Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected

May 2026

Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana, Peter M. Kyne, Emiliano García-Rodríguez, Ryan Charles, Vanessa Bettcher Brito, Asia O. Armstrong, Amanda Batlle-Morera, Marta D. Palacios, Christoph A. Rohner, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Jo Marie V. Acebes, Serena Adam, Ariana S. Agustines, Faqih Akbar Alghozali, Chethana L. Amadoru, Rohani Ambo-Rappe, Maria Theresa R. Aquino, Gonzalo Araujo, Janis Argeswara, Bella Riskyta Arinda, Sirachai Arunrugstichai, Elisabeth Astari, Lisa-Marie Auditore, Avik Banerjee, Clare M. Baranowski, Alissa J. Barnes, Calvin S. Beale, Sweta Beura, Jessica-Anne Blakeway, Titus E. Cañete, Nantarika Chansue, Andrew Chin, Supachok Chittapisan, Metavee Chuangcharoendee, Fung Chen Chung, Thilini Dilrukshi, Mareike Dornhege-Lazaroff, Christine L. Dudgeon, Mark V. Erdmann, Fahmi, Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur, Daniel Fernando, Keisuke Furumitsu, Anna L. Flam, Syamsidar Gaffar, Peter Gausmann, Ramajeyam Gobiraj, Michael I. Grant, Alifa B. Haque, Kojiro Hara, Simon T. Hilbourne, Kooi Chee Ho, Hua Hsun Hsu, Neil Hutchinson, Nesha K. Ichida, David M. P. Jacoby, Eswar S. Jarugulla, Divya Karnad, Bineesh Kinattumkara, Shoba Joe Kizhakudan, Alp Gokgoz, Muhammad Wiralaga Dwi Gustianto, Thanda Ko Gyi, Lavina, Chia-Yun J. Li, Eurida Liyana, Aaron Savio Lobo, Kirsty Magson, Petch Manopawitr, Catherine D. McCann, David A. McCann, Muktha Menon, Meira Mizrahi, Anil Mohapatra, Maizah Mohd Abdullah, Richard N. Muallil, Ryan Murray, Efin Muttaqin, Evan M. Nazareth, Anusha Neranjan, Raisa Noor, Budi Nugraha, Simon P. Oliver, Sue Andrey Ong, Alexei M. Orlov, Sharang Payyat, Nicolas J. Pilcher, Alessandro Ponzo, Prehadi, Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, Van Quang Vo, Joshua Rambahiniarison, L. Remya, Akbar Reza, Subal Kumar Roul, Swatipriyanka Sen, Citra Septiani, Abraham B. Sianipar, Pascal Sebastian, Edy Setyawan, Mohammad Shamsuddoha, Rafid A. Shidqi, Benaya M. Simeon, Sitha Som, Serena J. Stean, Davies Austin Spiji, Dipani Sutaria, Akshay Tanna, Amy Y. H. Then, Sujitha Thomas, Nicholas J. Tolen, Micaela L. Trebol, Zoya Tyabji, Jean Asuncion T. Utzurrum, Stephanie K. Venables, Igor V. Volvenko, Christine A. Ward-Paige, Atsuko Yamaguchi, Arnel Yaptinchay, Ranny R. Yuneni, Jie Zhang, Fabienne Ziadi-Künzli, Masiat A. Zubair & Rima W. Jabado

Keywords: Citizen Science • Chondrichthyans • Conservation • Diversity Hotspots • Marine Protected Areas • Spatial Planning

