International Shark Awareness Day (ISAD)

The International Shark Awareness Day (ISAD) is observed every year on 14th of July to recognize the importance of sharks play in the ecosystem. The 2019 theme “The sharks in crisis: a call to action for the Mediterranean” . According to the latest report issued by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Tunisia has become the 2nd largest fishing country for sharks in the Mediterranean after Libya. The WWF report calls on fishermen and fishery managers on both sides of the Mediterranean to avoid fishing in critical areas such as nurseries and to use adapted gear to eliminate by catch. It also underlines the need to improve knowledge of shark populations and commercialized species in order to strengthen conservation efforts and ensure transparency and legality in the fishing sector.