By Haifa Chairunisa
Great white sharks in the Mediterranean are at risk of disappearing, with illegal fishing accelerating their decline, according to new research by US scientists working with the UK-based Blue Marine Foundation.
The researchers say some of the region’s most threatened shark species, including great whites, are being caught and sold in North African fish markets despite international protections. Great white sharks are among more than 20 Mediterranean shark species that are legally protected, making it illegal to catch or trade them.
However, by monitoring fishing ports along the North African Mediterranean coast, the team found that at least 40 great white sharks were killed in 2025 alone.
According to BBC report, there is one video from Algeria shows a large great white shark being hauled ashore from a fishing vessel. Another, filmed in Tunisia, appears to show the heads and fins of a short-finned mako shark, another protected and threatened species, being prepared for sale.
Dr Francesco Ferretti of Virginia Tech, the study’s lead researcher, said Mediterranean shark populations, particularly great whites, have fallen sharply in recent decades due to intense fishing pressure. He warned that industrial fishing in the Mediterranean has continued to intensify, raising the risk that the species could become extinct in the region in the near future.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature currently lists Mediterranean great white sharks as Critically Endangered.
In an effort to locate surviving animals, Dr Ferretti’s team conducted research in the Strait of Sicily, considered a last remaining stronghold for several threatened shark species. The scientists hoped to tag a great white shark with a satellite tracker for the first time in the Mediterranean, deploying tonnes of fish bait, collecting seawater samples for DNA analysis, and using underwater cameras.
After two weeks at sea, the team failed to locate any great white sharks, recording only a brief sighting of a blue shark. Dr Ferretti said the lack of sightings highlighted how severely degraded the ecosystem has become.
During the expedition, the researchers also received reports that a juvenile great white had been caught and killed in a North African fishery just 20 nautical miles from their research area. It remains unclear whether the shark was accidentally caught or deliberately targeted.
Further investigations by researchers and the BBC Forensics team found evidence that protected sharks continue to be caught, landed, and offered for sale in countries including Tunisia and Algeria, despite international agreements banning their trade.
Under current rules signed by the EU and 23 Mediterranean nations, 24 threatened shark species must not be retained, landed, sold, or displayed, and should be released alive where possible. However, enforcement varies widely, and the regulations do not fully address accidental bycatch.
James Glancy of the Blue Marine Foundation said his own investigations had uncovered multiple great white sharks for sale in Tunisian markets. While alarming, he said their presence also suggested that some wildlife still remains and could recover if action is taken quickly.
Conservationists note that in poorer North African coastal communities, fishers who accidentally catch sharks often face a difficult choice between obeying conservation laws and feeding their families. Sara Almabruk of the Libyan Marine Biology Society said most shark catches are unintentional and stressed the need for support and training in sustainable fishing practices.
Experts agree that stronger regional cooperation and urgent enforcement are critical if Mediterranean great white sharks are to be saved from extinction.
Original article
Comments