2025/003: Important Shark and Ray Areas

This is the second Notification of the 2024-2026 triennium providing an update on the implementation of CMS Decisions 14.61 and 14.64 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs). The first update was provided through Notification 2024/07.

In accordance with Decision 14.64 (a) and (c) the Secretariat shall “continue to liaise with the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group to promote the value of ISRAs for the conservation of CMS-listed sharks and rays” and “inform the Scientific Council, the Parties and other relevant bodies of newly identified ISRAs.”

To this end, the Scientific Council and Parties are invited to note that the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group published the following reports in August and December 2024 from two recent regional expert assessment workshops aimed at delineating ISRA:

• ISRA Regional Expert Workshop Report - Region 10 - New Zealand and Pacific Islands

• ISRA Regional Expert Workshop Report - Region 1 - Polar Waters

The results from both regions are included in the global eAtlas on Important Shark and Ray Areas, which is available online at: https://sharkrayareas.org/e-atlas/.

All reports from previous regional assessments can be accessed at: Workshop Reports - Important Shark and Ray Areas.

Parties are reminded of Decision 14.61 (b) requesting Parties to “take into account identified ISRAs for spatial planning and conservation action with a view to implementing Targets 1 and 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, including through National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).”

For further information, please contact: [email protected]