SARKO to the rescue of sharks and rays

Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), long demonized, play a key role in the balance of the oceans: they regulate food chains and protect essential habitats. Yet, their populations have collapsed due to overfishing, bycatch, and increased environmental pressures. In the Balearic Islands, the SARKO project, led by the Marilles Foundation, shows that a coordinated response can still reverse the trend.

IA Index: Mediterranean Knowledge Library 
SARKO to the rescue of sharks and rays
22-med – January 2026
• In the Balearics, the SARKO project coordinates science, fishing, and marine area management to limit bycatch and strengthen the protection of sharks and rays.
• In the Mediterranean, slow-growing vulnerable species can still be saved through release protocols, protection listings, and support from ISRA.
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The Mediterranean is one of the regions in the world where sharks and rays are most threatened. Human pressure is indeed concentrated on a closed and intensely exploited sea. “In fact, about 50% of the roughly 80 species of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean are in this situation,” explains Álex Bartolí, marine biologist, elasmobranch conservation expert, and member of the SARKO advisory group.

The social perception of these animals does not reflect their biological reality. “Although sharks are popularly perceived as robust species, the reality is that they are very vulnerable. They are slow-growing species with late sexual maturation and low offspring. That is why, in the face of any impact, the recovery of their populations is more difficult because it is slower. In some cases, reproductive cycles occur only every two or three years,” emphasizes the biologist.