16 sharks Scyliorhinus stellaris are freed in the waters of El Toro

This Wednesday, 4th of October, there was a step done towards the recuperation of the population of Scyliorhinus stellaris sharks in the Mediterranean with the introduction of 16 of these in the waters of El Toro at Mallorca, thanks to the project “Petits Taurons - Acció Stellaris”.

The Scyliorhinus stellaris shark is marked in the category of “In Danger” in the Red Book of fish in the Balearic Islands. To address the critical situation of sharks in the Mediterranean, the “Petits Taurons - Acció Stellaris” project was created in June 2021, with the aim of trying to increase the wild populations of these sharks in the Balearic Sea by breeding them in a controlled artificial environment in the facilities of Palma Aquarium, LIMIA and the Cabrera Interpretation Center, and then releasing them into their natural habitat.

This Wednesday, 4th October, eleven people from different entities introduced 16 specimens of this species in El Toro. This is the second release of Scyliorhinus stellaris sharks in our sea, as at the end of March 2023, a total of 16 sharks were released in the marine reserve of Cabrera, marking a further step towards the conservation of these species in their natural environment. 

One of the milestones of this project took place in September 2021, when the first eleven shark pups were born in a controlled artificial environment. Since then, hard work has continued, resulting in the birth of around 208 pups in three centers. In addition, 160 eggs at different stages of incubation are being carefully monitored. 

The National Marine-Terrestrial Park of the Cabrera Archipelago also plans to introduce another 50 specimens in the near future.