1. The sharks and rays at Singapore's fishery ports.
- Author
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Clark-Shen, Naomi, Xu Tingting, Kathy, Rao, Madhu, Cosentino-Roush, Shannon, Sandrasegeren, Rajkumar, Gajanur, Anya R., Chapman, Demian D., Lee Xin Ying, Esther, Flowers, Kathryn I., Feldheim, Kevin A., Manjaji-Matsumoto, B. Mabel, and Ng Zheng Hui, Sirius
- Subjects
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SHARKS , *FISHERIES , *CHONDRICHTHYES , *SHRIMPS - Abstract
• The majority of fresh elasmobranchs sold at Singapore's fishery ports are imported from Indonesia and Malaysia while a minority are caught locally. • The large volumes of Maculabatis gerrardi and M. macrura for local delicacy BBQ stingray is of concern. • The majority of shark species sold are small-bodied species utilised for their meat. • The high proportion of immature Carcharhinus sorrah and C. sealei and/or C. tjutjot is of concern. • Wedgefish snouts are used for a local delicacy however since they were added to CITES Appendix-II their supply into Singapore will be limited. The status of elasmobranchs in Southeast Asia has been highlighted as a serious concern, yet there are limited data to assess stocks and develop appropriate management plans. Surveys of elasmobranchs at two fishery ports in Singapore were conducted between 2017 and 2020. These fishery ports receive fresh, whole imports of seafood from the region as well as seafood caught in Singapore waters. Data were collected on 13,817 rays, 2,480 sharks, and 1,297 wedgefishes and giant guitarfishes over 102 surveys. The majority of elasmobranchs were imported from Indonesia or Malaysia, and only a few individuals (six sharks and 278 rays) were reportedly caught within Singapore waters. In Singapore, elasmobranchs are predominantly used for their meat, and wedgefish snouts are also commonly used in collagen soup. The data collected highlights potential conservation concerns, particularly surrounding the large volumes of Maculabatis gerrardi and Maculabatis macrura rays (categorized as Vulnerable and Not Assessed by the IUCN) that are imported, and the high proportions of immature individuals of Carcharhinus sorrah and Carcharhinus sealei sharks. During this study, a single Rhynchobatus cooki was discovered – the first reported sighting in over 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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