The blue shark or blue shark, an animal that lives far from the coast and moves throughout the planet, has a stable reproduction area in the Cap de Creus canyon. This is confirmed by the studies undertaken by the Department of Climate Action in collaboration with the Sotamar immersion center and CatShark. The monitoring of this animal is part of an evaluation program aimed at knowing the most important habitats for sharks in Catalonia and determining the basic lines for their conservation.
The first works have delimited the places in the Cap de Creus canyon that serve as a breeding ground for the blue shark or blue shark (Prionace glauca). Between late spring and mid-August 2023, ten hatchlings of this species were found, located on different days, confirming that the place serves as an active reproduction area. Births occur between mid-June and mid-July. On those dates, the hatchlings that move freely in the marine environment measure no more than 35-45 cm and are already able to fend for themselves. After giving birth, most of the adult sharks leave these waters from the first days of July.
The shark species that live in Catalonia, such as the blue shark, live in the high seas and deep waters. That is why the sightings on the coast last summer were surprising. On June 23, the presence of two blue sharks forced the red flag to be placed and the beaches of Martinenca, Maricel and Marjal, in Alcanar (Tarragona), to be closed. At the beginning of July two specimens appeared on the beach of Portbou. They have also been seen in the waters of the Levantine and Balearic coasts.
The blue shark or blue shark is one of the 70 species of sharks and rays that live in the Mediterranean. In the waters of Catalonia, there are 26 species of sharks, an important part of which are in danger of extinction or in critical condition, as is the case of the blue shark.
The Department of Climate Action has announced that it wants to expand in situ knowledge about these species through surveillance from boats, with attractants and direct observation (filming and photography).
A study carried out by European researchers from different countries, through which dozens of blue sharks were tagged with satellite transmitters, showed that it is extremely rare for these animals to approach waters less than 100 meters deep. Most of the specimens that are observed very occasionally on the beaches are usually animals that arrive to the coast injured or sick. All of this means that there is not enough information available on aspects such as the number of specimens that make up the populations of each species, habitat selection or how they relate to each other and to other species, among other data.
The Government is now announcing a study aimed at conservation that will allow the development of an interannual census and monitoring system and monitoring to determine the status of threatened species. With this objective, the department is beginning to collaborate with the teams currently working with sharks in Catalonia. This second phase of the study will be carried out throughout 2024 and will have a budget of 50,000 euros.
The information will be used not only to develop plans to conserve the species that need it and locate important areas for their preservation, but also to develop material and management protocols in cases of sharks approaching the coast.
The blue shark or blue shark has become a commercial species due to an effect derived from the regulations of other species. Previously, sharks were caught accidentally. But restrictions on tuna or emperor fish led the fishing sector to supplement catches with sharks. In recent years, the presence of blue shark and mako shark has become relatively frequent in the frozen sections of supermarkets and large retail brands.
For years, the regional fishing organization ICCAT did not set fishing quotas for sharks (they were not a target species), and when it finally did, it was too late. In the Mediterranean, the decline of the blue shark, for example, is estimated at 96%. ICCAT has set some limits on blue shark fishing in the Atlantic. However, this does not prevent both the blue shark and the mako shark from being captured in other seas (Pacific or Indian), where there is a lack of regulation to protect them, according to the NGO Oceana.
