Sharks and Rays Somalia

In Somalia, coastal sharks have been widely targeted by domestic fishers and in commercial fisheries for decades. This research initiative aims to document their importance to the shark fishery and to explore the challenges and potential solutions to key conservation issues. As part of this work, I co-authored the Somalia chapter of The Global Status of Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras (2024), alongside Dave van Beuningen, Rhett Bennett, and Mohamud Hassan Ali, documenting the state of elasmobranch research, fisheries, and conservation gaps across the country. I've also contributed data curation, investigation, and writing to Only One Percent of Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Western Indian Ocean Are Fully Protected From Fishing Pressure (Ecology and Evolution), which assessed protection gaps for critical shark and ray habitat across the region. Since 2022, I've served as a regular contributor to the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, supporting species assessments for sharks, rays, and chimaeras in Somalia, the Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) Project, and the Global Status of Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras report. My fieldwork has taken me to landing sites across the Bari region and the Mogadishu fish market, documenting catch composition and the realities of the domestic shark trade through photography and data collection. Currently, my research has expanded to deep-sea gulper sharks, extending this documentation effort into Somalia's largely unstudied offshore waters.

The global status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras

Chapter 7: Africa, Section: Somalia

Citations

• Van Beuningen, D., Bennett, R.H., Ali, M.H., & Mahadalle, O. 2024. Somalia. In: Jabado, R.W., A.Z.A. Morata, R.H. Bennett, B. Finucci, J.R. Ellis, S.L. Fowler, M.I. Grant, A.P. Barbosa Martins, & S.L. Sinclair (eds.). The global status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. Storytelling Journal, 15(2), 45-50.