Angel sharks are among the world's most critically endangered sharks, having been virtually eliminated from most of their former range in European waters through trawl fishing.
The near-total elimination of angel sharks from European seas represents both a conservation tragedy and a welfare failure. Trawl capture causes severe physiological distress and physical injury. Angel sharks caught as bycatch are often discarded dead or dying. Those released alive face injury-related welfare compromise. The species' solitary, sedentary nature makes each individual's loss particularly significant given the slow reproductive rate. Recovery requires long-term protection of critical habitat in remaining strongholds - the species cannot quickly recolonise empty range even where conditions improve.