Mediterranean sharks

Known collectively as elasmobranchs, sharks and rays play a crucial and varied role in a healthy ocean. Apex predators keep the food pyramid steady; rays support the complexity of sea-bed ecosystems; devil rays transfer nutrients and energy from the depths of the sea to the surface.   

Elasmobranchs need to be managed as carefully as any other fisheries resource – and this need has never been more acute than it is today. Of the 73 species of assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, over half are threatened and 27 per cent are critically endangered.

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most exploited fisheries on earth. At least 24 species of sharks and rays here are listed as exceptionally vulnerable. There is little evidence that an existing 2012 ban on fishing these species – including great whites, shortfin makos, guitarfishes, and angel sharks – has been properly implemented, and some are now critically endangered. 

Blue Marine intends to prevent the extinction of shark species and facilitate their recovery across the Mediterranean. We are building collaborations with scientists, fishers, policy-makers and NGOs from the 22 Mediterranean nations, to ensure a more unified approach to shark conservation.  

There are significant data gaps for sharks in the Med, including their migration patterns, breeding grounds, and the extent of the national fishing fleets’ elasmobranch catch. Blue Marine is therefore supporting specific shark conservation projects in Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Tunisia and the Strait of Sicily, to identify important shark habitat to preserve, and monitor shark fishing. 

In 2024, our partners, University of Palermo and Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, presented findings from Sicily at the EU Elasmobranch Conference in Greece. A majority of sharks caught in the Mediterranean pass though Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Spain. Blue Marine has partnered with Virginia Tech University to establish the first scientific monitoring programme across North Africa. In 2025, we plan to acquire rapid genetic-assessment kits to distinguish shark species in markets, and begin monitoring in Greece, Spain and Italy. The data will provide evidence of which fleet and markets are exploiting elasmobranch, or breaking GFCM agreements on catching protected shark species, allowing us to take action with partner organisations. 

The next phase involves us supporting scientific operations to identify crucial habitat, such as Posidonia seagrass meadows, and tagging vulnerable shark species to establish their movements within the Med. This will support the designation of marine protected areas around breeding grounds and other key habitats such as islands and sea mounts.