Rhinoptera javanica | UAE National Red List of Marine Species: Reef-building corals, cartilaginous fishes and select bony fishes
Taxa
Rhinoptera javanica | Müller & Henle, 1841
Publication
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
A2d
Assessment rationale/justification
The Javan Cownose Ray occurs throughout UAE coastal waters. Due to confusion with the Oman Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera jayakari), population data can be uncertain, but it is suspected this species is the rarer of the two that occur in the Arabian Sea region. Serious declines in cownose ray landings have been observed in Pakistan, and of batoids in general in India. It exhibits slow life history characteristics including low fecundity and a low annual rate of population increase. Considering this, the species has a low capacity to recover from even moderate levels of exploitation. It is especially susceptible to exploitation (target and bycatch) in many largely unregulated gill net and trawl fisheries that operate within its range outside and surrounding UAE waters. Some management measures are now in place in the Arabian Sea region, although domestic fisheries are likely to continue. Though data specifically from the UAE are not available, individuals in the UAE are a component of a larger, interconnected and migratory population that occurs broadly in the north-western Indian Ocean. It is inferred that declines reported in the Arabian Sea region are representative of its status in the UAE. Based on recorded levels of exploitation, it is suspected to have declined by at least 30% over the past three generation lengths, or about 45 years. There is no information to confirm that this species is breeding in the UAE and no information confirming the likelihood of a cease in immigration from outside the region, despite ongoing threats and recorded declines. It is listed as Vulnerable A2d.
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 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.
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Threats listed in assessment
This species is impacted by target and bycatch fisheries in the UAE as well as elsewhere in its range. Marine habitats in the Arabian Gulf are experiencing high levels of disturbance due to major impacts from development activities (including dredging and reclamation), desalination plants, industrial activities, habitat destruction through the removal of shallow productive areas and major shipping lanes (Sheppard et al. 2010).
Conservation Measures
Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:
Scientific Name | Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhinoptera javanica | Animalia | Chordata | Chondrichthyes | Myliobatiformes | Rhinopteridae | Rhinoptera |