GUITARFISH PROJECT

The guitarfish (order Rhinopristiformes) are a group of rays that are found in tropical and subtropical areas. In the Mediterranean Sea two species of guitarfish are extant, the Common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) and the Blackchin guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus). The population of both species has decreased dramatically throughout their range in the Mediterranean Sea.

Hence, any sighting of them is considered a rare event and are most commonly observed as bycatch in local fisheries. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, has listed Rhinobatos rhinobatos as Endangered in the Mediterranean while Glaucostegus cemiculus is listed as Critically Endangered in its overall distribution. Both species are protected by the Barcelona Convention (UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC, 2018. SAP/RAC: SPA-BD Protocol - Annex II: List of endangered or threatened species), the recommendation of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM/42/2018/2, amending GFCM/36/2012/3) and European regulations (i.e., Regulation 2017/2107 and Regulation1241/2019).

Cyprus is a potential critical area for G. cemiculus, where, according to local ecological knowledge and citizen science data, they are commonly captured as bycatch in recreational fishing gears such as rod and line in surfcasting (Giovos et al., 2021).

Goal

This project aims to increase our knowledge of these highly threatened and charismatic species in Cyprus. More specifically in the context of the project, targeted research will be conducted in Akrotiri Bay, which is suspected to be a critical area, using cutting-edge acoustic telemetry tools to produce fisheries-independent data, to better understand their distribution and ecology.

The specific objectives of the project are listed below:

Collaborators

Funders

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