Global marine protected areas fail to safeguard most sharks and rays: Study

A Conservation Letters study finds that most shark and ray species have less than 10% of their ranges covered by any marine protected area, with 79% of threatened species and roughly 90% of critically endangered species having less than 1% of their range inside no-take MPAs. The research comes as the global '30x30' pledge — 30% of oceans protected by 2030 — sits at only about 10% coverage worldwide, halfway to the deadline.

Researchers overlaid protected-area boundaries with IUCN range data for nearly 1,200 species, finding that MPAs are often sited for political or economic convenience rather than biodiversity value, and that only about a third of countries with marine reserves report fishing restriction data needed to judge real protection. Outside experts note that MPAs work best for stationary species and are far less proven for wide-ranging sharks and rays, meaning the 30x30 target could be met on paper while leaving most vulnerable species essentially unshielded.

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