More than a third of shark species threatened with extinction

More than a third of the world's sharks and rays are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"Today’s IUCN Red List update also includes a comprehensive reassessment of the world’s shark and ray species, which reveals 37% are now threatened with extinction, demonstrating that effective management measures are lacking throughout much of the world's oceans," the report said. "All of the threatened shark and ray species are overfished, with 31% further affected by loss and degradation of habitat and 10% affected by climate change."

"We are delighted to see the reassessment of sharks and rays," said Eimear Nic Lughadha, senior research leader in conservation assessment and analysis at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. "Comprehensive reassessments of ecologically important groups are vital to maintain the value of the Red List as a Barometer of Life. We note striking similarities between the shark and ray statistics and recent estimates for plants: about 2 in 5 are threatened with extinction, and habitat loss and degradation present more immediate threats than climate change."