A third of sharks and rays face extinction

ALMOST a third of sharks and rays found in the open ocean are threatened with extinction – largely as a result of overfishing, conservationists warned yesterday.

The first assessment of the global fortunes of 64 species of pelagic, or open ocean, sharks and rays found 32% were under threat.

And more than half, 52%, the species which are caught in high-seas fisheries are at risk of dying out, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned.