Mediterranean Great White Sharks Face Risk of Extinction Due to Illegal Fishing and Population Decline
Researchers, including US scientists working with the UK charity Blue Marine Foundation, warn that Mediterranean great white sharks are at risk of extinction due to illegal fishing and a declining population. Monitoring at North African ports revealed that at least 40 great white sharks were killed in 2025, and protected sharks were found for sale in markets in Tunisia and Algeria.
Great white sharks in the Mediterranean are protected under international law. In total, 24 threatened shark species benefit from protections under an agreement involving the European Union and 23 Mediterranean nations, which prohibits the retention, landing, sale, or display of these species, with an aim to release them alive wherever possible.
The Strait of Sicily is identified as the last stronghold for several threatened shark species in the region. Researchers attempted to attach a satellite tag to a Mediterranean great white shark but were unable to find a suitable animal. Their mission employed methods such as baited underwater cameras, seawater DNA sampling, and large quantities of bait, but resulted only in brief sightings, including a blue shark, with no sharks successfully tagged.
A juvenile great white shark was reportedly caught and killed in a North African fishery near the research area, though it remains unclear whether this was due to bycatch or targeted fishing. The Mediterranean population of great white sharks is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Researchers are urging rapid and cooperative international action to prevent the extinction of these sharks in the Mediterranean.
