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The iconic great white in the Mediterranean Sea are on the verge of vanishing, with unlawful fishing practices being a key factor to their rapid population drop.

This conclusion is based on studies conducted by experts, who collaborated with an marine preservation group. They report that some of the most threatened species – like the great white shark – are being sold in fish markets across the North African coast.

Great white sharks are one of in excess of 20 Mediterranean shark species shielded by international agreements, which renders it unlawful to catch them or to offer them for sale.

However, by observing harbors along the North African Mediterranean shoreline, investigators uncovered that at least 40 great white sharks have been slaughtered in that region in just the past year.

Footage from social media showing protected sharks being brought dead into North African ports has been confirmed.

One video showed a large great white being dragged onto land from a vessel in Algeria. Another, filmed in Tunisia, shows remains and fins of what is believed to be a short-finned mako shark, which is also a protected and endangered species.

Remaining Habitat

The project head, clarified that many shark populations – white sharks in particular – had declined dramatically in the Mediterranean in the last few decades.

"No other stretch of water is subjected to such fishing pressure as the Mediterranean Sea," he said. "The impact of industrial fishing has been growing... and it's plausible that they will go extinct in the near future."

The Mediterranean white shark population is now listed as Critically Endangered by the global conservation union.

In their latest attempt to track and analyze the sharks, the team worked in the Strait of Sicily – an area considered a "last stronghold" in the Mediterranean for several endangered shark species.

One key aim of their project was to deploy a tracking device onto a white shark – something that has never been done in the Mediterranean Sea.

To do this, the researchers used more than three tonnes of fish bait – including baitfish and hundreds of liters of fish oil to create a "fat slick" that many sharks can detect from a great distance.

Even after a fortnight of effort – chumming the water, sampling for DNA to search for shark DNA and using remote cameras – the researchers were unable to locate any animals to tag.

They captured only a short sighting of one shark on their cameras.

"It's disheartening," the lead researcher said. "It just shows how damaged this ecosystem is."

During their search for living sharks, they also were informed that a small great white had been taken in a North African fishery – just a short distance from where they were working.

It is not clear whether that animal was accidentally caught in fishing gear, or if it was hunted.

The team, however, believes that in excess of 40 great white sharks have been taken along that coastline. "This is a lot for a critically endangered population," the researcher emphasized.

Sharks for Sale

The researchers, along with regional contacts, are monitoring several fishing ports in the region. Findings shows that endangered sharks are captured, brought to port, and sold in countries including Tunisia and Algeria.

The rules that protect sharks are multifaceted. Currently, two dozen endangered species have global protection – including mako, angel, threshers and hammerheads.

An regional treaty states that those species cannot be "kept on boats, transferred, landed, stored, or sold".

The agreement mandates "they must be released unharmed and alive [where] possible". Those rules do not address accidental bycatch and compliance varies from country to country.

A conservationist noted that his own investigation found several great whites on sale. But, he said, there was a unexpected hopeful sign in the fact that white sharks were being found in markets.

"It shows that there is wildlife left," he said. "And if we can preserve this, there is a chance of recovery."

Possible Solutions

In economically challenged regions in North Africa, fishing communities who catch sharks might face the decision of whether to feed their family, or release a protected animal to the ocean.

"Why would they throw sharks back into the sea when they need food for their children?" asked a regional marine biologist. "If you provide alternatives and education in more sustainable fishing, they will not catch protected species."

Another expert added that if countries around the Mediterranean joined forces, "there is hope."

"But," he stated, "we've got to act very quickly."