Abstract

“The Asia region harbors exceptional chondrichthyan (shark, ray, and chimaera) diversity but faces intense fishing pressure. The Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) process provides a collaborative, evidence-based framework to identify critical habitats and inform spatial management. We assessed ISRAs across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific to characterize their extent, ecological significance, and conservation relevance. We delineated 122 ISRAs spanning ~ 1 million km2 (~ 3% of the region) across 12 jurisdictions and international waters, encompassing habitats for 121 species (~ 30% of Asia’s chondrichthyans), 76% of which are threatened. Depleted taxa (e.g., giant guitarfishes, Glaucostegidae) were represented, but charismatic megafauna (e.g., Whale Shark Rhincodon typus) were overrepresented. In contrast, deepwater and freshwater species were underrepresented. Reproductive Areas were the most common ISRA sub-criterion applied (52% of ISRAs), largely in nearshore zones, while areas for range-restricted species were less frequently (18%) identified. Twelve ISRAs overlapped with biodiversity hotspots, including seven in areas of high overall chondrichthyan species richness and five in areas of high range-restricted species richness. Citizen science was the predominant research method used to delineate ISRAs, while fisheries data were underused despite the region’s major fisheries footprint. Geographic coverage was uneven: Indonesia held the most ISRAs (n = 40; 71.7% of ISRA coverage) while eight jurisdictions (e.g., Viet Nam, China, Republic of Korea) lacked ISRAs due to data gaps. Protection shortfalls are stark: MPAs cover < 5% of national waters in 16 jurisdictions (eight with < 1%); 5.4% of ISRA area lies within MPAs; and only 2.8% of ISRA spatial extent overlaps with no-take zones. These results provide a regional foundation to guide spatial planning, prioritize management, close data gaps, and support recovery of Asia’s diverse and imperiled chondrichthyan assemblages.”

Author Affiliations

• IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group

• Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University

• University of the Sunshine Coast

• Marine Megafauna Foundation

• IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force

• BALYENA.ORG

• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

• Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines

• Elasmobranch Project Indonesia

• Blue Resources Trust

• Hasanuddin University

• Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines

• Marine Research and Conservation Foundation

• Qatar University

• Yayasan Megafauna Laut

• YAPEKA

• Thai Sharks and Rays

• Penabulu Foundation

• Wildlife Conservation Society India

• The Manta Trust

• Murdoch University

• Raja Ampat Manta Project

• Zoological Survey of India

• Earth Agenda Foundation

• Chulalongkorn University

• James Cook University

• WildAid

• Universiti Malaysia Sabah

• Okinawa Coastal Protection Alliance

• Biopixel Oceans Foundation

• ReShark

• Re:wild

• Research Center for Oceanography

• Marine Conservation Practitioner

• Nagasaki University

• Borneo Tarakan University

• Ruhr University Bochum

• Deutsche Elasmobranchier Gesellschaft

• University of Dhaka

• Bengal Elasmo Lab

• S-Pool Blue Dot Green

• Marine Research Foundation

• Fisheries Research Institute

• James Cook University Singapore

• Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

• Thrive Conservation

• Lancaster University

• Ashoka University

• University of Exeter

• ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute

• University of Chester

• Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project

• Myanmar Ocean Project

• Georgia Aquarium

• Ghent University

• New Heaven Reef Conservation Program

• Thai Whale Sharks

• Department of Marine & Coastal Resources

• The Sea Collective

• Wildlife Conservation Society – Southeast Asia Pacific

• Zoological Survey of India Odisha

• Mindanao State University – Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography

• Met Éireann

• Rekam Nusantara Foundation

• Nature Conservation Foundation

• Wildlife Conservation Society Bangladesh

• Research Center for Fishery

• Wildlife Conservation Society Philippines

• Shirshov Institute of Oceanology

• A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences

• Tomsk State University

• Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

• Konservasi Indonesia

• Institute of Oceanography, VAST

• Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO)

• Gadjah Mada University

• World Resources Institute Indonesia

• Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia

• Indo Ocean Foundation

• Jahangirnagar University

• Duke University

• Thresher Shark Indonesia

• Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia

• Mississippi State University

• Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia

• Dakshin Foundation

• University of Malaya

• Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc.

• Dalhousie University

• Silliman University

• eOceans

• Chinese Academy of Sciences

• Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

• Elasmo Project

Funding

• Shark Conservation Fund

• CAUL

Contribution towards the Manta Trust's Strategic Plan

Goal 1: Strategic Objective 1.1 – More protective policies exist to support manta and devil ray conservation for geographical focus areas.

Goal 2: Strategic Objective 2.2 – Regulations and effective enforcement exist to reduce manta and devil ray capture and bycatch mortality.

Goal 3: Strategic Objective 3.2 – Key manta and devil ray aggregation sites fall within protected areas that are effectively managed.

Goal 3: Strategic Objective 3.5 – Spatial and temporal overlap between manta and devil ray habitat use and anthropogenic threats (e.g., fisheries, shipping, entanglement) is identified to inform mitigation and conservation measures.