General News
2 February, 2023
Coral reef sharks and rays may be at risk of extinction
NEARLY two-thirds of coral reef shark and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction, according to a James Cook University scientist.
JCU’s Professor Colin Simpfendorfer was part of an international team of researchers that evaluated the extinction risk of all 134 coral reef sharks and ray species.
He said coral reefs are one of the most at-risk ecosystems from global climate change, with sharks and rays crucial for the functioning of coral reef ecosystems and covering a range of ecological niches - from filter feeders to apex predators.
“We found 59 per cent of coral reef shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened group in the world other than marine mammals,” Professor Simpfendorfer said.
He said the researchers found fishing was the main threat to these species, compounded by habitat loss and climate change.
“Risk is greatest for larger species that live in shallower water and are widely distributed across a number of national jurisdictions, so subject to a patchwork of management,” Professor Simpfendorfer said.
“Risk also increases for animals living in the waters of nations with greater fishing pressure and weaker governance,” he said.
Professor Simpfendorfer said the study showed the extinction risk for coral reef sharks and rays, as a percentage of threatened species, is almost double that of all 1,199 known shark and ray species.
“What we need to see is immediate action through local protections, combined with broad-scale fisheries management and Marine Protected Areas,” he said.
“This is required to avoid extinctions and the loss of critical ecosystem function - condemning reefs to a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, limiting livelihoods and food security,” Professor Simpfendorfer said.
Australian Marine Conservation Society shark scientist and conservation lead Dr Leonardo Guida said the Government had to act now.
“This research is yet another wake-up call for the Australian and Queensland governments to do more to protect the Great Barrier Reef,” Dr Guida said.
“When you are allowed to fish for endangered scalloped hammerheads in the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, you know you’ve got problems in your own backyard.
“Sharks are critical to the health of the oceans and reefs. They keep the ecosystem balanced and without them, food webs can become unstable and possibly collapse.
“Just last year the World Heritage Committtee’s scientific advisers, UNESCO and the IUCN, recommended that gillnets be removed from Reef waters. The Queensland Government must immediately remove gillnets from the waters of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.
