Calgary Shark And Ray Populations Have Fallen 71% Since 1970, Study Finds | HuffPost Impact - Action.News ABC Action News WestNet-HD Weather Traffic

Populations of sharks and rays, the apex predators of the open oceans food web, have fallen by more than 70% since 1970, according to a troubling new study published Wednesday.

A team of researchers, led by Nathan Pacoureau, a postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, analyzed population data for the worlds 31 oceanic shark and ray species. The group relied on data from fisheries and scientific surveys taken around the globe, and ultimately found more than three-quarters of those species are now threatened with extinction or endangered.

The research is the first of its kind, providing firm data to back up scientists warning bells that the iconic creatures were disappearing from the seas.

2/11 This work documents an alarming, ongoing, global decline of oceanic shark and ray populations over the past 50 years, mostly due to overfishing. The associated elevated extinction risk jeopardizes the health of ocean ecosystems and food security in many developing nations.

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2/11 This work documents an alarming, ongoing, global decline of oceanic shark and ray populations over the past 50 years, mostly due to overfishing. The associated elevated extinction risk jeopardizes the health of ocean ecosystems and food security in many developing nations.
Riley Pollom (@RileyPollom) January 27, 2021

The fall in shark and ray populations was primarily linked to human activity, namely overfishing of the creatures for their fins or body parts. As some of the oceans top predators, theyre also regularly snared by massive fishing operations that use baited hooks and longline methods to catch valuable tuna and other species.

Rather than be returned to the water, theyre often kept and sold.

Oceanic sharks and rays are vital to the health of vast marine ecosystems, but because they are hidden beneath the ocean surface, it has been difficult to assess and monitor their status, Pacoureau said in a press release. Our study represents the first global synthesis of the state of these essential species at a time when countries should be addressing insufficient progress toward global sustainability goals. While we initially intended it as a useful report card, we now must hope it also serves as an urgent wake-up call.

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