What proportion of landed sharks and rays in Sabah are juveniles?

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Approximately 80% of landed sharks and 93% of landed rays in Sabah are juveniles.

New research in Sabah has revealed a concerning trend in marine catches, with a substantial majority of sharks and rays landed being juveniles, indicating they have not yet reached reproductive age. This finding, derived from catch landing surveys conducted at fish markets and landing sites in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan between November 2023 and December 2024, highlights significant pressure on these species and raises alarms about their long-term population viability.
Juvenile Sharks Constitute a Large Portion of Landings

During surveys that recorded 1,748 sharks, early analyses indicated that approximately 80% of these individuals were juveniles. This means that the majority of sharks brought to landing sites had not yet had the opportunity to reproduce, impacting the potential for natural population recovery. Given that many shark species require between 12 and 15 years to reach maturity, the capture of such young animals poses a substantial threat to their future numbers.
Overwhelming Majority of Landed Rays Are Juveniles

Similarly, the catch landing surveys documented 2,890 rays, with approximately 93% of them also being juveniles. This high proportion of immature rays underscores the widespread issue of catching young marine life before they can contribute to breeding populations. The decline of mature individuals, coupled with the consistent removal of juveniles, creates a precarious situation for the sustainability of ray populations in the region.
Species Under Pressure Appear in Catches

Further analysis revealed that some shark and ray species were observed in fishing catches but were absent from Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys (BRUVS). This suggests that these particular species may already be under significant pressure in their natural habitat, to the point where they are being encountered and caught more frequently than they are observed in undisturbed environments. The presence of these species predominantly in catches, rather than in the wild surveys, indicates a critical conservation concern.

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What proportion of landed sharks and rays in Sabah are juveniles?

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