A recent study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published in the journal eLife suggests that of more than a thousand species of sharks and rays in the world, one in four species are at the brink of extinction. Overfishing is the greatest threat to these species. Demand for shark fin soup is a major cause of the depletion of both sharks but also some species of rays. It has been estimated that over 11,000 sharks are killed per hour for their fins. For a truly astonishing graphic representation of what that means click here.
The progress in protecting sharks and rays is decidedly mixed. The good news is that limits were put on shark and ray fishing last year in Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Bangkok. New Zealand also recent;y banned shark finning. The very bad news is that a massive trade deal now being negotiated, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), is reported to undo the Bankok limits. Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.