Malta has been recognised as a significant contributor to shark conservation in the Mediterranean, according to a recent study.

The study, conducted by Lydia Koehler and Jason Lowther from the University of Plymouth, examines shark conservation efforts across the region.

With 27 actions, policies and initiatives implemented to protect various species of sharks, rays and skates, Malta places fifth behind Spain, Greece, Italy and Croatia.

Malta’s high position is notable when considering it has a lower GDP than many of the countries it outperforms. 

The study points to Malta’s active participation in the ELASMOMED database, a regional initiative collecting genetic data to support shark research and protection, as an example of such a measure.

Another key factor highlighted by the study is the work of local NGO Sharklab-Malta, specifically its groundbreaking programme to breed and release sharks into the wild.  

Speaking to Times of Malta, Sharklab founder Greg Nowell said historically, Malta has been a leader in the area of shark conservation. In 1999, it was the first European country to protect the great white shark. 

“Nowadays, there are people in ERA and Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture who are proactive about doing something for sharks,” he said, noting that 35 different species of shark have been documented in Maltese waters over the years.

Describing the breeding programme mentioned in the study, Nowell said it began from a routine visit to Malta’s pixkerija in 2011, when they came across a dead small-spotted catshark that still had an egg attached to it.

“We wondered whether we could continue to nurture it, so we put it in an aquarium and tried to replicate the conditions it would normally encounter on the seafloor. To our amazement, a small embryo formed. That shark didn’t make it to the end of its development, but it spurred us to start collecting eggs that would have otherwise ended up in the bin,” he said.

Through trial and error, the process was eventually refined. With support from the National Aquarium, Sharklab has since bred and released 371 sharks into the sea, while the programme has been adopted by seven organisations across the world to increase the numbers of endangered sharks.

Sharklab has also been at the forefront of research into the bull ray, which local researchers believe uses Maltese waters as a nursery area.