There are more than 30 species of sharks recorded in the Adriatic Sea, according to Ilija Cetkovic from the Society of Ecologists of Montenegro, who has been conducting research project on sharks within the territorial sea of Montenegro for the last three years.
“These animals are present for more than 400 million years in the world’s seas and they represent a significant predatory component of the sea, which regulates the number of other fish species. Majority of these species are connected to the sea bottom, but the rest are in open sea,” said Cetkovic.
He explains that the types living at the bottom are usually smaller in size and some of them are very important for fishermen from a commercial point.
He added that the number of these species was significantly decreased due to the large fishing pressure that is present all over the Mediterranean area.
“This is the reason why these waters are considered as endangered in the Mediterranean by the International Union for the Protection of Nature. Due to their disappearance from our waters, both fisheries and nature are experiencing a great loss,” stated Cetkovic.
He noted that there is not a single segment of sea fishing in Montenegro that is targeting the sharks.
As he noted, it is necessary to encourage the release of commercial species while they are still young, as well as the liberation of those who do not belong to commercial species.
(Source: klix.ba)
