Search

In June 2024, a large female oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) was observed near San Andres Island, Colombia, bearing at least 41 healed circular scars on its skin. These scars, resembling those left by cookiecutter sharks on large teleost species, suggest repeated predation events. Cookiecutter sharks typically leave one or two bite marks per prey item, with a small percentage showing five or more marks. The observation implies frequent depth overlap between the mesopelagic cookiecutter sharks and the epipelagic oceanic whitetip shark in the Caribbean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2021, we conducted the first expedition to the seamounts of the Malpelo and Yuruparí ridges. Eight seamounts were explored using Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS). A total of 48 BRUVS were deployed, registering five pelagic species (Sphyrna lewini, Mobula birostris, Pteroplatytrygon violacea, Kajikia audax and Istiophorus platypterus) where Pteroplatytrygon violacea constituted a new record for the region. Pelagic species were recorded in all seamounts, although sharks were exclusively associated with the seamounts to the west of the ridges, especially in the area known as Bajo Navegador, the shallowest seamount in the region. This work is a first step to guide the following explorations of these ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One third of chondrichthyan species (sharks, rays, and chimeras) are threatened with extinction, mainly due to unsustainable fishing. Large accessible international markets for meat and luxury products like dried fins can help drive overfishing by encouraging targeted capture or retention of high‐value export species. If this is common, then species in international trade could have heightened extinction risk. Here, we examined the species composition of the Hong Kong shark fin market from 2014 to 2018, finding that traded species disproportionately occur in threatened categories (70.9%) and all premium value species are threatened. A small number of cosmopolitan species dominate the trade, but noncosmopolitan coastal species are still traded at concerning levels given their limited distribution. These coastal species are not generally subject to retention prohibitions, fisheries management, or international trade regulations and without management many could become extinct. The conservation potential of international trade regulations alone for coastal chondrichthyans depends on the extent to which overfishing is driven by export markets; socioeconomic studies of coastal fishing communities are needed to make this determination. Nonetheless, adding international trade regulations for more coastal shark species that are in the fin trade could prompt broad engagement with overfishing in nations lacking effective management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal wildlife trade is a major global threat to biodiversity. Environmental authorities around the world face many challenges enforcing and implementing laws intended to protect wild species. Wildlife forensic protocols can help to solve many of these implementation and enforcement issues.Matamata turtles comprise two different species that look identical (Chelus fimbriata, Chelus orinocensis), which are geographically separated into the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, respectively, in South America. The trade in matamata turtles (Chelus sp.) is illegal in Colombia and law enforcement officers need to identify confiscated individuals to the species level in order to return them to the correct river basin. This is a time‐sensitive problem because increasing time in captivity can lead to mortality and imposes logistical and financial burdens on resource managers.This article presents the development of a reliable, potentially field‐based, fast (~2 h), and cost‐effective (~USD$1 per sample identified) real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay to identify live matamata turtles to the species level, which facilitates accurate and fast translocation back to the correct river‐of‐origin.This assay was applied in a real law enforcement scenario where confiscated matamata turtles were quickly identified as C. orinocensis, showing that they should be returned to the Orinoco basin. This research highlights the practicality and usefulness of these kinds of protocols to solve wildlife trade issues faced by law enforcement officers, and provides a blueprint for the development and implementation of field‐based molecular protocols to enhance the enforcement and implementation of laws intended to protect wildlife subject to illegal trade.Given the widespread detection of illegal trade in wildlife and the threat that it poses to biodiversity, it is critical that these types of protocols and collaborative efforts among all stakeholders continue to be developed and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]