Rare species of Shark killed in the sea off Yedidalga, north Cyprus

A rare species of Sand Shark (Odontaspis ferox) was killed in the sea off Yedidalga, north Cyprus on Sunday.

The shark was caught in nets in Yedidalga on Sunday. The killing of the shark generated a series of reactions from several quarters.

Reacting to the killing, the Tashkent Nature Park in a statement said, “Sandbar sharks are not among the species that pose a threat to humans. Moreover, the fact that there has not been a single recorded shark attack in our country for more than a hundred years proves once again that these species are harmless. "Unfortunately, it is not possible to say the same for people." 

TRNC Deputy Speaker, DeputyFazilet Özdenefe also reacted to the killing noting that this is not something to be proud of.

"I just came across a photo of a shark caught by fishermen off the coast of Yeşilırmak on social media. It is part of the natural cycle for sharks to approach our shores after mating this season and lay their eggs. There is nothing surprising, to be horrified, or to be proud of the fact that the shark was killed. Its species is Akdeniz.' I likened it to the blue shark or mako, which is the most common fish in the world, but it is an area in which I am not an expert and it is not of much importance for the purposes of this article. On this occasion, I would be happy if anyone who spotted it would write about it. (Add: after writing the article, I shared a rare post by Tashkent Nature Park.) I learned that it is a 'sand tiger shark')

The population status of sandbar sharks is under the "Vulnerable (VU)" category in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Considering that the status of this species in the Mediterranean is "Critically Endangered (CR)", it is understood that these species need protection. (IUCN Red List:

According to international research, at least 20 shark and ray species in the Mediterranean, including the Great White Shark, Blue Shark, Porbeagle, Shortfin Mako, Angel Shark and the endemic Maltese ray, are critically endangered and more than 11 species are endangered.