All three species of thresher shark are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Highly valued for their meat and fins, they are frequent victims of gillnet and longline fishing, either as direct targets or as bycatch. Their slow rate of reproduction makes them extremely vulnerable to overharvesting. With this in mind, thresher sharks have recently been added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).