Specialists gathered at the ICM-CSIC have included highly vulnerable sharks and rays, such as the angelshark or the spiny butterfly ray, in the new scientific reference tool for the conservation of the country's biodiversity.
To mark the recent International Day for Biological Diversity, the Congress of Deputies recently hosted the official presentation of Spain’s National Red List of Threatened Species. The Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) has actively participated in this process, contributing its expertise to the assessment of the most vulnerable marine fauna.
This tool establishes itself as the first state register to assess the extinction risk of the country's flora and fauna under the strict criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This ambitious assessment has been coordinated by the IUCN Species Survival Commission, bringing together the capacities of 18 taxonomic groups in collaboration with the organisation's Spanish Committee and the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.
The ICM-CSIC took the scientific lead in the marine sector by organising a technical workshop focused exclusively on cartilaginous fish in Spanish waters. The workshop involved the National Species Specialist Group (GNEE) for Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras, coordinated by Dr. Anabel Colmenero, a researcher at the ICM. Thanks to this effort, the national inventory includes, for the first time, a comprehensive diagnosis of highly vulnerable sharks and rays, such as the angelshark (Squatina squatina), the blackchin guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus), the spiny butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela), or the bull ray (Aetomylaeus bovinus).
"The inclusion of elasmobranchs in this National Red List is a turning point," highlights Colmenero, coordinator of the Group and an expert on these animals. "Sharks and rays play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, but their biological characteristics make them extremely vulnerable. Having a unified scientific diagnosis will allow us to demand real management and conservation plans to halt their decline along our coastlines," the expert adds.
A scientific shield
The decision to incorporate sharks and rays represents a fundamental step forward in preserving one of the most threatened faunal groups on the planet. In recent decades, their populations have suffered a dramatic decline due to overfishing, bycatch, and the degradation of coastal habitats.
Having official assessments backed by international standards will enable public managers to better identify conservation priorities and design active protection policies. "For the scientific community, this milestone is not just a technical success, but a social recognition of the urgency to protect the great forgotten creatures of the ocean," indicates Dr. Claudio Barría, Scientific Director of Catsharks.
A choral effort
The success of the workshop at the ICM-CSIC was made possible thanks to a collaborative science model that brought together the leading specialists in shark and ray biology and conservation from across the country, as well as entities dedicated to the study of elasmobranchs (such as Asociación Catsharks, Fundación Azul Marino, Asociación Lamna, Save the Med Foundation, Submon, Angel Shark Project, and l’Elasmogrup). Their scientific expertise was decisive in consolidating a robust consensus.
With this momentum, the ICM-CSIC cements its position as a central hub for research and management of marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Furthermore, the initiative settles a historical debt: the marine environment, traditionally underrepresented in state conservation strategies, is finally placed at the heart of government decisions.