Kerry’s Tralee Bay has officially been designated an Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
The union’s Shark Specialist Group has recognised Tralee Bay as a critical habitat for threatened elasmobranch species and underscores its unique ecological importance.
Contributing to the designation has been video footage recorded by remote underwater cameras used by Munster Technological University (MTU) and the Angel Shark Project: Ireland.
The Angelshark is a flat-bodied shark whose unique shape, when viewed from above, inspired its common name.
Also known as Monkfish, Angelsharks are described as specialised ambush predators that bury themselves in sand and wait for prey, such as small fish, squid, and crustaceans, to swim overhead.
As MTU explains, this same hunting strategy has made them vulnerable to fisheries interaction, leading to a dramatic population decline since the 1960s.
Angelsharks are now critically endangered globally and are "on the brink of extinction".
The research team has paid tribute to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Marine Institute, and credits the contributions, records and work of local anglers, Inland Fisheries Ireland, divers, water users and the wider community.
The designation is a part of a global effort for shark conservation by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.
The team is working to identify critical areas for Sharks and Rays around the world and its members have now completed their Northeast Atlantic assessment.
They have managed to identify 124 critical areas, the ‘Bay of Angels’ in Tralee Bay being one of them.
Louise Overy, MTU wildlife biologist, said that "these encounters are a step forward in our understanding of Angelshark ecology in Ireland".
" The use of remote cameras has allowed us to observe these animals in their preferred
habitat, and the ISRA designation will help towards ensuring their protection for generations to come, she said.
The video footage discovery builds on previous successes in Tralee Bay, including the first-ever satellite tagging of Angelsharks in Irish waters in 2024 by the Marine Institute.
