EASTERN ATLANTIC & MEDITERRANEAN ANGEL SHARK CONSERVATION STRATEGY

There are three species of angel shark in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean:

Angelshark (Squatina squatina)
Sawback Angelshark (S. aculeata)
Smoothback Angelshark (S. oculata)

All three are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Most information is known about the ecology, distribution, and decline of the Angelshark, with much less known about Sawback and Smoothback Angelsharks.

The Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Angel Shark Conservation Strategy (Gordon et al., 2017) was developed as a framework for improved protection of these three Critically Endangered species. It serves as a catalyst for action and strives to bring regional experts together to deliver the Strategy goals. The main aims are to:

Improve the overall profile of angel sharks
Increase the number of sightings reported
Generate a better understanding of current distribution
Contribute to IUCN Red List reassessments, and
Identify new collaboration opportunities to increase conservation action.

The vision of this Conservation Strategy is that: Angel sharks in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean are restored to robust populations and safeguarded throughout their range.

We’re now actively pursuing the goals of this Strategy, particularly through implementation in the Mediterranean.

► Eastern Atlantic & Mediterranean Angelshark Conservation Strategy (pdf): ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

► Extinction risk and conservation of critically endangered angel sharks in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea (review article in ICES Journal of Marine Science)

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