This substantial draft was written in 2023, recovered from Blogger and published as part of the 2026 heritage restoration. Obsolete signatures and formatting were removed.
“Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you’re in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t see sharks.”
- Sylvia Earle -
Sharklab-Malta is a registered non-profit, voluntary organization in Malta that is dedicated to researching, educating and raising greater awareness about all elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, skates, and chimaera) around Malta and within the Mediterranean Sea. Their main objectives are to raise awareness, increase research efforts in Malta, and contribute to conservation on all levels.
Elasmobranch numbers around Malta and within the Mediterranean are decreasing, as evidenced by the reduced numbers caught and brought to the market for sale each year and the significant reduction in the number of sightings by boaters and divers. If nothing changes, many species will simply disappear forever. Such an example is the blue shark (Prionace glauca), which used to be a common species throughout the Mediterranean and around the Maltese Islands. Their population numbers have dropped by over 90% in the last 10 years alone, to a point where they might not be able to recover anymore.
Sharklab-Malta is determined to make a difference and support the conservation of elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea. Without elasmobranchs in our waters, the way the whole fragile and balanced marine ecosystem works would be affected. Since sharks are often at the top of their food chains, they play a critical role for all species of marine life through predation; they keep populations healthy and balanced, and they control diseases by eliminating weaker individuals. Without sharks present acting as a control, other fish populations would significantly reduce.
To make a difference, Sharklab-Malta is undertaking many different activities, such as collecting catch data from the market in Marsa to gain more information on the range of species caught and brought to the islands. Through snorkeling and dive searches, they observe species and look more closely at their habitat around the islands. They also educate people through presentations, conversations, and social media to spread the message that change needs to happen now.
Sharklab-Malta also incubates and hatches shark eggs at the Malta National Aquarium and releases the sharks in Cirkewwa marine park.
Sharklab-Malta is part of a global organization, Sharklab International, which was founded by Andrej Gajic and Greg Nowell in 2008. They have two headquarters, Sharklab-Malta, and Sharklab-Adria, based in Bosnia & Herzegovina. As an expanding global organization, they collaborate with researchers based in other countries, such as Greece, Spain, England, France, Portugal, etc.
Sharklab-Malta follows a very local approach to get people involved in all kinds of activities. The research currently being done in Malta includes studies on the biology and ecology of different species. The main goal is to increase awareness to help protect elasmobranchs around the islands and the wider Mediterranean.
In conclusion, Sharklab-Malta is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to researching, educating, and raising awareness about the importance of elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea. They are determined to make a difference and support the conservation of these animals, and they are doing so through a variety of activities, including collecting data, observing species, educating the public, and incubating and hatching shark eggs. Together, we can make a difference and help protect these critical and fascinating animals.
