Essential for the health of the Mediterranean Sea, cartilaginous fishes – sharks, rays and chimaeras – have experienced an alarming decline in their populations due to overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution and the increasing effects of climate change.
To promote the conservation of cartilaginous fishes in the Mediterranean Sea, the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (SPA/RAC) developed the Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Chondrichthyan Species in the Mediterranean Sea, adopted in 2003. Since then, the Plan has undergone four revisions and updates, in order to incorporate the evolution of scientific knowledge and conservation priorities.
As part of this commitment, SPA/RAC produced the publication Cartilaginous Fishes of the Mediterranean and Tunisia: Identification and Status. This volume represents a reference tool for researchers and professionals, contributing to strengthening initiatives aimed at ensuring the long-term protection of these vulnerable species.
The volume collects the available data on the biology and ecology of sharks, species identification, the main threats that compromise their survival and possible mitigation measures.
The objective is to contribute to improving the conservation status of sharks in the Mediterranean, providing an updated overview of their ecological importance, the pressures to which they are subjected – particularly bycatch – and the tools available to reduce their impact. The volume also addresses the identification of Mediterranean cartilaginous species, often characterised by taxonomic confusion. The book includes a field guide dedicated to 77 species, including 41 sharks, 34 batoids, and 2 chimeras.
The publication is organised into five chapters:
- Chapter I: Introduction to cartilaginous fishes
- Chapter II: The status of elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea
- Chapter III: Identification guide for Mediterranean cartilaginous fishes
- Chapter IV: Overview of shark and ray fisheries in Tunisia
- Chapter V: Checklist of Tunisian chondrichthyans
Designed as a practical consultation and working tool, the guide is aimed at researchers, students and all those involved in the conservation of sharks, rays and chimaeras in the Mediterranean Sea.