International Plan of Action

Croatia and Malta are the only two CPs that have adopted specific legal measures for protecting 23 and 3 the species respectively (basking shark Cetorhinus maximus, white shark Carcharodon carcharias and giant devil ray Mobula mobular are included in Annex II). Montenegro included in its legislation as threatened species the white shark and the Porbeagle Lamna nasus; (Annex III). Turkey protects the basking shark and the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). Since 2005 Israel has protected all elasmobranch species within their territorial waters. Slovenia protects basking sharks and white shark, but not Mobula. Italy activated in 2009 an assessment program. Even thought this is still in preparation and limited to pelagic sharks, it constitutes a first step towards the formulation of an Action Plan. Click here for the current situation in Mediterranean countries.