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Date Published: 12/06/2023

Region of Murcia waters could be declared area of interest for rare sharks and rays

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Several endangered species inhabit the coastal stretch between San Pedro del Pinatar and Calblanque

Region of Murcia waters could be declared area of interest for rare sharks and rays

It might be surprising to most people, but the coastal enclaves of the Region of Murcia are swarming with dozens of rare species of sharks and rays that take refuge in the area’s warm waters to breed and feed on their migratory journeys. Because of its rich habitat for vulnerable marine life, the universities of Alicante and Murcia have joined forces to request that the entire coastal strip between San Pedro del Pinatar and Calblanque be declared an Important Shark and Ray Area, or ISRA.

While this classification wouldn’t actually provide any legal protection, it would highlight the beaches as critical spaces for the survival of the endangered species, many of which have already disappeared from other Spanish waters. At the moment, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is studying a section of large marine craters off the coast of Cabo de Palos that is frequented by black and lantern sharks, which are close to extinction. The area of interest also includes the Islas Hormigas Marine Reserve, Isla Grosa and El Farallon.

These spaces are also considered a critical habitat for the star ray, an endemic species of the Mediterranean that is far more prolific in the Region of Murcia than anywhere else in Spain.

The current evaluation of the Murcia waters is an important one, the experts have explained, since it will be another decade before the area is considered for the classification again.

Along with the Region of Murcia, sections of shore in the Valencian Community, Andalucia, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia have also been shortlisted as potential ISRA zones, and the results will be announced in August.

“It is a privilege to have these species in the waters of the Region. When I mention that there are sharks and rays in Murcia, some of which are quite rare and are hardly seen in other places, people tend to get scared instead of happy, despite the fact that they do not pose a risk to humans,” explained marine biologist María Pozo Montoro.

The ISRA proposal is supported by a large base of scientific information obtained in different research projects in the Region's waters, data which has been used to develop the guide ‘Sharks and rays of the Region of Murcia.’ For the first time, this publication has detailed the 31 most common species in area: 15 sharks (blue sharks, makos, smooth-hound, basking sharks, pigeye sharks, black sharks, catsharks...) and 16 rays (stingrays, sea eagles and even the manta ray).

Images: Fundación CRAM

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