Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) are discrete three-dimensional portions of habitat that are important for one or more species of chondrichthyans (sharks, rays and chimaeras) and have the potential to be managed for conservation.[1] This project is led by the Shark Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission.[2][3]
The identification of ISRA is a purely biocentric, fact-based process founded on the application of scientific criteria supported by the best available scientific evidence. This makes the ISRA identification process completely independent of political pressures. The main objective of ISRA is to attract the attention of politicians and decision-makers to the need to maintain a favourable conservation status of sharks in those specific areas, through the implementation of appropriate management measures, which could include the designation of a marine protected area or other area-based management measures.[4] The project is funded by the Shark Conservation Fund, among others.[5]
There are four criteria for a marine habitat to be considered an ISRA, which are related to its vulnerability, its three-dimensional geographic distribution, its life history, and special attributes of the species.[6] Once the ISRA zones are approved and declared, they are incorporated into an electronic map on the project page.[7]