Elasmobranch bycatch of the shrimp trawl fishery along the Pacific coast of Guatemala

In this study, the species composition of bycatch in the shrimp bottom -trawl fishery off the Pacific coast of Guatemala was examined. In total, 15 species of elasmobranchs, including 13 ray species and 2 shark species, were recorded. Of these taxa, 1 species is listed as critically endan-gered, 4 species are listed as near threatened, 7 species are listed as vulnerable, and 1 species is listed as a species of least concern by the Inter-national Union for Conservation of Nature. Currently, there is no official monitoring system for shrimp trawling in Guatemala; therefore, the abundance and biological characteristics of the elasmobranch species caught as bycatch are unknown. This information is lack-ing because only 5.5% of the registered elasmobranch bycatch was landed and traded for its economic value.