Yet another protected shark species is portrayed as an “Incredible catch!”

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Unfortunately, once again, we came across a news report that praises the illegal fishing of a protected sharks species, the Bluntnose Sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (SBL), a species protected by Greek law. The phenomenon of fishing Bluntnose Sixgill sharks is very common in Greece. So much so, that we often come across photos of the species from fish markets where they illegally sell them as the species “galeos” or promote their consumption stating that they are “exquisite delicacies”.

By systematically recording these phenomena and being in close cooperation with fishers and the relevant competent authorities, we have come to believe that most of such incidents and relevant press reports stem from the lack of knowledge of both fishers and the competent authorities in regard to the relevant legislation and the identification of species.

In the context of our project Alliance for Survival II, we aim to sensitize the public and enhance the knowledge of the fishing community and the competent authorities to address the phenomenon of bycatch of vulnerable species. The response to these efforts has been positive as more and more fishers are releasing not only protected species but also species that are vulnerable because they understand that in order for an ecosystem to be healthy the existence of top predators, such as sharks, is necessary.

In this context, a Citizen Guide has been created in which you can find out which competent authority you should contact in case you encounter an incident of illegal fishing, trade, or demonstration of a protected species of shark, batoid or sea turtle.

In the same context, an Identification Guide has been created, which is addressed to fishers and port authorities and includes all species of sharks, batoids and chimaeras that are present in the Greek seas, providing information not only on their identification and their conservation status but also for their protection status.

We hope that in the future we will not see any other incidents like these, or press reports of such in the news.

Find the Citizen Guide in Greek

Find the Identification Species Guide in Greek

Find the article from the incident in Corfu

Checklist of Chondricthyans in Cyprus

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Chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras) play a pivotal role in the marine environment providing stability to coastal and oceanic ecosystem structures and functions.

Today, about half of the Mediterranean sharks and batoids are threatened with extinction, mainly due to by-catch. Nevertheless, research on Chondrichthyes, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, is limited.

In the framework of The MECO project and ELIFE LIFE project, we utilised open data from citizens’ science projects, open-access databases GBIF and OBIS, scientific literature, but also from the Cypriot EU Data Collection Framework to present a reconstructed chondrichthyans national list with all species that have been confirmed to be present in the Cypriot seas. The scientific publication was led by Marine and Environmental Research Lab and iSea in collaboration with Department of Fisheries and Marine Research  and other entities from Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom.

It produced vital data for the management and conservation of Chondrichthyes such as the presence of three new species (Dalatias licha, Taeniurops grabatus, and Squatina aculeata) for Cyprus, important grounds for the critically endangered Blackchin Guitafish (Glaucostegus cemiculus) in the Mediterranean, and potential migratory routes for other species.

The updated list of Cyprus contains 32 species of sharks and 28 species of batoids.

The publication is open-access and can be read here.

New iSea research on sharks and rays in Greece

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Our recent research on elasmobranch fishing and trade in Greece has just been published. Through a systematic study for a year and on a monthly basis, we visited auction markets, landing points, and fishing markets in Northern Greece, for recording the landings of sharks and rays at the species level and for quantifying their illegal trade and mislabelling.

Although fishing is the most prevalent threat for sharks and rays in the Mediterranean, its impact on their populations is still hard to be quantified as in almost all Mediterranean countries these species are recorded in aggregate landing categories resulting in no species-level quantitative data. At the same time, it is already known that all over the world, but also in Greece, illegal trade and mislabelling on elasmobranch products exist, with protected species reaching our plates.

In this context, trying to understand more about the pressures that these species face in Greece, we present estimated landed volume of sharks and rays at the species level. At the same time, through this work, we present quantitative seasonal data on illegal trade and mislabelling. Finally, based on the findings, we propose changes to the applied legislation of recording and marketing elasmobranchs in an effort to increase traceability, empower research and facilitate effective protection and management of protected and endangered species.

It is important to emphasize that this is one of the few relevant studies available in the Mediterranean and the first in Greece and we hope that it will significantly help both the scientific community but also the administrators to take more effective measures. We would like to warmly thank our partners for their valuable help. This research funded by OceanCare and the Shark Foundation/Hai-Stiftung.

