Over 30 types of sharks in the Adriatic Sea

Slightly over 30 types of sharks have been found in the Adriatic Sea, said Ilija Cetkovic of the Montenegrin Ecologists Society, which has been carrying out a project of exploring shark life on Montenegro's sea territories.

– These animals have been present in world seas for over 400 million years and are a significant predatory component of the sea, which regulates the numbers of other types of fish. The lives of most of these types are tied to the sea bottom, whereas the rest inhabit the open sea – Cetkovic said.

As a rule, he explains, the types living on the bottom are smaller and some of them are very important for fishing activities in commercial terms.

– The best known among them are the mud shark and the common smooth-hound. These two types used to be a relatively common catch in Montenegro – Cetkovic said.

He added that their numbers had dropped considerably due to excess fishing throughout the Mediterranean.

– That's why these types are listed as endangered in the Mediterranean at the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their disappearance from our waters affects both the fishing industry and the nature – Cetkovic says.

He notes that no segment of sea fishing in Montenegro targets sharks specifically.

– The meat of commercial types is valued and is in demand, so its prices are accordingly high. For this reason, with their disappearance, fishers and other participants in the trade of sea organisms will suffer direct economic losses – Cetkovic pointed out.

As he added, in order for excessive fishing to be regulated as much as possible, the releasing of undeveloped specimens of commercial types and of non-commercial types should be encouraged.

– Some fishing tools can be modified in order for excessive fishing of sharks to be reduced. For example, types of hooks in longline fishing can be defined. Such measures would benefit both the nature and the fishing industry – Cetkovic says.

Montenegrin Ecologists Society

Adriatic Sea

Ilija Cetkovic

sharks

shark meat

shark exploration in Montenegro

Montenegrin sea area

Montenegrin sea

mud shark

common smooth hound

Mediterranean

International Union for Conservation of Nature

sea fishing

sharks in the Montenegrin sea

sharks in the Adriatic Sea