 The main conservation threat to the plain maskray is incidental capture by commercial bottom trawl fisheries . In the present day , this is mostly caused by Australia 's Northern Prawn Fishery , which operates throughout its range . Although this species is discarded when caught , it is more delicate @-@ bodied than other maskrays and is thus unlikely to survive encounters with trawling gear . Historically , this species may also have been negatively affected by Japanese , Chinese , and Taiwanese trawlers that fished intensively off northern Australia from 1959 to 1990 . These factors , coupled with the plain maskray 's limited distribution and low reproductive rate , have resulted in its being assessed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) . 
 The main conservation threat to the plain maskray <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>incidental capture by commercial bottom trawl fisheries . In the present day , this is mostly caused by Australia <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>Northern Prawn Fishery , which <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>operates</mark></a> throughout its range . Although this species is discarded when caught , it <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>more delicate @-@ bodied than other maskrays and <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>is</mark></a>thus unlikely to survive encounters with trawling gear . Historically , this species may also <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>have</mark></a> been negatively affected by Japanese , Chinese , and Taiwanese trawlers <a href='null_relcl' title='7'><mark>that</mark></a>fished intensively off northern Australia from 1959 to 1990 . These factors , coupled with the plain maskray <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>limited distribution and low reproductive rate , <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>have</mark></a> resulted in its being assessed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) . 
Da main conservation threat to the plain maskray incidental capture by commercial bottom trawl fisheries . In the present day , dis is mostly caused by Australia  Northern Prawn Fishery , which operate throughout its range . Although tdisspecies is discarded when caught , it more delicate @-@ bodied than other maskrays and thus unlikely to survive encounters w/ trawling gear . Historically , this species may also done been negatively affected by Japanese , Chinese , and Taiwanese trawlers fished intensively offf northern Australia from 1959 to 1990 . dem factors , coupled wiwiddaplain maskray  limited distribution and low reproductive rate , done resulted in its being assessed as Near Threatened by thdanternational Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) .