You can find the research article here.

Greece joins the Angel Shark Project family

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In the past three years, iSea has carried out a series of actions with the main purpose of protecting these species both in the Mediterranean and in Greece. These actions include: iSea’s contribution to the creation of the “Mediterranean Angel Sharks: Regional Action Plan” but also to the “Mediterranean Angel Sharks: SubRegional Action Plan (SubRAP) GSAs 22/23 (Aegean Sea and Crete)”, the ongoing collection of data related to the occurrence of angel sharks, and the implementation of projects that aim to enhance the current knowledge on the species’ distribution and ecology in Greece as well as to improve the awareness of fishermen and the relevant legal framework.

As a follow-up to these efforts, Angel Shark Project: Greece is announced. This is an initiative led by iSea, Shark Trust, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK) and Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which aims to investigate the importance of the Aegean for the three species of angel sharks and improve their protection in Greek waters. Angel Shark Project: Greece will operate in Greece as an umbrella for projects that will be implemented by different partners and funders.

Find more about the Angel Shark Project: Greece here.

 

23 Greek Environmental Organisations call on the Ministry of Rural Development and Food to implement the legislation on the protection of sharks and rays in Greece.

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Another unfortunate incident of catching, selling and displaying a Great White Shark, occurred in the Mediterranean, this time in Greece, on the island of Naxos. This incident complements the growing catalogue of illegal fishing of protected sharks and rays in the Mediterranean and in Greece.

The Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most iconic animals of our oceans and the world’s largest known predatory fish. Unfortunately, contemporary narratives widely presented in popular media, Unfortunately, contemporary narratives widely presented in popular media regularly misrepresent this fascinating species.

Currently, the Mediterranean White Shark population is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to the dramatic decline of its population in the last 50 years: declining from 52% to up to 96% in some regions.

Great White Sharks are included – together with 23 other species of sharks and rays- in Annex II of the Barcelona Convention Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean. Annex II species “..shall not be retained on board, transhipped, landed, transferred, stored, sold or displayed or offered for sale.” In accordance with Recommendation 42/2018/2 of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). In addition, as an EU Member State, Greek Fisheries are subject to Regulations 2015/2102 (Article 16j) and 2019/1241 (Annex I).

While there are no targeted fisheries for the species in the Mediterranean, bycatch in different fishing gears, like the pelagic longlines, bottom trawls and purse seines are the most prevalent threat for White Sharks’ collapsing population. All effort should be made to release bycatch of White Sharks.

It is particularly important that Greek Fisheries Authorities pay close attention to such incidents, taking into account the existing protection and conservation status of the species, and the fact that such accidental captures could allow the development of an illegal market. This could threaten the survival of the Great White Shark, a species that exhibits low reproductive and growth rates, long lifespan and a highly migratory nature.

We urge the Greek State to increase controls and enforce the existing national (PD 67/1981) and EU legislation regarding the protected species of sharks and rays, but also to undertake the corresponding protection measures imposed by the International Conventions, of which Greece is a signatory party. At the same time, we emphasize that the Audit Department of the Directorate of Control of Fishery Activities and Products, of the General Directorate of Fisheries of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, must be activated and operate, as according to the P.D. 97/2017 (Government Gazette A ‘138 / 15.09.2017) is the only body with jurisdiction for controls in fish markets, fish shops and retail trade, so that there is a second control line for the trade of protected species of sharks and rays.

In addition, we call on all Mediterranean countries to work together to implement existing decisions and legislation. At the same time, there remains the need to educate and inform fishermen, stakeholders, citizens as well the media about the importance and status of protection of this iconic marine species, extremely important for the balance of Mediterranean ecosystems.

Greece’s Next Top Model production company was fined for violating the environmental legislation in Elafonisos

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Following the official complaint from 17 Environmental Organisations for the violation of the environmental legislation in Natura 2000 Network areas of Elafonisos, the production company of GNTM was fined, due to the off-road vehicles that appeared moving on sand dunes, which are protected.

