Mediterranean sharks continue to decline despite conservation progress

Overfishing, illegal fishing and increasing marketing of shark meat pose significant threats to the more than 80 species of sharks and rays that inhabit the Mediterranean Sea, according to a new study.

The research examined current levels of legislation in place to protect elasmobranch populations (which include sharks, rays and skates) within each of the 22 coastal states of the Mediterranean region.

Across those countries – stretching from Spain and Morocco in the west to Israel, Lebanon and Syria in the east – the researchers identified more than 200 measures that concern elasmobranchs in some way, ranging from national legislation to implemented conservation efforts by various non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

European Union countries generally led the implementation of more measures than non-EU ones, with Spain having the highest number of measures in place. Governments were responsible for leading 63% of measures, mainly relating to legal requirements.  

However, while elasmobranchs have made it onto many policy agendas, the study found considerable differences in how effectively any legislation was being monitored with no single source for tracking progress in the conservation and management of sharks at national levels.

Experts and NGOs across the region also highlighted that sharks are increasingly being landed intentionally and unintentionally by fishers, often to meet the demand for shark products.

However, there is often little control in place where sharks are landed, leading researchers to call for increased monitoring to protect threatened species, in addition to more public education and incentives for fishers to use equipment that is less threatening to shark species.

The research, published in the journal Biological Conservation, represents the first region-wide assessment of actions being taken to protect shark populations through international law.

It was led by Dr Lydia Koehler and Jason Lowther, both experts in environmental law from the School of Society and Culture at the University of Plymouth.

Dr Koehler, Associate Lecturer and a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL), said: “Sharks have been part of the marine ecosystem for millions of years with an evolutionary history that predates the dinosaurs. There are over 1,000 species of elasmobranchs worldwide, and they fulfil a variety of ecological roles, whether as apex predators that maintain healthy populations of prey species or a food source for other predators. However, many shark species in the Mediterranean have seen drastic declines in past few decades with over half of the species being threatened by extinction, largely due to overfishing and related pressures such as bycatch. Finding effective ways to conserve them is, therefore, of critical importance.”

Mr Lowther, Associate Professor of Law, added: “This study has shown substantial differences in countries’ efforts around shark conservation. That may be linked to access to resources, available expertise and capacities, and a general willingness to develop and implement measures in light of other competing pressures. Achieving positive outcomes for these species requires not only government support but also sustained political will across election periods and a steadfast long-term commitment to driving change. It also requires the integration of communities in the Mediterranean region, and our view is that this work presents a starting point in that process.”

Recommendations to protect the Mediterranean’s sharks

In the study, the authors have listed a number of recommendations which they feel could be used to better conserve and protect shark and ray species right across the Mediterranean Sea. They are:

• Increase transparency throughout the system: Improve reporting templates to facilitate more detailed answers on actions taken, and account for specific contributions by other key actors, would facilitate increased transparency;
• Expand cooperation and integration of the fishing community and use of social science: Shark governance issues are unlikely to be solved without the support of the fishing community, and community dependencies and structures must be considered for successful shark governance;
• Extend spatial conservation measures: Amending the objectives and management for existing Marine Protected Areas that host sharks could be one way to approach better conservation for these species;
• Increase compliance to reduce bycatch: Effectively applying existing legislation could significantly increase knowledge on incidental shark bycatch in the region;
• Increase access to funding, especially for collaborative, cross-country actions: A review of existing and potential funding opportunities and priorities could help support the identification of conservation and management actions for threatened and endangered shark and ray species;
• Tailor research to policy needs to establish better regulatory measures: Coordinated research efforts across the region are needed to enable stock assessments and a wider understanding of trends in pressures, populations, etc.