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The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's science and knowledge service which employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy.
A recent analysis published in Nature documents a dramatic, and ongoing, global decline of oceanic shark and ray populations by nearly three-quarters (71%) over the past 50 years, primarily due to overfishing.
This decline coincides with a tripling of catches, amounting to an 18-fold increase in Relative Fishing Pressure (exploitation relative to the number of fish left).
For all 31 oceanic shark and ray species analysed, the risk of extinction has increased substantially since 1980.