Sharks become victims of most deadly predator in Arabian Gulf – overfishing

It looks like a fearsome predator – nearly 2 metres long when fully grown, hunting with 15 rows of sharp teeth and its presence announced by the dreaded triangular fin carving through the water.

But we have nothing to fear from the smoothtooth blacktip shark, which lives largely in the Arabian Gulf and dines exclusively on smaller fish. The real danger is mankind, which is pushing the species to the brink of extinction.

Overfishing and habitat destruction has caused a worrying decline in almost half the sharks and rays and similar species, according to a new report released in conjunction with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

The smoothtooth blacktip shark, which once thrived in the shallow waters of the Gulf, is one of three species of the Chondrichthyan class now placed on the endangered list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The regional Red List report is the first of its kind and concludes that the Arabian Sea and its adjacent waters, which include the coastline of the UAE, are “home to some of the most threatened chondrichthyan populations in the world”.

Of 153 species recorded, 78 are considered threatened to some degree. Three are listed as critically endangered, including the stripenose guitarfish, which lives at the bottom of the sea and is vulnerable to modern trawler fleets, and the Red Sea torpedo, another ray, which was last seen in 1898 and is possibly extinct.

The report, in collaboration with the international union and Abu Dhabi agency, hopes to establish a regional base list for the chondrichthyan class that includes sharks, rays and sawfish, which are distinguishable by their skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone.

It found only 19 species whose numbers could still be considered healthy, while there was not enough data to reach a conclusion on about 30 more.

“We are all concerned about the long-term survival of many species of sharks and rays in our region, and these results provide an important baseline for monitoring their status,” Dr Rima Jabado said fisheries scientist at the agency.

“Relevant stakeholders across the region need to work closely together to ensure immediate actions are taken to halt and reverse these declines.”

While several of the species are deliberately targeted by the fishing industry, other sharks and rays get swept into nets accidentally, known as “by-catching”.

Scientists say that these kind of fish are particularly vulnerable because of their biology and reproductive patterns.

“Sharks, rays and chimaeras tend to grow slowly and produce few young, which leaves them particularly vulnerable to overfishing”, said Dr Peter Kyne, senior research fellow at Charles Darwin University and Red List authority for the union’s shark specialist group.

Other threats include coastal development projects and damaged to habitat, such as mangroves and coral reefs.

The area studied ranged from the Red Sea coasts of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to Somalia and India and Pakistan. It includes all of the GGC countries.

The report calls for a more joined-up approach to conservation, with better research and policy decisions by governments in the area, although it says countries such as the UAE have shown more awareness of the problem.

It also calls for limits on catches and sizes, with seasonal closures of fisheries and “meaningful penalties for violations”.

Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, the agency’s executive director, called the study “the first step in understanding the regional status of sharks and rays”.

“The results are a call for action and highlight the urgent need for regional co-operation in research and policy efforts,” Dr Al Dhaheri said.