Meet the editors

Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai is a Professor of Higher Education at the National Institute of Marine Science and Technologies and head of the Marine Biodiversity Laboratory in Tunisia. He obtained an engineering degree in marine living resource exploitation as well as a master's degree, Ph.D., and a state doctorate degree. He is a member of the Shark Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

(IUCN) and former coordinator of the subcommittee "Marine Environment and Ecosystems" of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of the Food and Agriculture Organization (GFCM-FAO). He is a contributor to the Mediterranean Large Elasmobranchs Monitoring (MEDLEM) database. As a consultant on elasmobranchs of the United Nations Environment Programme's Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (SPA/RAC), Dr. Bradai elaborated the Action Plan for the Conservation of Cartilaginous Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (2020) and the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Cartilaginous Fishes (chondrichthyans) in the Mediterranean Coasts of Egypt (2021).

Bechir Saidi is a marine biologist who obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Sfax, Tunisia, on the taxonomy, biology, and fishery studies of sharks. Since 2002, he has been a member of the Marine Biodiversity Laboratory at the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), Tunisia, where he conducts research on elasmobranchs to assess the impact of anthropic-related activities on their conservation. He has been

involved in several national and international projects dealing with their biology, taxonomy, and fisheries interactions with the aim of producing comprehensive data to promote conservation action. Dr. Saidi is a member of the Shark Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Samira Enajjar is a marine biologist in the Marine Biodiversity Laboratory of the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), Tunisia. Since 2000, she has been conducting research on biodiversity, fishery, and the taxonomy of elasmobranchs, mainly in batoids in the Gulf of Gabès, Southern Tunisia. She obtained her Ph.D. with work on the Rhinobatids family. Dr. Enaijar contributed to the creation of

vulnerable marine vertebrate training manuals. She is also a member of the Med Bycatch Project as a supervisor and expert on elasmobranchs. She is regularly engaged in training courses related to the taxonomy of rays in many national and regional projects. She collaborated on the development of the Mediterranean Angel Sharks: Regional Action Plan and is a member of the Food and Agriculture Organization's MedSudMed working groups on elasmobranchs of the South-Central Mediterranean.

## Contents


Preface

Cartilaginous fishes or Chondrichthyans are an ancient group that appeared around 500 million years, even before the appearance of bony fish. Their current representatives are sharks, rays, and chimeras, hereafter referred to as 'sharks'. Some primitive forms of sharks are still present. These animals have been able to survive and overcome five mass extinctions since their initial appearance. They play a key role in maintaining

Nowadays, sharks are facing a worldwide extinction crisis; since 1970, the global abundance of oceanic sharks and rays has declined by 71%, owing to an 18-fold increase in relative fishing pressure. This depletion has increased the global extinction risk to the point at which three-quarters of the species comprising this functionally important assemblage are threatened with extinction. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), recognized at the international level to provide scientific advice on the conservation status of living species, confirm through its "Red List of Threatened Species" that a high percentage of sharks are threatened and many species are data deficient (i.e., their biology and ecology are unknown). Sharks face many challenges, such as habitat losses, pollution, climate changes, and so on, but

Because the disappearance of sharks threatens the oceans and humanity, scientists, decision-makers, NGOs, and other stakeholders require improved knowledge of shark species and how to protect them. This book presents data on sharks' biology and ecology and discusses the impact of threats and how to reduce them. It is designed to bring awareness to the plight of sharks and their conservation. It is divided into three sections on "Ecology and Life History," "Sharks Fisheries," and "Management and

Chapters 1 and 2 provide information on shark ecology, life history, and taxonomy. Chapters 3 and 4 describe shark fisheries (fishing gear, landing statistics, etc.) and their negative impact on shark populations. Chapter 5 focuses on the current status of cartilaginous fishes in the Mediterranean Sea, which is similar to other marine areas, and discusses progress on conservation measures and actions taken mainly through regional plans by regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs)

Since the future of marine biodiversity and sustainable fishery majorly depends on elasmobranchs, more successful conservation of this fish group should be ensured,

• Increase training and awareness of fishermen and controllers of fisheries on

and urgent awareness is needed focusing mainly on the following priorities:

protected species and develop an effective control of fisheries

the balance of marine ecosystems.

fishing pressure seems to be the most critical.

and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Conservation Options."
