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The Mediterranean, once a playground for a vast array of species, is turning into a graveyard, with more than 40 per cent of its shark and stingray population under threat.
The Mediterranean has the highest numbers of threatened sharks and rays in the world, according to a report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The study blamed the threat on a combination of overfishing (including accidental by-catches), degradation of habitat and human disturbances.
"From devil rays to angel sharks, Mediterranean populations of these vulnerable species are in serious trouble," said Claudine Gibson, programme officer for the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG) and co-author of the report. "Our analyses reveal the Mediterranean as one of the world's most dangerous places for sharks and rays. Bottom-dwelling species appear to be at greatest risk in this region, due mainly to intense fishing of the seabed."
In all, 71 species of sharks, rays and chimaeras (cartilaginous fishes) were assessed in the study, that showed 30 species threatened with extinction. Of those, 13 were classified as critically endangered, eight as endangered and nine as vulnerable.
A further 13 species were classified as near threatened, while a lack of information led to 18 species being classified as data deficient. There were only 10 species in the whole investigation deemed to be of least concern.
The report is the third in a series of regional assessments of the Mediterranean by IUCN.
At present, there are no catch limits for fished species of Mediterranean sharks and rays.
The Maltese skate is one of the species under greatest threat. Found only in the Mediterranean, it has seen population declines of 80 per cent, largely because of bottom trawl fisheries. The angular roughshark and three species of angel shark have also been termed critically endangered. The porbeagle and shortfin mako also fell into the category of critically endangered, predominantly because their meat and fins are prized delicacies.
This week will also see an opportunity for solutions to be put forward for the overfishing of such species, as international fisheries managers meet in Turkey to discuss putting limits on the fishing of porbeagle and shortfin mako. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is an annual meeting that guides Mediterranean rules for species taken in tuna fisheries.
The IUCN is calling for better enforcement measures to give shark and ray populations a chance to recover but those species are not the only casualties of over-development and overfishing in the Mediterranean.
"The main concern is not only for each individual species, as important as they are, but for the cumulative impact of this loss of biodiversity," said Annabelle Cuttelod, Mediterranean Red List co-ordinator at the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Co-operation. "We are observing serious changes which will have major consequences over time on all animal life and, ultimately, on the livelihoods of people around the Mediterranean."
Over 100 million tourists flock to the Med, known as the "cradle of civilisation", each year, and the figure is expected to double by 2025. The effect it has had on both the coastline and marine life has been devastating. Modern resorts have replaced natural habitats, with disturbances such as the anchoring of pleasure boats on seabeds upsetting the ecosystems.
This latest news on the effect of man's intervention comes as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases its definitive report on the science of climate change.
Ironically, the two elements that most attracted tourists in the first place: the fine sandy beaches and clear water, are now two of the most threatened aspects of its scenery.
- Independent
