKive Text Author

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