Sharks and rays in the Mediterranean have something to be happy
about this week—10 species now have special protections under
the Barcelona Convention. These 10 species—including hammerheads
and shortfin makos—have suffered significant population losses.
Shark and ray numbers have declined and some species are nowhere
to be seen in areas where they were once common. Today’s
decision allows the EU to formalize protection for these
important predators. It’s a step in the right direction for the
EU, which recently delayed measures that would have limited
overfishing in European waters. “These vulnerable sharks and
rays have been granted the legal protection that they urgently
require,” according to Ricardo Aguilar, Director of Research at
Oceana Europe. Now that the legal protections are in place, the
next step will depend on locating where the protected species
remain in the Mediterranean, and implementing strict protection
measures in those areas. Sharks and rays are some of the oldest
fish in the ocean—the ol