Conservation status

In the 20 years since the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group’s first status report (2005), much has changed for sharks, rays and chimaeras. This report updates our understanding, and the scope of information reflects the scale of these two decades of change. The breadth of research topics has expanded, mirroring the inclusion of a greater diversity of species, and attention is being trained on the emerging threats and the accelerating global changes to aquatic ecosystems.

The Arabian Peninsula contains a wide diversity of sand and gravel deserts, mountains, coastal and offshore habitats and sparse wetlands. It also contains a diverse mammal fauna which comprises a mix of Arabian endemics, species with affinities to the Horn of Africa and Saharo-Sindian, Iranian-Central Asian, and Mediterranean elements. There are 166 terrestrial and 23 marine species whose occurrence in the region is confirmed, giving an overall total of 189 confirmed species.

L’Afrique occidentale est riche en biodiversité d’eau douce et en endémicité régionale, soutenant l’ensemble des populations mondiales de nombreuses espèces d’eau douce menacées, notamment les poissons, les mollusques, les libellules, les crabes, les crevettes et les plantes aquatiques. Ce rapport s’appuie sur une évaluation de référence régionale réalisée en 2009 ainsi que sur une évaluation des Zones clés pour la biodiversité (KBAs) d’eau douce en 2015.

Western Africa is rich in freshwater biodiversity and regional endemicity, supporting the entire global populations of many threatened freshwater species including fishes, molluscs, dragonflies, crabs, shrimps and aquatic plants. This report builds on a regional baseline assessment completed in 2009 as well as an assessment of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas in 2015.

The Western Indian Ocean is comprised of productive and highly diverse marine ecosystems that are rich sources of food security, livelihoods, and natural wonder. The ecological services that species provide are vital to the productivity of these ecosystems and healthy biodiversity is essential for the continued support of economies and local users.