White Sharks in Danger: Who Protects Mallorca's Marine Predators?

White Sharks in Danger: Who Protects Mallorca's Marine Predators?

Key question

How can we prevent the great white shark and many other shark and ray species around the Balearic Islands from disappearing for good — without losing sight of the people who live there?

Critical analysis

The numbers are stark: in recent decades populations of sharks and rays in the western Mediterranean have collapsed dramatically. Since the beginning of the 20th century elasmobranch populations have shrunk by more than 90%; around 34 of roughly 56 recorded species around the Balearics are now considered threatened, and some have already disappeared locally. Causes, according to research and observations off our coast: massive fishing pressure, illegal fishing methods and incidental capture in nets. A large specimen washed up near Can Pere Antoni, as reported in Dead Shark at Playa Can Pere Antoni: Bite Marks Raise Questions, has made the issue visible here on Mallorca again — and raised the question of how willing we really are to tackle the problem.

The problem is not only ecological: top predators like the great white shark regulate food webs. Their absence can lead to certain fish and mollusc populations exploding and tipping the whole system. Our coasts are not isolated aquariums; overfishing affects not only recreational anglers, but also fishers, gastronomy and the tourism offer in the long term.

What is missing in the public discourse

The debate often focuses on sensational finds or individual cases — dead animals on the beach, sensational headlines — instead of structural causes; recent coverage such as Dead shark on Palma's city beach: a sign of a bigger problem? and Dead Shark on the City Beach: What the Large Wound Reveals About Mallorca illustrates this. Two things are especially lacking: first, honest conversations about the economic drivers of illegal fishing and second, transparent data on bycatch, illegal nets and spatial fishing intensity. The voices of the fishers themselves are also underrepresented: what alternatives do they need so they are not driven into illegality? Without these perspectives conservation policy remains ineffective or unjust.

Everyday scene from Mallorca

Early in the morning at Portixol: fishers repair nets, a gull cries, a fisher knocks on a wooden boat, the smell of diesel mixes with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. A young man who takes his walk there every morning points to the open sea — he says there are fewer schools of fish than ten years ago. Scenes like this are everyday; they connect us to the sea and make clear: when the predators are missing, this morning picture also changes. Sailboats chug by, the promenade fills up; but the silence under the water grows louder the more species disappear.

Concrete approaches

Protection needs more than appeals. Concrete measures we should advance noticeably:

1. Protected areas with enforcement: Not just protection on paper, but actually patrolled zones with controls, satellite monitoring, regular checks by the coast guard and stricter sanctions against illegal nets would be needed, as urged after incidents covered in Dead Shark at the Paseo: A Wake-up Call for Better Coastal Protection in Palma.

2. Reduce bycatch: Mandatory use of less harmful gear, temporal and spatial closures in known migration corridors and the introduction of observer programs on fishing vessels.

3. Reward instead of punishment: Support programs that help fishers switch to sustainable methods — for example financial incentives for more selective nets, retraining or grants for alternative income sources (ecotourism, repair workshops, local processing facilities).

4. Expand research and monitoring: Larger tagging and sighting programs, indigenous and citizen-science observation networks, anonymous reporting options for illegal activities and better data processing for policy and the public.

5. Education and engagement: Schools, boating schools and tour operators should provide facts: why sharks are important, how to coexist safely with them, and how to report violations. Awareness creates pressure for change.

Why this matters for Mallorca

Our island lives from the sea — not only in summer on the beaches, but through fisheries, gastronomy, leisure and identity. Ecological declines have economic consequences: less catch for fishers, changes in fish availability in restaurants and a less resilient ecosystem to environmental stress. In short: the loss of large predators is not a distant conservation issue, but a local risk to livelihoods.

Concise conclusion

We stand at a crossroads: either we accept a silent impoverishment of our seas, visible in dead animals on the beach and emptier nets at the harbor tomorrow — or we act now, boldly and fairly. That means actually protecting protected areas, prosecuting illegal practices, but also giving people on land real perspectives. If we only talk about dead sharks, we have already lost. But if we answer the question: who protects Mallorca's marine predators?, then administration, science, the fishing industry and society must take responsibility together — loudly, visibly and permanently.