Summaries of globally relevant systems to identify areas of importance for biodiversity.
The Areas guide provides short articles about selected areas of importance for biodiversity conservation. It explains in detail a number of recognised systems to protect, prioritise and identify areas of biodiversity importance that fall into two main categories: protected areas and biodiversity designations.
Area designations categorised as protected areas are those under protected area frameworks, that have legal or other effective protection at the national level. Some have additional recognition through regional or international conventions and agreements.
Area designations categorised as biodiversity designations are developed by governments, academics and NGOs in order to identify areas of biodiversity importance or areas where biodiversity is threatened, as a means to focus attention and resources on their conservation. They are not in themselves recognised as protected areas, although on-ground the sites may overlap with a protected area designation.
“Discrete, three-dimensional portions of habitat, important for one or more shark species, that are delineated and have the potential to be managed for conservation”.1 The aim of ISRAs is to “attract the attention of policy- and decision-makers on the need of maintaining the favourable conservation status of sharks in that specific area through the implementation of the most appropriate management measures”.2