Marine Protected Areas Fall Short of Safeguarding Sharks and Rays, Study Finds

In a July study published in Conservation Letters, researchers found that most shark and ray species have less than 10% of their ranges protected by marine reserves, despite the 30×30 goal set by 196 countries to conserve 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030. Only about 10% of the ocean is currently covered by protected zones, leaving many nations far behind the target. The analysis also highlighted gaps in reporting fishing and harvesting restrictions—known as “take‑status”—within existing reserves, which is crucial for effective protection. Amanda Arnold of Simon Fraser University warned that simply expanding protected areas does not guarantee meaningful conservation for threatened species. The study recommends that reserves cover at least 10% of a species’ range, with 20–40% coverage maximizing benefits, yet few species meet these thresholds.