Long lifespans and slow reproduction rates make deep-water sharks and rays as vulnerable to overexploitation as whales once were. We must place them under protection to avoid extinctions.
The toll on wildlife from illegal fishing, bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear is likely underestimated, because it doesn’t account for ‘dark’ fishing vessels, a new study finds.
Governments all over the world are propping up overfishing. Now scientists have penned an open letter calling on trade ministers to implement stricter regulations against harmful fisheries subsidies.
Over 200 million tonnes of sediment are transported by rivers to the sea each year, the most widespread water contaminant in the country. Its devastating impact on marine life has to be reversed.
A new initiative is pinpointing areas in the world’s oceans that are key habitats for sharks and their relatives, so that governments can consider protecting these areas.
Some baby sharks eat their unborn siblings in utero, while others spend 100 years in childhood. Sink your teeth into the weird world of these juvenile wonders of the deep.
Putting a dollar value on nature has staunch opponents who say it’s morally wrong, but without it, building dams and other infrastructure can run roughshod over vital ecosystems.
Over 100 shark and ray species were recently added to an international treaty, known as the CITES list, to protect them from the threat of unsustainable and illegal trade.