Prionace glauca | UAE National Red List of Marine Species: Reef-building corals, cartilaginous fishes and select bony fishes

Taxa
Prionace glauca | (Linnaeus, 1758)
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Fishes
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The Blue Shark may occur in UAE waters on the Sea of Oman coast, but is not yet confirmed from there. It is excluded from the Arabian Gulf. Globally, it occurs throughout tropical and temperate seas from latitudes of about 60'°N to 50'°S (Last and Stevens 2009).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
Yes
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Blue Shark is oceanic and pelagic, found from the surface to depths of 1000 m (Weigmann 2016). It occasionally occurs close inshore when the continental shelf is narrow. This species reaches a maximum size of about 380 cm total length (TL). About 50% of males in the Atlantic are sexually mature by 218 cm, although some may reach maturity as small as 182 cm TL. Females are sub-adult from 173-221 cm TL and fully mature from 221 cm TL (Pratt 1979), although pregnant specimens as small as 183 cm TL have been recorded from the eastern Pacific (Williams 1977).Blue Sharks are placentally viviparous, producing litters averaging about 35 pups (maximum recorded 135) after a gestation period of 9-12 months. At birth, pups measure 35-50 cm TL. Reproduction has been reported as seasonal in most areas, with the young often born in spring or summer (Pratt 1979, Stevens 1984, Nakano 1994) although the periods of ovulation and parturition may be extended (Hazin et al. 1994). Ageing studies suggest a longevity of about 20 years with males maturing at 4-6 and females at 5-7 years (Stevens 1975, Cailliet et al. 1983, Nakano 1994). Smith et al. (1998) estimated the intrinsic rate of population increase at MSY to be 0.061.Generation length is estimated to be 10.5 years based on study of Blue Shark in the Northwest Pacific by Nakano (1994).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Data Deficient
Assessment status abreviation
DD
Assessment rationale/justification
In UAE waters, the Blue Shark may occur only in offshore waters of the Sea of Oman, though this remains unconfirmed. This species is considered productive, as it is relatively fast-growing and fecund. Around the world, the Blue Shark is taken in large numbers (an estimated 20 million individuals annually), mainly as bycatch, but there are no population estimates and many catches are unreported. IOTC fishery assessments suggest a wide range of stock statuses ranging from 'underexploited' to 'overfished with overfishing' occurring. Little is known on the population of this species in UAE waters. Given that its distribution in UAE waters (the Sea of Oman) remains uncertain, this species is listed as Data Deficient.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Given the lack of clarity around the species occurrence in UAE waters, threats are poorly understood. In the UAE, sharks have been impacted by targeted commercial fisheries until 2014 when a ban on export of sharks was imposed (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment). Sharks continue to be impacted by artisanal and bycatch fisheries (Annual Fisheries Statistical Report for Abu Dhabi Emirate 2001-2018), though catch data are not species-specific. Marine habitats in the region have experienced high levels of disturbance and are quickly deteriorating due to major impacts from development activities (Sheppard <em style=""font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2; text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px"">et al. 2010).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Prionace glauca Animalia Chordata Chondrichthyes Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae Prionace