The Ocean's Ancient Guardians

Indigenous fishers rethink shark hunting & protect species on Colombia’s coast

LA GUAJIRA, Colombia — Feet from the ocean, four sharks and a ray lie dead on the wind-battered sand. Above them stands Wilfrido Arends, 46. The blade of a short knife glints in his hand. Carefully, he bends down to cut a small fin from the underside of one sh

Global marine protected areas fail to safeguard most sharks and rays: Study

In 2022, 196 countries agreed to the ambitious conservation goal of “30×30”: setting aside 30% of the planet’s coastal and marine areas for conservation by 2030 as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Now, halfway to 2030, only about 10%

EU Shark Fin Trade Declines as Brussels Mulls Total Ban

Total EU ban under consideration

The shark fin trade within the European Union has declined significantly as Brussels considers a total ban. The proposed EU-wide prohibition would close one of the last major legal fin markets in the Western world.

Seeking swordfish, catching dolphins and whales: EU pushes to rein in driftnets

Driftnets, vertically hanging nets that drift with ocean currents and can stretch for kilometers, are used to catch large pelagic species such as swordfish and tuna. However, they have long drawn criticism from conservationists as they also capture and kill sh

Asia’s shark and ray hotspots remain poorly protected, study finds

COLOMBO — The majority of 122 marine areas identified across Asia as critical for the survival of sharks, rays and chimaeras remain largely unprotected despite supporting some of the world’s most threatened marine species, according to a new study. Published i

New Walking Shark Species Discovered in Papua New Guinea

New species — published June 2026

Researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast identified a previously unknown walking shark species in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Published in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, the discovery reminds us that the ocean remains one of Earth’s least explored frontiers.

French Polynesia Expands Ocean Protections to 30% of Its Waters

30% of waters now protected

French Polynesia has expanded its marine protected areas to cover 30% of its waters, meeting the global 30x30 conservation target ahead of schedule. The move protects critical shark and ray habitat across vast stretches of the South Pacific.

‘Thinking how traffickers think’: Study uses AI to detect marine wildlife smuggling

On Sunday, April 26, Argentine officials stopped an unusual shipment arriving at an airport near Buenos Aires. Inside, they found so many dead and dying fish, octopuses and crabs that a national rescue center had to install 10 new emergency tanks to support th

Four alleged wildlife traffickers arrested in Guinea, dried seahorses and shark fins seized

An undercover operation by Guinean authorities in the capital Conakry caught four men in possession of more than 2,000 dried seahorses and 26 kg (57 lbs) of shark and ray fins on May 22, 2026. According to a press release, the seizure was supported by the Guin

A year on, Australia’s biggest harmful algal bloom continues to wreak havoc

PORT HUGHES, Australia — Situated midway along the Great Southern Reef that spans Australia’s southern coastline, the waters off Port Hughes typically teem with life. The coastal hamlet northwest of Adelaide plays host to a multitude of coral, bivalve and fish

Whale strike risk rises as international shipping reroutes around South Africa

In April this year, two Bryde’s whales washed-up dead-on Dyer Island, a small nature reserve located a few kilometers off the coast of Gansbaai in South Africa’s Western Cape province. Both whales carried severe injuries; their vertebrae had been shattered. “I

Offshore wind power cables can affect sensory system of sharks and rays: studies

As offshore wind farms expand rapidly in the global renewable energy transition, scientists are studying how these large marine infrastructure projects affect ecosystems beneath the waves. Research from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands sugge

At world’s largest shark conference, scientists warn of a grim outlook across the board

COLOMBO — More than 800 researchers and conservationists gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, from May 4-8 for Sharks International, the world’s largest shark conference. Presenters shared research and insights on the global trade in sharks, the plight of

New High Seas Treaty Aims to Protect Sharks and Rays Beyond National Borders

Protecting the two-thirds of ocean beyond borders

Sharks and rays don’t recognize national boundaries, and a new high seas treaty seeks to protect them in international waters. The agreement could close one of the biggest gaps in marine conservation — the two-thirds of the ocean beyond any single country’s jurisdiction.

Sharks and rays do not know boundaries and a new high seas treaty seeks to protect them

COLOMBO – As the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, officially came into force in January, shark scientists and conservationists who gathered in Sri Lanka hailed the landmark treaty as one that c

10-Year Satellite Tracking of Whale Sharks Leads to New Protected Area in Indonesia

70 whale sharks tracked across 13 countries

Scientists from Conservation International tagged and tracked whale sharks across 13 countries over a decade, tracing 70 individuals. The data directly informed the creation of a new marine protected area in Indonesian waters — a key habitat for the world’s largest fish.

In Senegal, artisanal fishing kills a surprising number of sharks and rays: study

In Senegal, artisanal fishing kills a surprising number of sharks and rays, according to a new study — so many, it probably eclipses industrial fishing, which is more commonly blamed for the species’ decline. The study was published in the journal Ecology and

A 10-year whale shark satellite study helps create new protected area in Indonesia

“The whale sharks are a good omen for the fishers because they know when the whale sharks come, that means that lots of small fish or anchovies are around,” says Edy Setyawan, the lead conservation scientist of the Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia. It is the r

Migratory Species Summit Adopts New Marine Protections Amid Extinction Warnings

3 shark groups gain Appendix I protection

At the CMS (Convention on Migratory Species) summit, governments adopted new Appendix I protections for scalloped hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, and tope sharks. These listings require strict national protection for species whose populations have declined sharply.

