Monday, October 28, 2013

14 Shark species now protected in Malta.


Finally, the long awaited updated list of protected species in Malta has been released. The new revised list now has 14 Shark species and 5 species of Rays totally protected. 

The following list forms part of Legal Notice L.N.322 of 2013. Under schedule VI the following species are totally protected:

Sphyrna lewini - Scalloped Hammerhead
Sphyrna mokarran - Great Hammerhead
Sphyrna zygaena - Common Hammerhead
Galeorhinus galeus - Tope Shark
Carcharodon carcharias - Great White Shark
Isurus oxyrinchus -  Shortfin Mako Shark
Lamna nasus - Porbeagle Shark
Carcharias taurus -  Sandtiger Shark
Odontaspis ferox -  Small Tooth Sandtiger Shark
Oxynotus centrina - Angular Rough Shark
Cetorhinus maximus - Basking Shark
Squatina  aculeata  -  Saw-backed Angel Shark
Squatina  oculata  -  Smooth back Angel Shark
Squatina squatina  - Angel Shark


Mobula mobular - Devil Ray
Gymnura altavela - Butterfly Ray
Dipturus batis  - Blue Grey Skate
Leucoraja melitensis - Maltese Brown Ray
Rostroraja alba - White Skate

Also another 12 Shark species are listed under schedule VIII which are species whose taking and exploitation may be subject to management measures. These are;

Alopias vulpinus - Thresher Shark
Carcharhinus brevipinna - Spinner Shark
Carcharhinus limbatus - Blacktip Shark
Carcharhinus plumbeus - Sandbar Shark
Prionace glauca - Blue Shark
Mustelus asterias -  Starry Smooth-hound Shark
Mustelus mustelus - Common Smooth-hound Shark
Mustelus punctulatus - Blackspotted Smooth-hound Shark
Heptranchias perlo - Sharpnose Sevengill Shark
Hexanchus griseus - Bluntnose Sixgill Shark
Centrophorus granulosus - Gulper Shark
Squalus acanthias - Spur dogfish, Spiny dogfish

It has been a long hard road to get up to here, and my thanks goes out to all those that were involved and helped along the way.