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Sharks & Rays – scientific, creative, and informative. We have created this page to SHARE all this
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we can ALL increase protection for South Africa’s some 200 shark and ray species.

PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS

Journal Publications

Atkins, S., Mann-Lang, J., Cliff, G., Olbers, J.M., Kock, A.A., Lucrezi, S., Griffiths, M.K.P., Jordaan, T., Plön, S., Matthee, C.A., Pillay, N. and M. Cantor. 2025. Navigating transdisciplinary waters to protect both sharks and bathers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: diverse stakeholders propose potential actions. Ecology and Society 30(3):18. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-16288-300318.
Winkler AC, Farthing MW, Gush N and Potts WM. 2025. Competitive Angling catch-and-effort and Elasmobranch Recreational Post-Capture Survivorship Meta-analysis. Report compiled for WILDTRUST’s Securing Shark and Ray Protection in South Africa, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund. WILDTRUST Unpublished Report Number 7. 36pp.
Atkins, S., Mann-Lang, J., Cliff, G., Pillay, N., Cantor, M. 2024. Articulating the dynamics among stakeholders in KwaZulu-Natal’s bather-shark conflict to create a productive research-implementation space. Ocean & Coastal Management, 255: 107244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107244.
Cerqueira, S.C., Olbers, J.M., Smith, G., Carpenter, M., Pereira, M.J., Cliff, G. 2024. The movement and distribution of pregnant spotted ragged-tooth sharks, Carcharias taurus, in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. PeerJ 12:e18736. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18736.
Martinez, S., Bernard, A.T.F., Speed, C.W., Mann, B.Q., Olbers, J.M., Maggs, J.Q., Floros, C., Meekan, M.G. and A. Yon. 2024. Elasmobranch assemblage structure on protected high-latitude coral reefs of southeast Africa. Marine Ecology Progress Series 749:87-107. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14717
Pollom RA, Cheok J, Pacoureau N, Gledhill KS, Kyne PM, Ebert DA, Jabado RW, Herman KB, Bennett RH, da Silva C, Fernando S, Kuguru B, Leslie RW, McCord ME, Samoilys M, Winker H, Fennessy ST, Pollock CM, Rigby CL, and NK Dulvy. 2024. Overfishing and climate change elevate extinction risk of endemic sharks and rays in the southwest Indian Ocean hotspot. PLoS ONE 19(9): e0306813. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306813.
Faure-Beaulieu, N., Lombard, A.T., Olbers, J.M., Goodall, V., Da Silva, C., Daly, R., Jordaan, G., Kerwath, S.E., Kock, A., Mann, B.M., Murray, T., Albano, P., Cliff, G., Dos Santos, N.A., van der Merwe, A.E., Gennari, E., Hammerschlag, N., Watson, R., Andreotti, S., Bernard, A.T.F., Cowley, P.D., De Vos, L., Drobniewska, N., Elston, C., Fallows, C., Rogers, T.D., Smith, G., Van Staden, M., De Villiers, P., Paulet, T.G. and Harris, J.M. (2023). A systematic conservation plan to identify critical areas for improved chondrichthyan protection in South Africa. Biological Conservation, 284: 110163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110163.
Cortelezzi, P., Paulet, T.G., Olbers, J.M, Harris, JM. & A. Bernard, 2022. Conservation Benefits of a Marine Protected Area on South African Chondrichthyans. Journal of Environmental Management, 319: 115691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115691.
Daly, R., Jordaan, GL., Parker, D., Cliff, G., Nkabi, N., Kyle, R., Fennessy, S.T. & Mann, B.Q. 2022. Movement patterns and catch trends of the diamond ray Gymnura natalensis (Dasyatidae) in South African waters. African Journal of Marine Science, 44 (1): 35–48. DOI:10.2989/1814232X.2022.2032826.
William, T., White, W.T., Guallart, J., Ebert, D.A., Naylor, G.J.P., Veríssimo, A. Cotton, C.F., Harris, M., Serena, F., and S.P. Iglésias, 2022. Revision of the genus Centrophorus (Squaliformes: Centrophoridae): Part 3—Redescription of Centrophorus uyato (Rafinesque) with a discussion of its complicated nomenclatural history. Zootaxa 5155 (1): 001–051.
Asbury, TA., Bennett, R., Price, AS., da Silva, C., Bürgener, M., Klein, JD., Maduna, SN., Sidat, N., Fernando, S. & AE Bester-van der Merwe. 2021. Application of DNA minibarcoding reveals illegal trade in endangered shark products in southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 43(4), 511-520. DOI: 10.2989/1814232X.2021.1996459.
Daly, R., Le Noury, P., Hempson, T.N., Ziembicki, M., Olbers, J.M., Brokensha, G.M. & B.Q. Mann. 2021. Bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, recruitment into the St Lucia Estuary, South Africa, after prolonged mouth closure, and the first observation of a neonate bull shark preyed on by a Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus. African Journal of Marine Science, , 43(3): 417-421. DOI: 10.2989/1814232X.2021.196459
Ebert, D.A., Wintner, S.P., Kyne, P.M. 2021. An annotated checklist of the Chondrichthyans of South Africa. Zootaxa 4947: 1-127.
Ebert, D.A., Leslie, R., Weigmann, S. 2021. Etmopterus brosei sp. nov.: a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans, with a revised key to the Etmopterus lucifer clade. Marine Biodiversity 51(53): 17.
Weigmann, S., Ebert, D.A., Seret, B. Weigmann, S. 2021. Resolution of the Acroteriobatus leucospilus species complex, with a redescription of A. leucospilus (Norman, 1926) and descriptions of two new western Indian Ocean species of Acroteriobatus (Rhinopristiformes, Rhinobatidae). Marine Biodiversity 51(58): 30.

