Overfishing and the return of tourist numbers after two years of the Covid pandemic could see sharks entering waters ever closer to people in many holiday spots. 6 /imaCredit: shaun farrell/facebook 6 Credit: solarpix Although rare, shark attacks can occur in the Mediterranean and some holiday spots in Britain It comes after the world’s fastest shark, a 15ft beast, was spotted off the coast of Spain. To date, 51 species of shark have been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, including the deadly basking shark. Great whites in the Mediterranean can reach 6.6 meters in length, according to specimens found so far. Most scientists believe that human-shark encounters in the Mediterranean will become more frequent as the deeper waters where they live become increasingly overfished. However, shark numbers are likely to decline overall due to the destruction of their habitats and industrial fishing fleets. In effect, this means that sharks are likely to become rarer overall, but human-shark interactions will potentially increase in frequency and risk. Certain areas of the Mediterranean have long been known to harbor sharks. Breeding sharks are known to inhabit the Straits of Sicily, due to the large populations of tuna in the waters. Sharks have been found all over the Mediterranean, from Spain to Egypt, with dozens of attacks recorded in the past 20 years. Since 2000, Egypt has seen the most attacks of any country in the region, with 20 recorded, four of them fatal. Spain has the next highest number of shark attacks with 12 recorded in the same period, although all victims lived. Outside of Egypt, three fatal shark attacks have been recorded in the Mediterranean since the turn of the millennium, two in Italy and one in Cyprus. Speaking to The Sun Online, shark expert Alessandro De Maddalena said: “The increase in sightings is due to three factors, the increase in the human population, the fact that anyone today can photograph or film anything they see at any time thanks to proliferation of the smartphone and other devices, and the emergence of social media through which such images reach a global audience.” We are starting to see some locations where sharks are regularly seen, such as Israel Yannis Papastamatiou, Associate Professor, Florida International University Asked about the supposed increase in shark sightings in the Mediterranean, expert Yiannis Papastamatiou, associate professor at Florida International University, told The Sun Online: “I think it’s too early to tell. “It’s not common to see sharks close to shore, but seeing three animals doesn’t mean there’s an increase in the shark population! “We would need to see these sightings continue for longer periods of time before we can say there are more sharks.” Alessandro, Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of Milano-Bicocca, shark researcher and author of Mediterranean Great White Sharks: A Comprehensive Study continued: “The overfishing of sharks and their prey is the reason why over the last 50 years there has been a progressive and alarming decline in shark numbers’. Giannis added: “The Mediterranean has historically been overfished with sharks and in general, the population is quite low. “However, we are starting to see some locations where sharks are regularly seen, such as Israel. “Overall, all evidence still suggests very low shark numbers.” 6 Seeing a shark close to the water’s edge can still be awe-inspiringCredit: Solarpix 6 Egypt has seen the most shark attacks of any other Mediterranean country since 2000 6 Great white sharks in the Mediterranean can reach 6.6 meters in lengthCredit: getty 6 Even hammerhead sharks have been spotted MedCredit: Getty The Mediterranean is the world’s most human-depleted sea, with nearly two-thirds of its fish stocks overfished, according to a 2018 report commissioned by the UN. Great whites in particular are known to target areas with high concentrations of seals and sea lions, but can be more opportunistic. Giannis continued: “The chance of being bitten by a shark is extremely low and especially in the Mediterranean as the shark population is low. “Of course, it’s never a zero chance! It’s not a good idea to be bleeding in the water, but having bleeding fish – and especially injured fish – will be more attractive, like spearfishing. “Other things you can do are to avoid waters after heavy storms, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid swimming near river estuaries. “Be observant. Most of the waters at the popular beaches are very clear, so if a shark approaches, someone will see it. “When swimming, swim with at least one other person – this is a good idea for general safety.” Plotting accurate numbers of sharks in the Mediterranean is notoriously difficult, with maps of shark sightings and attacks only one way of building a picture. As Alessandro put it: “In general, sharks, like most wild animals, prefer to keep their distance from humans. “Most divers who dive regularly in the waters of the Mediterranean have never encountered a single shark. “Therefore, any encounter with a shark in the area should be considered a positive event, not something to be feared.”
