New Publication by the Institute of Marine Biology: "Manual for Handling Incidental Catch of Vulnerable Species of Sharks and Rays"




New Publication by the Institute of Marine Biology: "Manual for Handling Incidental Catch of Vulnerable Species of Sharks and Rays"

As part of the project “Strengthening Citizen Science to Improve the Reporting of Incidental Catch of Sharks and Rays in Montenegro”, the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro is implementing the citizen science program #PošaljiAjkulu ("send a shark"), through which we collect information on catches and sightings of these species in our part of the Adriatic Sea.

To better inform commercial and recreational fishers, as well as other people who spend time at sea, we have prepared the Manual for Handling Incidental Catch of Vulnerable Species of Sharks and Rays. Among other things, the manual provides information on:

  • the most common vulnerable species of this group of fish in our waters
  • the importance of incidental catch data and how you can report it
  • the current legal framework for the protection of these species in Montenegro
  • best practices for handling live individuals
  • dolphins, whales, and sea turtles of the southern Adriatic in Annexes I and II

The aim of this activity is to improve knowledge about vulnerable species of sharks and rays, as well as best practices for handling accidentally caught individuals. The manual is available online in both Montenegrin and English, as well as in printed form for wider use. It can be downloaded at the following link.

Accurate species identification is of key importance for fisheries data and its subsequent analysis. Therefore, this initiative will help improve the quality of data entered into catch logs and enable fishers to directly contact the Institutes staff for assistance in species identification.

Given the rarity of most vulnerable shark and ray species in the Adriatic and the challenges this poses for field research, citizen science plays a crucial role in both data collection and raising awareness. The manual will support and strengthen existing citizen science efforts in the country and improve communication between fishers and scientists.

The project is supported by the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) of UNEP/MAP, the GEF-FishEBM Med project, and the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) through the Small Grants Call for Communication Initiatives on the Conservation of Cartilaginous Fish in the Adriatic Region.

Number of visits : 136



Ne propustite nijednu važnu vijest, pretplatite se na vijesti Akademski forum.