‘El alitán, una historia sin espinas’, a comic with marine awareness

The Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, together with other different entities of marine conservation, have launched a comic “El alitán, una historia sin espinas”, a story that tells the life and challenges of this mediterranean shark, a very minor species that is included as in danger of extinction in the Red book of the fish in the Balearic Islands.

This creative proposal, which forms part of the 'Petits Taurons - Acció Stellaris' project, aims to capture the attention of the youngest, through a fusion of entertainment and learning, in order to raise awareness of the importance of preserving marine biodiversity.

A total of 15,000 copies of this publication have been printed, which delves into the life of the alitán (Scyliorhinus Stellaris), a shark characteristic of the waters of the Mediterranean and the European Atlantic. The comic highlights aspects such as its reproduction through the so-called mermaid bags and its diet based on molluscs and crustaceans. Through a visual narrative, it exposes the threats facing this species, including overfishing and bycatch, factors that have contributed to an alarming decline in its population.

The comics will be distributed among participants in environmental education activities developed by the different institutions that are part of this initiative. The publication will be promoted through social networks and digital platforms, with the aim of inspiring young people to take action and activate their sense of ecological responsibility.

It will also be available in Catalan, Spanish and English on the website of the Species Protection Service of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, as well as on the website of the Mallorca Preservation Foundation.