User:ProcyonEnthusiast/Angelshark

In April 2008, the UK government afforded the angel shark full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Conservation
Once considered abundant in the Atlantic Ocean, the angel shark (Squatina squatina) was classified as "Critically Endangered" in 2010, and recent studies from the IUCN in 2019 reaffirm their CR status. Angel sharks are highly sensitive to bottom trawling and are often caught in gillnets, due to their shallow habitat range.

Angel sharks found in the Mediterranean Sea, S. aculeata, S. oculata, and S. squatina, are at a high risk of extinction, with geographic studies projecting severe population declines for the three species. The Angel Shark Conservation Network, a network established by the IUCN and Shark Trust, is working with authorities from Greece and Turkey to establish conservation strategies to protect angel shark populations in the region.