Migratory species summit adopts new marine protections amid extinction warnings

Dozens of migratory animals, including 33 marine species, gained new protections during the recent summit for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. The 15th Conference of the Parties (CMS COP15) took place March 23-29 in Camp

Latin America’s largest hospital complex cancels plan to buy shark meat

The University of São Paulo Medical School Hospital said it would cancel a plan to buy more than 17 metric tons of shark meat as part of a 2026 procurement, citing concerns over heavy metals. HCFMUSP is the largest public hospital complex in Latin America. It

Investigation of permit violations in South Africa’s shark fishery pending

Following an October 2025 Mongabay report of the shark fishing vessel Zanette violating the conditions of its permit to catch endangered sharks, the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) announced that it would consider sus

New strategy to reverse Kenya’s shark decline tries to bring fishers on board

NAIROBI — On Kenya’s eastern coast, a small-scale fisher lugs the day’s catch onto a table for processing and selling. Chances are, mostly threatened species like the scalloped hammerhead shark and the white-spotted guitarfish will appear on the table. This is

Outlook for migratory species worsens amid habitat loss & avian flu, report finds

From shorebirds flying between their Arctic breeding grounds and southerly foraging ranges to freshwater fish returning to native spawning streams, migratory animals are struggling. About half of all migratory species populations protected under a global treat

Bangladesh sees rise in ray, shark fishing as traditional seafood species dwindle

Though seafood is a prevalent protein source in Bangladesh, some fishes, like stingrays and sharks, never appealed to most of the population here, barring a few coastal Indigenous groups. However, the illegal fishing of such species has become common in the co

Whale Shark ‘Mistral’ Swims 1,200 km from Madagascar to Seychelles — Cross-Border Protection Needed

1,200 km cross-border migration

The Madagascar Whale Shark Project tracked a whale shark named Mistral on a 1,200-kilometre journey from Madagascar to the Seychelles, published in Oryx (2026). The finding proves that conservation cannot stop at borders — these animals need protection across their entire range.

Proposed shark net near Club Med resort in South Africa sparks conservation clash

On Feb. 13, a juvenile humpback dolphin was caught and killed in one of the many nets strung up off the coast of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province to protect beachgoers from sharks. The incident, near the city of Richards Bay on the country’s eastern coast

Mongabay shark meat exposé wins national journalism education award in Brazil

A Mongabay exposé that revealed widespread Brazilian government procurements of shark meat to serve in thousands of schools, hospitals, prisons and other public institutions has won first place in the higher education category of Brazil’s National Association

Panama NGOs face lawsuits, asset seizures in fight over port construction

For more than a year, dozens of environmental groups have been fighting the construction of a controversial port in Panama, arguing that it will harm marine life and the mangroves they depend on. Now, two of those groups have had their assets seized amid lawsu

It’s electric: Scientists develop cheap way to keep sharks off fishing hooks

Unintentional catch is a big reason that more than a hundred shark species are threatened with extinction. Yet creating a small electric field around fishing hooks using cheap inputs — zinc and graphite — is enough to keep many away, a new study indicates. In

Whale sharks released from nets along India’s coast as fishers turn rescuers

On a March morning in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state’s capital in southern India, a group of fishers were hauling their kambavala — a traditional net fixed between bamboo poles driven into the seabed. The net caught something immense. The fish

New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection

Shark and ray populations are struggling across the world due to overfishing and other threats. A new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help them recover. The report “Ocean Travellers” was published in December by the IUCN, t

Rio de Janeiro state bans shark meat for school meals

RIO DE JANEIRO — The government of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has banned shark meat for meals in most of the schools it manages, citing health and environmental concerns. The move puts the state in line to become the first in Brazil to do so, and ha

DNA Analysis of ~16,000 Fins Reveals 70× More Oceanic Whitetip Fins Than Legal Reports

70× more whitetip fins than legal reports

A peer-reviewed study published in Science Advances (2025) analyzed roughly 16,000 shark fin samples from Hong Kong markets (KFBG, 2015–2021). Despite CITES protections, researchers found fins from four out of five regulated species remain common — with 70 times more oceanic whitetip fins and 10 times more hammerhead fins than legal reports indicate.

Mongabay shark meat investigation wins national journalism award in Brazil

A Mongabay investigation that revealed Brazilian state-run institutions bulk-buying shark meat for public schools, hospitals and prisons has won second place in the national category of the 67th ARI/Banrisul Journalism Award, one of the country’s most prestigi

Bethany “Bee” Smith, researcher who documented a megamouth shark alive, died in a diving accident, aged 24

Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. The risks of field science are usually described in abstract terms. Weather turns. Equipment fails. The sea does not always beha

Zombie urchins & the Blob: California sea otters face new threats & ecosystem shifts

The sea otter pup was tiny, probably less than 2 weeks old, alone in Morro Bay on an October morning earlier this year. A kayaker scooped it out of the water after listening to it endlessly crying for its mother. It was in growing danger, starting to float out

The lab-in-a-backpack busting illegal shark fins: Interview with Diego Cardeñosa

Diego Cardeñosa always knew he wanted to study sharks. But when he started his Ph.D., he had to make a choice: tagging sharks in the field — the “fun,” typically more-sought-after path — or studying their DNA in a lab. “I went for maybe not the most attractive

45 more shark species up for CITES protections; tight vote expected

More than 180 nations gathering in Uzbekistan this week for the annual CITES conference could vote as early as Thursday on a proposal to regulate international trade in nearly 30 species of houndshark, a measure that would bring the vast majority of global sha

For sharks on the brink of extinction, CITES Appendix II isn’t protective enough (commentary)

Sharks are some of the most threatened animals on Earth, with approximately one-third of all species assessed as threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List. These animals are not only older than dinosaurs, but older than trees, and yet they face a very re