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MEDLEM Database, A data collection on large cartilaginous fishes in the Mediterranean basin

  • June 2014
  • Conference: Sharks International 2014
  • At: Durban
Authors:
Cecilia Mancusi at ARPAT
Cecilia Mancusi
R Baino
R Baino
R Baino
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Monica Barone at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Monica Barone
Gabriel Morey at TRAGSATEC, Palma de Mallorca
Gabriel Morey
  • TRAGSATEC, Palma de Mallorca
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Abstract

It is presented the analyses on the MEDLEM (Mediterranean Large Elasmobranchs Monitoring) database that, up to now, contains more than 2000 records and over 2700 individuals of large elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean coming from 20 different countries. The main species represented in the archive are devil rays (736 individuals), basking sharks (about 636 individuals), blue sharks (524 individuals), and white sharks (258 individuals). Regarding the devil ray it is important underlining that about 500 individuals were recently captured off the coasts of Gaza. In the last decades other species such as shortfin mako (137 individuals), thresher shark (122 individuals), and bluntnose six-gill shark (74 individuals) are reported with a greater intensity, possibly due to a higher public awarness on the conservation status of sharks, and consequent development of monitoring programs. Unfortunately, MEDLEM does not cover with equal sampling effort all mediterranean sectors. Scientific monitoring in the south eastern Mediterranean is generally lower than in the northern European sectors and therefore the absence of some species from these regions in our database does not imply their actual absence from the area. From 1800 to 1870 the average recording rate is 1.2 specimens/year, and then up to 1990 average recording grows to 5 specimens/year, mainly due to bibliographic sources. In the last 20 years, the recording rate has further increased to 59 specimens/year. The geographical distributions of the main species recorded are represented as well as some consideration on fishing gears and size structure for the area where most data are available.
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MEDLEM Database, A data collection on large cartilaginous fishes in the
Mediterranean basin
C Mancusi*, R Baino, M Barone, G Morey, M Vacchi, L Gil de Sola, MN Bradai, E
Sperone, A Kallianotis, F Hemida, AA Saad, M Dimech, P Peristeraki, M Bariche, G
Cavlan, S Clò, E De Sabata, L Castellano, F Garibaldi, F Tinti, A Pais, C Follesa, P
Micarelli, F Poisson, R Carlucci, A Soldo, M Bottaro, D Cebrian, H Kabasakal, C
Fortuna, B Seret, F Ferretti, Alaa El-Far, I Saygu, EA. Shakman, A Bartolí, J Guallart, D
Damalas, P Megalofonou, G Notarbartolo di Sciara, R Cannas, S Colombo, Fabrizio
Serena
*Email: cecilia.mancusi@arpat.toscana.it
It is presented the analyses on the MEDLEM (Mediterranean Large Elasmobranchs
Monitoring) database that, up to now, contains more than 2000 records and over 2700
individuals of large elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean coming from 20 different
countries. The main species represented in the archive are devil rays (736 individuals),
basking sharks (about 636 individuals), blue sharks (524 individuals), and white sharks
(258 individuals). Regarding the devil ray it is important underlining that about 500
individuals were recently captured off the coasts of Gaza. In the last decades other
species such as shortfin mako (137 individuals), thresher shark (122 individuals), and
bluntnose six-gill shark (74 individuals) are reported with a greater intensity, possibly
due to a higher public awarness on the conservation status of sharks, and consequent
development of monitoring programs. Unfortunately, MEDLEM does not cover with
equal sampling effort all mediterranean sectors. Scientific monitoring in the south
eastern Mediterranean is generally lower than in the northern European sectors and
therefore the absence of some species from these regions in our database does not imply
their actual absence from the area. From 1800 to 1870 the average recording rate is 1.2
specimens/year, and then up to 1990 average recording grows to 5 specimens/year,
mainly due to bibliographic sources. In the last 20 years, the recording rate has further
increased to 59 specimens/year. The geographical distributions of the main species
recorded are represented as well as some consideration on fishing gears and size
structure for the area where most data are available.
Keywords: by-catch, large elasmobranchs, data base, Mediterranean Sea
Back to the program
... The MEDLEM program was launched in 1985 [10] and adopted by FAO-GFCM and UNEP-RAC/SPA respectively in 2005 and 2009. The "Shark Specialist Group" of the International Union of the Conservation of the Nature and the "European Elasmobranchs Association" are partners [11]. ...
Sharks’ Status in the Mediterranean Sea Urgent Awareness is Needed
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Oct 2022
Cartilaginous fishes are a very ancient group; Sharks have lived on Earth for about 500 million years, since long before the dinosaurs. They have been able to survive and overcome five mass extinctions since their appearance. They play in fact a key role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. More than 97% of the shark population has disappeared in the last two centuries. Currently, a high percentage is threatened, many are data-deficient. Many menaces face sharks, but fishing pressure seems to be most critical. This chapter focuses on the current status of cartilaginous fishes and progress on conservation measures and actions taken mainly through regional plans.
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... t al., 1990; Celona, 2004; Scacco et al., 2009) and southward, to Tunisian (Capap e and Zaouali, 1976; Bradai and Capap e, 2001) and Algerian waters (Guichenot, 1850; Dieuzeide et al., 1953; Hemida et al., 2002 ). In addition , there are records from Israel (Ben-Tuvia, 1971; Golani, 1996; Golani and Levy, 2005) and Greek waters (CorsiniFoka, 2009). Baino et al. (2010) recently documented an additional nine records from the past 30 years in the central Mediterranean Sea on the MEDLEM database. This first by-catch documentation of M. mobular in the scientific literature is reported from the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean. ...
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