Blacktip Shark

The Mediterranean waters off the Gaza Strip, Palestine, represent an understudied yet ecologically important part of the eastern Mediterranean, where information on carcharhinid shark occurrence, bycatch, and utilization remains limited. This study provides a descriptive assessment of carcharhinid or requiem sharks based on field surveys of landing sites and markets, complemented by fishermen interviews and fisheries data. Three species were recorded: the Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus Nardo, 1827), the Dusky Shark (Carcharhinus obscurus Lesueur, 1818), and the Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus Müller & Henle, 1839). Among them, the Sandbar Shark was the most frequently encountered, primarily associated with coastal and demersal habitats, whereas the Dusky and Blacktip Sharks were less common, likely reflecting their wider distributions and more migratory behavior. Additional species, such as the Spinner Shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna Müller & Henle, 1839), may be documented in the future as monitoring efforts and marine research in the Gaza Strip improve. Sharks are captured primarily as bycatch in artisanal fisheries using gillnets, trammel nets, and longlines, with trawling playing a minor role. Captured individuals are locally sold and consumed, contributing to food security and livelihoods, particularly through traditional dishes such as "Sayadieh". Despite partial awareness of their threatened status, fishing pressure persists due to economic dependence and limited management alternatives. The results highlight the ecological role of the Gaza Strip's coastal waters as transitional habitats that may function as feeding, migratory, and potentially nursery areas for sharks, influenced by environmental variability including warming trends and thermal discharges. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for improved monitoring, bycatch reduction measures, habitat protection, and community-based management to support the conservation of carcharhinid sharks in the Mediterranean Sea.

Reference: Abd Rabou, Abdel Fattah N.; Samira Enajjar, Bechir Saidi, Rimel M. Benmessaoud, Mourad M. Cherif, Ola A. Abd Rabou, Ahlam M. Abu Al-Soud, Ruba E. Abu Al-Soud, Rana M. Jouda, Mayson A. Alshinbary, Azhar H. Abumghaiseeb, Maged M. Yassin, Mohammed R. Al-Agha, Jehad Y. Salah, Abdel Fattah A. Qaraman and Norman Ali Khalaf (2026). Occurrence, Bycatch, and Utilization of Carcharhinid Sharks (Family Carcharhinidae) in the Mediterranean Waters off the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology (UPJOZ), ISSN: 0256-971X (P), Volume 47, Issue 9, Page 89-103, Published 15 May 2026; Article no.UPJOZ.6024.

 At least fourteen species of sharks live in the Marine Protected Area of Isla del Coco National Park (ICNP), some are resident species such as the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus); others are migratory and visit the National Park throughout the year, e.g. the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) and the whale shark (Rhincodon typus). Between March 2010 and August 2012 six expeditions out to the ICNP were carried, during this period 25 night trips (from 18:00 to 22:00 hr) for shark tagging were conducted in the Wafer and Chatham bays. During those trips, 185 sharks were analyzed: 81.1 % were whitetip reef sharks (T. obesus), 16.7 % were blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus), 1.1 % were blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and 1.1% were silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus). The most common species in Bahía Chatham was T. obesus, while the most common one in Bahía Wafer was C. limbatus, which represented 80.9 % and 80.5 % of the total sharks caugh...