The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a public consultation into the creation of the first ever Elasmobranch Conservation Strategy for Northern Ireland. The proposed strategy reflects the collective efforts of a broad range of stakeholders including NGOs, Governmental bodies, Universities and Industry partners, and aims to outline the necessary steps to protect 12 selected priority elasmobranch species (focusing on addressing key knowledge gaps), whilst delivering on international obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment.