Oceana has welcomed the news that the EU has finally voted in favour of strictly protecting ten threatened species of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean Sea, under Annex II of the Barcelona Convention.
Ten species – including hammerheads, tope, and shortfin mako – will now be strictly protected.
These species have declined dramatically in numbers – some by as much as 99% during the last century – while other previously common species have now completely vanished from parts of the Mediterranean..
The decision by the EU was the final step needed to formalise protection, to which the remaining countries within the convention had agreed in back in February.
Ricardo Aguilar, director of research, Oceana Europe, said: “Finally, after repeated delays on the part of the European Commission, these vulnerable sharks and rays have been granted the legal protection that they urgently require.”
He added that the next challenge will to identify exactly where these species still occur in the Mediterranean. In order to effectively protect them from fishing pressure and habitat degradation, research will need to be carried out to find out the precise nature of the threats they face.
These species will now join other highly threatened shark species already protected under the same annex, including great white sharks, basking sharks, and angel sharks.
