Highlights d More than one-third of chondrichthyan fish species are threatened by overfishing d Disproportionate threat in tropics risk loss of ecosystem functions and services d Three species not seen in >80 years are Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)d The depletion of these species has been driven by continuing demand for human food

1. The process of understanding the rapid global decline of sawfishes (Pristidae) has revealed great concern for their relatives, the wedgefishes (Rhinidae) and giant guitarfishes (Glaucostegidae), not least because all three families are targeted for their high-value and internationally-traded 'white' fins.2. The objective of this study was to assess the extinction risk of all 10 wedgefishes and 6 giant guitarfishes by applying the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria, and to summarise their biogeography and habitat, life history, exploitation, use and trade, and population status.3. Wedgefishes and giant guitarfishes have overtaken sawfishes as the most imperilled marine fish families globally, with all but one of the 16 species facing an extremely high risk of extinction due to a combination of traits -limited biological productivity, presence in shallow waters overlapping with some of the most intense and increasing coastal fisheries in the world, and over-exploitation in target and bycatch fisheries driven by the need for animal protein and food security in coastal communities and trade in meat and high-value fins. 4. Two species with very restricted ranges, the Clown Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus cooki) of the Indo-Malay Archipelago and the False Shark Ray (Rhynchorhina mauritaniensis) of Mauritania may be very close to extinction. Only the Eyebrow Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus palpebratus) is not assessed as CriticallyEndangered, due to it occurring primarily in Australia where fishing pressure is low, and some management measures are in place. Australia represents a 'lifeboat' for the three wedgefish and one giant guitarfish species occurring there. 6. To conserve populations and permit recovery, a suite of measures will be required which will need to include species protection, spatial management, bycatch mitigation, and harvest and international trade management, all of which will be dependent on effective enforcement.

The process of understanding the rapid global decline of sawfishes (Pristidae) has revealed great concern for their relatives, the wedgefishes (Rhinidae) and giant guitarfishes (Glaucostegidae), not least because all three families are targeted for their high-value and internationally-traded white fins. The objective of this study was to assess the extinction risk of all 10 wedgefishes and 6 giant guitarfishes by applying the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria, and to summarise their biogeography and habitat, life history, exploitation, use and trade, and population status. Wedgefishes and giant guitarfishes have overtaken sawfishes as the most imperilled marine fish families globally, with all but one of the 16 species facing an extremely high risk of extinction due to a combination of traits: limited biological productivity, presence in shallow waters overlapping with some of the most intense and increasing coastal fisheries in the world, and over-exploitation in target and bycatch fisheries driven by the need for animal protein and food security in coastal communities and trade in meat and high-value fins. Two species with very restricted ranges, the Clown Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus cooki) of the Indo-Malay Archipelago and the False Shark Ray (Rhynchorhina mauritaniensis) of Mauritania may be very close to extinction. Only the Eyebrow Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus palpebratus) is not assessed as Critically Endangered, due to it occurring primarily in Australia where fishing pressure is low, and some management measures are in place. Australia represents a lifeboat for the three wedgefish and one giant guitarfish species occurring there. To conserve populations and permit recovery, a suite of measures will be required which will need to include species protection, spatial management, bycatch mitigation, and harvest and international trade management, all of which will be dependent on effective enforcement.

Systematic conservation planning (SCP) has increasingly been used to prioritize conservation actions, including the design of new protected areas to achieve conservation objectives. Over the last 10 years, the number of marine SCP studies has increased exponentially, yet there is no structured or reliable way to find information on methods, trends, and progress. The rapid growth in methods and marine applications warrants an updated analysis of the literature, as well as reflection on the need for continuous and systematic documentation of SCP exercises in general. To address these gaps, we developed a database to document SCP exercises and populated it with 155 marine SCP exercises found in the primary literature. Based on our review, we provide an update on global advances and trends in marine SCP literature. We found accelerating growth in the number of studies over the past decade, with increasing consideration of socioeconomic variables, land-sea planning, and ecological connectivity. While several studies aimed to inform conservation decisions, we found little evidence of input from practitioners. There are important gaps in geographic coverage and little correspondence with areas most threatened. Five countries lead most studies, but their networks suggest potential for capacity building through collaborations. The varying quality and detail in documentation of studies confirmed the limited opportunities to develop and assess the application of best practice in conservation planning. A global database to track the development, implementation, and impact of SCP applications can thus provide numerous benefits. Our database constitutes an important step towards the development of a centralized repository of information on planning exercises and can serve several roles to advance SCP theory and practice: it facilitates assessing geographic coverage and gaps; scientists and practitioners can access information to identify trends in the use of data, methods, and tools; reviewers and editors of journals can assess whether studies have covered important literature and developments; donors and non-government organizations can identify regions needing further work; and practitioners and policy-makers can learn from previous plans.