 In the 1980s, this species constituted roughly 43% of the shark and ray catch, but has since declined to around 17%.This apparent decline is thought to have resulted from increasing fishing effort, the large proportion of juveniles captured, and the shark's low reproductive rate.Consequently, the IUCN has assessed the smalltail shark in Brazil as vulnerable, and noted the urgent need for conservation measures given that northern Brazil represents the center of the species' range.