In addition, the case is currently at the stage of preliminary examination, to investigate an offense of Law 1650/1986 “For the protection of the environment”. The response of the Department of Environment and Hydroeconomics of the Regional Unit of Laconia and the Prosecutor of the Gythio Court is a positive progress regarding the implementation of environmental legislation in our country.

We hope that the response of the competent authorities for the implementation of the environmental laws and legislation, will be a means of preventing such incidents and raising public awareness for the Protected Areas in our country.

 

iNaturalist Greece, iNaturalist Network’s newest member!

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Today we officially announce iNaturalist Greece, as Greece becomes the newest member of the global iNaturalist Network!

iNaturalistGR is Greece’s “gateway” to the world of iNaturalist, managed by iSea with the support of Goulandris Natural History Museum.

The goal of iNaturalistGR is to increase the understanding and interest of citizens in the biodiversity, natural history and natural environment of Greece. In addition, it aims to create a high quality biodiversity database that will be useful for scientists working to preserve and protect the biodiversity in our country.

If you are already registered to iNaturalist, you can choose to be affiliated with iNaturalist Greece by selecting it through your account settings. If you are not a member of the iNaturalist community yet, follow this link and become a citizen scientist yourself!

 

New scientific publication on the knowledge and attitude of Greeks in relation to marine plastic pollution and the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive

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In the context of #zeroplastic, an awareness raising campaign against pollution from plastics and microplastics in the Greek seas, the knowledge and attitude of the Greek public towards marine plastic pollution and the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive were investigated by interpreting the results of a questionnaire.

The issue of marine plastic pollution has been highlighted by scientists and in Greece, consultation and resolution about the implementation of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive have already been carried out. However, the results of our study showed that participants were not informed about the issue of marine plastic pollution nor the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive. Nevertheless, they expressed positive attitudes, including their willingness to pay and act in order to reduce their plastic waste.

Taking into account the findings of the study, it is recommended that more actions should support the publicity of the Directive so that the Greek public would be able to actively participating in the decision-making process and its effective implementation. In addition, the topic of microplastics is suggested to be integrated into the context of formal education.

Find the full publication and results here.

Strengthening Angel Shark Conservation in the Southern Aegean Sea – Layman’s report

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The three angel shark species found in the Mediterranean and Greece, the sawback angelshark (Squatina aculeata), the smoothback angelshark (S. oculata), and the angeshark (S. squatina) are classified as “Critically Endangered (CR)” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Recent angel shark records in Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups indicate that the South Aegean region is very important for their Mediterranean populations.

In this context, the project “Strengthening Angel Shark Conservation in the Southern Aegean Sea” aims to identify important areas for the three angel shark species, to submit proposals for the improvement of the current legislation, and organise workshops for the training of competent authorities, local bodies and fishers.

In order to identify areas of high possibility of angel shark occurrence, a modeling approach was employed which revealed three critical areas for the three species:

the region of Cyclades island group,
the southeastern part of the Aegean and especially the zone between the islands of Samos and Rhodes,
the northern coasts of Crete.

Based on the outcome of the above analysis, a Layman’s report was issued that includes the results obtained as well as a few guidelines aimed at improving the conservation and protection of Aegean angel sharks.

The project is implemented by iSea, in collaboration with the Shark Trust, the support of the Angel Shark Project, and funding of the Shark Conservation Fund.

You can find the Layman’s report here.

 

 

Approval for the implementation of iSea’s educational program regarding aquatic litter by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

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The educational activities implemented by iSea in all levels, of mainstream  and special education, acquired official  approval by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs

The educational activities aim to inform and raise awareness among students about the issue of marine plastic pollution and its impact, as well as to promote a zero-waste lifestyle.

More than 2000 students from schools across Greece have participated in iSea’s educational activities about aquatic litter during the previous years..

The educational materials and activities created in the context of #zeroplastic, awareness-raising campaign against plastic debris and microplastics in the Greek Seas, are presented and implemented during the school visits.

The educational materials were created with the support of Ocean Care.