New records of the Critically Endangered Ganges shark in Bangladeshi waters
17. October 2019
New records of the Critically Endangered Ganges shark Glyphis gangeticus in Bangladeshi waters: urgent monitoring needed
Alifa Bintha Haque, Sudipta Arka Das
ABSTRACT:
The different species of elasmobranch found in Bangladeshi fisheries and markets were quantified in a survey between February 2016 and November 2017. This resulted in records of the Critically Endangered Ganges shark Glyphis gangeticus (Müller & Henle, 1839) in the waters of Bangladesh. Three records from the landing sites and shark processing centres of Cox’s Bazar in southeast Bangladesh were identified and confirmed as G. gangeticus by sequencing the expression of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and by the morphological identification of 1 individual. These represent the most recent records of this species in Bangladesh in over a decade, and only the second set of records from anywhere within the range of this elusive shark. Capture dates and traders’ knowledge of these catches suggest a year-round distribution, indicating a population within the Bay of Bengal and adjacent coastal rivers. Although the species is protected under Bangladeshi law, enforcement of the law is inadequate. Monitoring for this, and other, rare and threatened species at landing sites, rigorous surveys to locate any existing populations, trade regulation, and enforcement of conservation legislation should be considered priorities for effective conservation.
Endang Species Res 40:65-73, DOI: 10.3354/esr00981