Assessment of the conservation status of sharks and rays in the Spanish Mediterranean through the study of fisheries: risks and priority actions (ECEME).

53% of Mediterranean elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are at risk of extinction, while for 18% there is insufficient information to assess their status. Overfishing and habitat degradation are the main causes of the decline in elasmobranch populations.

In many areas, the deficiency in catch and landing data represents an impediment to knowing the real state of these populations. This project aims to assess, during 2020-2022, the abundance and distribution of elasmobranchs in the Spanish Mediterranean using fisheries data obtained from fisheries observation programmes and landings, as well as to identify which species are most vulnerable to fishing impacts.

This information is essential to improve knowledge about elasmobranchs and therefore to establish effective measures for their management and conservation in Spanish Mediterranean waters. With the support of the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the Biodiversity Foundation.