World Shark Day, one third of the species threatened

World Shark Day is celebrated on 14 July, dedicated to elasmobranchs, predators at the top of the food chain that are today in a very precarious state of conservation due to man. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in fact, despite playing a very important role within marine ecosystems, over a third of elasmobranch species, such as sharks and rays, are threatened. In particular, half of the 48 shark species present in the Mediterranean are highly endangered. To contribute to the conservation of sharks, the Life Elife project, co-financed by the European Union through the Life financial instrument, aims to involve fishermen in the application of alternative fishing tools, which make it possible to limit accidental catches and increase the survival of the sharks caught. During the months of May and June 2021, the first experimental tests with the Sed (Shark Excluder Device) took place: a grid placed in front of the end of the trawl that prevents sharks from being accidentally caught) These demonstrative activities were carried out thanks to the collaboration of the fishermen of the navy of Porto Garibaldi, and were coordinated by the Cnr-Irbim of Ancona. Preliminary results have demonstrated the effectiveness of Sed, which in addition to limiting accidental shark catches also helps reduce the presence of fishing waste and waste, ensuring the fisherman can sell a higher quality commercial product. This aspect therefore represents a further incentive for fishermen to use low-impact fishing gear, thus contributing to the conservation of shark species at risk of extinction. The experimental phase on the use of Sed will continue in the coming months in collaboration with the fishermen of the navy of Chioggia and San Benedetto del Tronto. But the conservation status of Elasmobranchs does not only concern fishermen. For this reason, the Life Elife project also has an important dissemination purpose: to contribute to spreading greater awareness and knowledge of the problem of conservation of elasmobranchs to the wider public and young people.The World Shark Day is an opportunity to launch a video in motion graphics in which the dangers that threaten their survival, the actions and objectives of the Life Elife project are told. “Since the mid-1980s the Elasmobranchs have suffered a strong fishing pressure that in the Mediterranean Sea occurs for the most part by accidental capture with fishing equipment such as trawl nets and longlines” said Massimiliano Bottaro, researcher of the Zoological Station. Anton Dohrn. “The data collected in 2018 by the Szn during a survey in various Italian professional fishing sites showed that 9 fishermen out of 10 interviewed accidentally fish sharks, in most cases still alive. A situation of considerable impoverishment of marine biodiversity, which national and international institutions are only recently starting to take into consideration: the Life Elife project, co-financed by the EU, is a very valuable tool in this context. “” We must strengthen the conservation measures for endangered species, in line with the requirements of the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 – said Federica Barbera, of the Legambiente Onlus Office for Protected Areas and Biodiversity -. To achieve these objectives, the Life Elife project will focus on the involvement of key actors, on concrete conservation actions, on the strengthening of regulatory instruments, on information and awareness, integrating biodiversity objectives in the professional fishing sector “.