2024 Report Finds 1 in 3 Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras Face Extinction
Updated
Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Aug 15
2024 Report Finds 1 in 3 Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras Face Extinction
3 articles · Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Aug 15
Summary
One-third of the world’s sharks, rays and chimaeras are threatened with extinction, according to a 2024 report that flags broad pressure across these cartilaginous fish.
Overfishing is identified as the main driver, with concern extending even to little-studied deep-sea chimaeras that scientists say may also be struggling.
About 50 known chimaera species remain in today’s oceans after diverging from sharks and rays roughly 400 million years ago, but their deep-water habitat leaves major gaps in population data.
Most chimaeras live near the seafloor at roughly 200 to 2,600 metres, making them rarely seen by humans and harder to monitor as conservation risks mount.