Study finds most Indian shark‑and‑ray hotspots lack protection, rays face rising threats

A new analysis reveals that most Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) along India’s Bay of Bengal are not covered by marine protected areas, leaving crucial breeding and nursery sites exposed. Rays are cartilaginous fish related to sharks, with flattened bodies and wing‑like pectoral fins that let them glide over the sea floor. They range from huge manta rays, as wide as a small bus, to stingrays with venom‑tipped tails. Most live near the bottom, while a few roam the open ocean, feeding on plankton, fish, molluscs, worms and even marine mammals. A special group called rhino rays (order Rhinopristiformes) includes saw‑fishes, wedgefishes, giant guitar‑fishes, guitarfishes and banjo rays – 68 species in total. According to the IUCN Red List, over 70 % of these species are threatened and almost half are classified as critically endangered. Twenty‑three rhino‑ray species are listed under CITES Appendices I and II, restricting international trade. India’s 2022 Wildlife Protection Amendment places about 15 of these species, such as the bottlenose wedgefish Rhynchobatus australiae and the bowmouth guitarfish Rhina ancylostoma, in Schedule I for the highest protection. Fisheries pose the biggest danger. Rhino rays grow slowly and produce few young, so overfishing quickly depletes populations. They were once hunted mainly for fins, but now are often caught as by‑catch; their fins are exported while their meat is sold locally. The trade in ray skins is also rising. Rima Jabado, chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, warned that the growing demand for skins threatens coastal ray species.

Context

India is encouraging deep‑sea fishing with subsidies for larger vessels, hoping to raise fisher incomes. Yet expanding into deeper waters adds pressure on already vulnerable ray habitats, complicating conservation efforts.