Courtesy Masayuki Agawa/Ocean Image BankHammerhead sharks school in Mikimoto, Japan.
As many scuba divers know, sharks and their relatives are some of the most threatened vertebrate animals on Earth. Accordingly, there’s a large amount of attention focused on understanding and protecting them, sometimes facilitated by professional societies that arrange meetings, workshops and conferences to further research and conservation.
The first of these was the American Elasmobranch Society, of which I serve on the Board of Directors. There are now also shark and ray science and conservation-focused professional societies in Europe (the European Elasmobranch Association), South America (the Brazilian Society for the Study of Elasmobranchs) and Australia and Oceania (the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society).
But until now, there’s never been one in Asia, despite being home to billions of people, countless unique species, and some of the most well-known threats to sharks and their relatives, like the shark fin soup trade. The Asian Shark and Ray Alliance (ASRA) will therefore fill an important role in the academic study and conservation of these animals.
“Our mission is to empower emerging scientists, foster regional collaborations and advocate for science-driven policies to safeguard these vital species and their habitats,” says Mina Hatayama, a Ph.D. candidate at James Cook University and member of the Asian Shark and Ray Alliance development task force.
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Courtesy Asian Shark and Ray AllianceGroup photo from the 2023 Southeast Asian Shark and Ray Conservation workshop in Singapore, where the initial idea for ASRA was pitched and discussed.
Over the next few years, ASRA hopes to get involved in training researchers, facilitating research projects via networking, data sharing, and collaboration, and amplifying the impact of science taking place throughout Asia.
“We are committed to capacity building through offering workshops, training and mentorship opportunities to support early career researchers and equip scientists and conservationists with essential skills,” says Maizah Abdullah, an ASRA development task force member out of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. The budding organization also plans to host networking events, create public-facing education and outreach materials, and help members work together to share resources and data.
The team has big goals for ASRA, and they can sure use your help! If you’re a scientist or conservationist interested in sharing data, collaborating with or helping to train and mentor students in the region, contact them. Give them a follow on Instagram, help spread the word and donate to support their important efforts if you can. You can also sign up for their mailing list to keep updated on projects and other ways to help.
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“It’s a really exciting time, because there are so many passionate, talented shark and ray scientists and conservation practitioners emerging in Asia,” says Andrew Chin, a scientist at the Center for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture at James Cook University and a task force member. “The conservation challenges in the region are immense, but there’s an energy and passion here that is inspiring. And just like the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society did for that region, the Asian Shark and Ray Alliance will play a critical role in connecting, supporting, and developing conservation talent across Asia.”