FIELD GUIDES, ID GUIDES AND INVENTORIES

Haaiboekie – Status Reports for shark and Ray Species in South Africa

ID guide for Stingrays and Eagle rays

Cliff, G., Bennett, R.H., Daly, R., Elston, C., Kyle, R., Olbers, J.M., Potts, W.M., van Beuningen, D., Venables, S.K. and Mann, B.Q. 2025. Identification guide to southern African coastal rays: stingrays and eagle rays. WILDTRUST Special Publication 4, Durban, South Africa. 25 pp.

Field Guide for Fisheries Compliance Officials

Cliff, G, da Silva, C., Ntuli, S., Olbers, J.M., Voorhis, R and Leslie, R.2021. Chondrichthyans of South Africa, a Compliance and Law Enforcement Fisheries Identification Guide. WILDTRUST Special Publication Number 1, Durban, South Africa. 168 pp.

ID guide of Sharks Trunk in trade and fisheries

TRAFFIC and DFFE. 2021. Shark Identification, Trunk Guide: Identification Guide to Commonly Caught Sharks in South Africa using Trunks. Developed during the WILDTRUST’s Shark and Ray Protection Project, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund (2019-2022). 5pp.

ID Guide to CITES listed Shark Fins

TRAFFIC. 2021. Shark Fin Identification Guide for CITES listed Species. Developed during the WILDTRUST’s Shark and Ray Protection Project, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund (2019-2022). 33pp.

Inventory and literature of Chondrichthyan Species in South Africa

Sharks & Rays of South Africa – a species database [download]

To Cite this database:
Cliff, G. 2024. South African Shark and Ray Species Database, 3 March 2024. WILDTRUST, Shark Attack Campaign, Link. Accessed on [date].

TRADE RESOURCES AND REPORTS

Trade Reports

Louw, S. and Burgener, M. 2022. South Africa’s Shark and ray Trade Dynamics. An analysis of the international meat and fin trade. Report compiled for the WILDTRUST’s Shark and Ray Protection Project, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund. 32pp.

CITES Fin ID Guide

TRAFFIC. 2021. Shark Fin Identification Guide for CITES listed Species. Developed during the WILDTRUST’s Shark and Ray Protection Project, funded by the Shark Conservation Fund (2019-2022). 33pp.

POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

Impact Statements

Policy Briefs

Drone Fishing

Olbers, J.M. 2022. Fishing with Drones: a perspective on regulations, ecotourism and environmental risks in South Africa. WILDTRUST Unpublished Report Number 1, 23pp.

Best Practice for Handling Sharks and Rays

Conservation Management Support

SHARK AND RAY SPATIAL MANAGEMENT

Systematic Conservation Plan

Shark and Ray Conservation Plan Report:

Faure Beaulieu, N., Lombard, A., Olbers, J.M., Goodall, V. and J.M. Harris. 2022. A systematic conservation Plan for sharks and rays in South Africa. WILDTRUST Unpublished Report number 3. 76pp. [download].

Distribution Maps for South African Sharks and Rays:

Faure Beaulieu, N. and V. Goodall. 2022. Distribution Maps for sharks and rays found in South African Waters, In: Faure Beaulieu, N., Lombard, A., Olbers, J.M., Goodall, V. and J.M. Harris. 2022. A systematic conservation Plan for sharks and rays in South Africa. WILDTRUST Unpublished Report number 3. 76pp. [download].

RESPONSIBLE SHARK DIVING – COURSE

This course which focuses on RESPONSIBLE DIVING WITH RAGGEDTOOTH SHARKS, is for dive leaders and all scuba divers who would like to encounter raggedtooth sharks in Sodwana Bay with the least amount of disturbance, whilst broadening their knowledge of the species. FIND OUT MORE HERE: https://training.sharklife.co.za/