06/14/2026
NEW PUBLICATION ALERT: Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected 🦈📄
A landmark new study assessing Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific has just been published — and the findings are a wake-up call for marine conservation in the region.
Key findings:
🦈 122 ISRAs identified, spanning ~1 million km² (~3% of the region)
⚠️ 121 species represented — 76% of which are threatened
🗺️ Indonesia leads with 40 ISRAs (~72% of total ISRA coverage). This overlaps with three of MMF Indonesia's key sites: The Nusa Penida MPA, Komodo National Park, and the Derawan Islands MPA
📊 Citizen science was the primary method used to delineate ISRAs
🚨 Only 5.4% of the ISRA area overlaps with MPAs, and just 2.8% with no-take zones
While critical habitats are being identified, their protection is lagging far behind. Deepwater and freshwater species remain underrepresented, eight jurisdictions lack ISRAs entirely due to data gaps, and conservation efforts are not yet aligned with where biodiversity needs them most.
ISRAs offer a powerful, evidence-based framework to guide spatial planning, prioritise management, and support the recovery of Asia's imperilled sharks, rays, and chimaeras. Now we need the protection to match.
Read the full paper 🔗 bit.ly/ISRA-Asia.
For inquiries, contact us at
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