Geneva - At least 26 per cent, or 30 species, of north-east Atlantic sharks, rays and chimaeras are threatened with extinction, a study released Monday by the International Union for Conservation of Nature said.

An additional 20 per cent of species surveyed are in the Near Threatened category.

The IUCN said the actual number of sharks threatened may be higher as its study group could only assess about a quarter of all species in the region.

The species in the north-east Atlantic Ocean, off Europe's coasts, are more threatened than in other parts of the world, primarily due to overfishing.

"This is due to accidental and targeted fishing," said Sarah Valenti, one of the report's authors.

Globally, only 18 per cent of species are threatened.

The sharks facing the most danger are large species that are heavily fished and others which are of particularly high commercial value, like deep-water sharks.

The conservation report said too few species have protected status and that the limits in place are not enough to save the various species.

The IUCN called on the fishing fleets and their countries of origin to adopt scientific standards to limit fishing and start proactive conservation efforts, such as by protecting the habitats of the cartilaginous fish in danger. (dpa)