The EU has issued an updated Regulation, (EU) 2015/104, which includes new protection for some species of sharks and rays. While it basically applies to commercial vessels, anglers should also take note that if they catch any of the species listed  then they should be returned immediately.
The species are listed below with the ICES areas affected, a description of the areas and map follows the list.
- starry ray (Amblyraja radiata) in Union waters of ICES divisions IIa, IIIa and VIId and ICES subarea IV;
- the following species of sawfish in all waters:
- narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidate);
- dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata);
- smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata);
- largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis);
- green sawfish (Pristis zijsron);
- basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in all waters;
- common skate (Dipturus batis) complex (Dipturus cf. flossada and Dipturus cf. intermedia) in Union waters of ICES division IIa and ICES subareas III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X;
- tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) when taken with longlines in Union waters of ICES division IIa and subarea IV and in Union and international waters of ICES subareas I, V, VI, VII, VIII, XII and XIV;
- smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus pusillus) in Union waters of ICES division IIa and subarea IV and in Union and international waters of ICES subareas I, V, VI, VII, VIII, XII and XIV;
- kitefin shark (Dalatias licha), birdbeak dogfish (Deania calcea), leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus), great lanternshark (Etmopterus princeps) and Portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis) in Union waters of ICES division IIa and subarea IV and in Union and international waters of ICES subareas I and XIV;
- porbeagle (Lamna nasus) in all waters;
- reef manta ray (Manta alfredi) in all waters;
- giant manta ray (Manta birostris) in all waters;
- the following species of Mobula rays in all waters:
- devil fish (Mobula mobular);
- lesser Guinean devil ray (Mobula rochebrunei);
- spinetail mobula (Mobula japanica);
- smoothtail mobula (Mobula thurstoni);
- longhorned mobula (Mobula eregoodootenkee);
- Munk’s devil ray (Mobula munkiana);
- Chilean devil ray (Mobula tarapacana);
- shortfin devil ray (Mobula kuhlii);
- lesser devil ray (Mobula hypostoma);
- thornback ray (Raja clavata) in Union waters of ICES division IIIa;
- Norwegian skate (Raja (Dipturus) nidarosiensis) in Union waters of ICES divisions VIa, VIb, VIIa, VIIb, VIIc, VIIe, VIIf, VIIg, VIIh and VIIk;
- undulate ray (Raja undulata) in Union waters of ICES subareas VI and X and white skate (Raja alba) in Union waters of ICES subareas VI, VII, VIII, IX and X;
- guitarfishes (Rhinobatidae) in Union waters of ICES subareas I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X and XII;
- angel shark (Squatina squatina) in Union waters.
When accidentally caught, species referred to above shall not be harmed and be  promptly released.
Subarea I – Barents Sea
Subarea II – Norwegian Sea, Spitzbergen, and Bear Island
Subarea III – Skagerrak, Kattegat, Sound, Belt Sea, and Baltic Sea ( the Sound and Belt together known also as the Transition Area)
Subarea IV – North Sea
Subarea V – Iceland and Faroes Grounds
Subarea VI – Rockall, Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland, (the Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland also known as the West of Scotland)
Irish Sea, West of Ireland, Porcupine Bank, Eastern and Western English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea North and South, and Southwest of Ireland – East and West (Subarea VII)
Subarea VIII – Bay of Biscay
Subarea IX – Portuguese Waters
Subarea X – Azores Grounds
Subarea XI
Subarea XII – North of Azores
Subarea XIII
Subarea XIV – East Greenland
