“Sharks and rays are particularly vulnerable because they grow slowly and are slow to mature,” says Sarah Valenti of the IUCN’s shark specialist group. Female gulper sharks (Centrophorus granulosus), for example, can take 16 years to reach maturity, and as a result of overfishing their numbers have dropped by 95% in some areas.
In some MANAGED fisheries in New Zealand target species have been driven to 3% their original levels! Bit of a joke really, isn't it!