They are among the species most at risk from overfishing.

Sharks and rays threatened in the Mediterranean are more frequently caught in protected areas than in unprotected areas.

This is according to a study published Tuesday in the journal

Nature Communications

, which highlights the role of small fishing boats, which make up 90% of the world's fishing fleet.

Dozens of countries have banned large-scale fishing of endangered shark and ray species.

But these animals are very often accidentally caught in the nets of boats in search of other fish.

From simple to double according to the zones

Italian researchers wanted to get a better idea of ​​the status of species in the partially protected areas of the Mediterranean, which allow fishing with restrictions.

To do this, the team photographed the catches of boats as they arrived in ports, and created a database covering small-scale fishing operations at 11 sites in France, Italy, Spain, Croatia , Slovenia and Greece, in order to analyze them.

The researchers then used statistical models to show that catches of threatened species were higher in partially protected areas (517 specimens) than in areas with no protection (358).

24 endangered species of sharks and rays were caught.

When weighed, the weight of shark and ray species caught in partially protected areas is twice that of unprotected areas.

In coastal areas

One explanation is probably that these species prefer coastal waters, where most artisanal fishermen prefer to operate.

"Most people assume that it's the big trawlers that impact biodiversity, which is true," said study co-author Antonio Di Franco of the Sicily Marine Centre.

But there is "less research on the impact of small-scale fishing", he explains.

“We don't know the activity of the artisanal fishermen, we don't know how many nets they actually use, or where they fish.

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More than 100 countries have pledged to increase the area of ​​oceans protected in the world to 30% by 2030. For Antonio Di Franco, States could equip small fishing boats with GPS trackers and ensure that areas protected areas are interconnected, allowing species to move more easily between living areas.

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  • Mediterranean

  • Shark

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  • Threatened species