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Great white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea are in danger of disappearing, with illegal fishing being a major contributor to their alarming decline.

This conclusion is based on studies conducted by experts, who collaborated with an marine preservation group. They indicate that several critically endangered species – like the great white shark – are appearing for sale in fish markets across Northern African nations.

Great white sharks are one of over twenty Mediterranean shark species protected under international law, which prohibits to catch them or to offer them for sale.

However, by monitoring fishing ports along the North African Mediterranean shoreline, scientists found that no fewer than 40 great white sharks have been caught and killed there in 2025 alone.

Videos shared online showing protected sharks being landed at North African ports has been independently verified.

A particular clip showed a large great white being hauled ashore from a vessel in Algeria. Additional footage, taken in a Tunisian location, shows parts of what is believed to be a mako shark, which is also a species at risk.

Remaining Habitat

The principal scientist, clarified that many populations of sharks – white sharks in particular – had declined dramatically in the Mediterranean in the past years.

"No other body of water is subjected to such fishing pressure as the Mediterranean Sea," he said. "The impact of industrial fishing has been intensifying... and it's possible that they will go extinct in the coming years."

The Mediterranean white shark population is now designated as Critically Endangered by the global conservation union.

In their new mission to locate and research the predators, the team worked in the waters between Sicily and North Africa – an area known as a "last stronghold" in the Mediterranean for several endangered shark species.

An important goal of their mission was to attach a satellite tag onto a great white – something that has not yet been accomplished in the Mediterranean Sea.

To attempt this, the researchers used a large amount of bait – including frozen fish parts and hundreds of liters of tuna oil to create a "oil slick" that many sharks can smell from hundreds of metres away.

Even after a fortnight of effort – laying bait, taking samples of seawater to look for genetic material and using underwater cameras – the researchers were unable to locate any animals to tag.

They captured only a fleeting sighting of one shark on their cameras.

"It's disheartening," the lead researcher said. "It just shows how damaged this habitat is."

While the team was searching for remaining sharks, they also were informed that a young great white shark had been taken in a regional fishery – just 20 nautical miles from where they were working.

It is uncertain whether that animal was accidentally caught in gear, or if it was targeted.

The team, however, estimates that more than 40 great white sharks have been caught around that coast. "This is a lot for a critically endangered population," the researcher emphasized.

Protected Sharks Traded

The researchers, along with local partners, are observing various harbors in the region. Documentation shows that endangered sharks are captured, brought to port, and sold in countries including Tunisia and Algeria.

The regulations safeguarding sharks are complicated. Currently, 24 threatened species have global protection – like makos and hammerheads.

An multinational pact states that those species cannot be "retained on board, transhipped, landed, transferred, stored, sold or displayed or offered for sale".

The agreement states "they must be returned to the sea alive [where] possible". Those rules are not designed for incidental capture and compliance varies from one place to another.

A marine advocate noted that his own investigation found several great whites on sale. But, he said, there was a seeming silver lining in the fact that white sharks were being found in markets.

"It shows that there is wildlife left," he said. "And if we can protect this, there is a chance of recovery."

What Can Be Done?

In poorer communities in North Africa, fishing communities who catch sharks might face the decision of whether to provide for their families, or return a threatened species to the ocean.

"Why would they discard their catch into the sea when they need food for their children?" asked a regional marine biologist. "If you provide alternatives and education in more responsible fishing, they will not catch protected species."

A conservationist added that if countries around the Mediterranean joined forces, "there is hope."

"But," he stated, "we've got to act very quickly."