Fishing for oil and meat drives irreversible defaunation of deepwater sharks and rays. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38452078/)

These scientists wanted to understand how human activities are affecting deep-sea sharks and rays, which are sensitive marine animals that live in the deep ocean where humans don't usually go. They found that many of these sharks and rays are being targeted by humans for things like liver oil, which is putting them at risk of extinction.

The scientists studied how regulations on fishing in deep-sea areas could help protect these animals. They discovered that setting limits on where and how deep-sea fishing can happen, along with rules about how many sharks and rays can be caught, could help these animals recover and avoid disappearing forever.

Overall, the scientists want to make sure that deep-sea sharks and rays are protected from overfishing and other human activities so that they can continue to thrive in their natural habitat.

Finucci B., Pacoureau N., Rigby CL., Matsushiba JH., Faure-Beaulieu N., Sherman CS., VanderWright WJ., Jabado RW., Charvet P., Mejia-Falla PA., Navia AF., Derrick DH., Kyne PM., Pollom RA., Walls RHL., Herman KB., Kinattumkara B., Cotton CF., Cuevas JM., Daley RK., Dharmadi., Ebert DA., Fernando D., Fernando SMC., Francis MP., Huveneers C., Ishihara H., Kulka DW., Leslie RW., Neat F., Orlov AM., Rincon G., Sant GJ., Volvenko IV., Walker TI., Simpfendorfer CA., Dulvy NK. Fishing for oil and meat drives irreversible defaunation of deepwater sharks and rays. Science. 2024 Mar 8;383(6687):1135-1141. doi: 10.1126/science.ade9121. Epub 2024 Mar 7.