The IUCN Recognizes Balearic Waters as an Important Conservation Area for Sharks and Rays

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has designated a large portion of the waters surrounding the Balearic Islands as an Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA).

The goal of this initiative is to identify areas that are essential for the survival of sharks and rays. To achieve this, scientists rely on various criteria, such as the presence of endemic species, identification of breeding and feeding areas, migratory corridors, or high species diversity. The designation involved 180 international scientists, including elasmobranch specialist Gabriel Morey, a member of Save the Med.

The study has highlighted the importance of four areas in our sea: most of the waters surrounding Mallorca and Menorca (up to a depth of 1700 m); the coastal area between El Toro and Sa Dragonera; another coastal zone in Llucmajor, within the marine reserve of the Bay of Palma; and the waters surrounding Formentera (up to 200 m depth). Additionally, a deep-water area (400-850 m) in the Ibiza Channel, between the island and the mainland, has also been designated as an ISRA. This designation considers the regular presence of sharks such as the gulper shark (Centrophorus uyato), the smooth-hound (Mustelus mustelus), the nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris), and rays such as the common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca), the white skate (Rostroraja alba), and the giant devil ray (Mobula mobular), all of which meet the established criteria. However, it is highly likely that the number of ISRAs will increase in the future as new scientific data becomes available.

In addition, nine other ISRAs have been designated in Spain: Roses (Girona), the Costa Brava canyons, the Central Catalonia region, the Ebro Delta, the Marina Alta (Alicante), Benidorm Island (Alicante), the coast of Murcia, a deep-water area east of Murcia, and the Strait of Gibraltar. These form part of the network of 85 ISRAs designated across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

The declaration of ISRA zones by the IUCN does not imply legal protection or impose management measures, but it highlights the areas of greatest importance for the survival of these species. This designation serves as a tool for relevant authorities to consider when establishing Marine Protected Areas or other management instruments. It represents a new step toward achieving effective protection and conservation of sharks and rays.

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