A young great white shark caught in Montenegrin territorial waters

Fisherman Gojko Mitrović submitted this morning to the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro in Kotor photographs of a young great white shark, caught and released 12 kilometers off the coast of Montenegro, at a depth of 115 meters.

Although it is often believed to the contrary, this species of shark naturally occurs in the Adriatic Sea and is a resident of the entire Mediterranean. However, its numbers are significantly lower than in the past.

"The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is one of the most famous animal species in the world, and its Mediterranean population is considered critically endangered. Findings of this species in Mediterranean countries have become very rare and are often described individually in scientific literature. According to the Institute, over the past almost 30 years, this is only the third catch of this species in our waters. The most recent finding of a young individual in the Adriatic was recorded in 2023, in neighboring Croatia," the Kotor Institute of Marine Biology (IBMK) announced on this occasion.

They emphasize that, although adult great white sharks can pose a danger to humans, shark attacks are generally rare.

"Most people have an innate fear of animals that can be dangerous to us, which is completely understandable. However, through proper information, without sensationalism, it can be seen that the frequency of shark attacks on humans is significantly lower compared to many other animals, even some of those we encounter every day. The Florida Museum of Natural History maintains a global database of shark attacks on humans. According to their data, during 2024, four attacks with a fatal outcome were recorded, one each in: the USA, Western Sahara, Egypt and the Maldives. This statistic includes all species of sharks, not just the great white," IBMK explains.

They recalled that only one fatal shark attack on a human has been recorded in Montenegro, in the middle of the last century near Budva.

"As a preventive measure, it is recommended to avoid swimming at dawn, at greater distances from the coast, or near fishing activities. On our side of the Adriatic, attacks occur extremely rarely, and the last fatal one occurred in Croatia half a century ago (in 1974). The last attack in the Adriatic occurred in 2008 near the island of Vis in Croatia, without a fatal outcome, when a shark attacked a diver who was carrying caught fish with him. The time difference between the last two attacks on the eastern side of the Adriatic is more than 30 years. As in the case of any other wild animal, it is not possible to predict whether, when and where an attack will occur," IBMK said.

In most Mediterranean countries, including Montenegro, targeted fishing of the great white shark is prohibited. This species is protected by the Decision on the Protection of Certain Plant and Animal Species from 2006 and the Order on the Fishing Permits for Age Classes of Fish and Other Marine Organisms from 2015.

"Thanks to Mr. Mitrović, we received very rare and valuable information from a scientific point of view. As recommended, he released the live specimen from the net while it was still in the sea and provided the Institute with all information about the catch, along with photographs, for which we are grateful," IBMK stated, reminding that research by Italian marine biologists was recently conducted in the Adriatic and other parts of the Mediterranean "with the intention of finding and tagging an individual of this species."

"Despite years of attempts, not a single great white shark has been recorded. The research was published in the scientific journal Acta Adriatica. As part of the project "Strengthening citizen science to improve the reporting of incidental catches of sharks and rays in Montenegro", the Institute is implementing a citizen science program #sendthem"The project is funded by the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC) through a call for small projects to implement communication initiatives for the conservation of cartilaginous fish in the Adriatic region," the Institute pointed out, adding that Mitrović's catch is therefore very significant.

Sharks, rays and chimaeras, or cartilaginous fish, are among the most endangered groups of vertebrates in the world. Current scientific data indicate that more than a third of the species in this group face the threat of extinction. In recent decades, efforts to conserve cartilaginous fish have increased significantly.

Among many reasons, the proper functioning of marine ecosystems depends on this group of fish, which controls the population size of many species of marine organisms. The great white shark is the largest predator among fish. It can grow up to seven meters in length and weigh over 2.000 kilograms. It is at the top of the food chain in the seas and oceans because there are no known natural predators that hunt the great white shark, except in very rare cases when this species is attacked by killer whales (orcas).

The great white shark lives in almost all coastal and near-coastal areas, which have temperatures between 12 and 24 °C, while they are most populated in the United States (northeast and California), South Africa, Japan, Oceania, Chile, and the Mediterranean, including the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Adriatic Sea, and the Bosphorus.

The great white shark is a pelagic fish, seen mainly in the presence of fur seals, sea lions, whales, other sharks, and larger pelagic school of fish, all of which are its natural prey. In the open ocean, they have been observed at depths of up to 1.200 meters. These findings contradict traditional observations that the white shark is a coastal species.

The novel "Jaws" by American author Peter Benchley and its cult film adaptation of the same name by director Steven Spielberg, whose 50th anniversary of its premiere just recently celebrated, portrayed the white shark as a ferocious predator that kills people. However, this is far from the truth, as humans are not the favorite prey of the white shark and it most often attacks them quite by accident or opportunistically, mistaking humans in the sea for its favorite prey – seals.