Great white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea are in danger of disappearing, with illegal fishing contributing to their decline.
This is according to research by US scientists, working in partnership with UK charity Blue Marine Foundation. They say some of the most threatened species - including great white sharks - are being sold in North African fish markets.
Great whites are one of more than 20 Mediterranean shark species protected under international law, meaning it is illegal to fish for them or to sell them.
However, researchers discovered that at least 40 great white sharks have been killed in North Africa in 2025 alone.
The BBC has also found, and independently verified, footage from social media of protected sharks being brought dead into North African ports. One video showed a large great white being hauled ashore from a fishing boat in Algeria.
Lead researcher, Dr Francesco Ferretti from the US university Virginia Tech, explained that many shark populations - white sharks in particular - have declined dramatically in the Mediterranean in recent decades. The Mediterranean white shark population is now classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Despite working for two weeks - baiting the ocean, taking samples of seawater to search for shark DNA, and using underwater cameras - the researchers did not manage to find any animals to tag. They captured only a brief glimpse of one blue shark.
In poorer communities in North Africa, fishers who catch sharks might face the choice of whether to feed their family or return a threatened species to the ocean. Conservationists urge support for sustainable fishing practices as a way to protect these vital populations.
While the situation is dire, conservationists like James Glancy from Blue Marine are hopeful that with immediate action and international cooperation, there is a chance to recover the dwindling shark populations in the Mediterranean.
