FISHERMAN Gojko Mitrović yesterday submitted to the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro photographs of a young great white shark, which he caught and released 12 kilometers from the Montenegrin coast, at a depth of 115 meters.

This species naturally lives in the Adriatic Sea and inhabits the entire Mediterranean, but its numbers are still significantly lower today than in the past.

The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is one of the most famous animal species in the world, and the Mediterranean population is considered critically endangered. Occurrences of this species in Mediterranean countries are very rare and are often recorded individually in scientific literature.

"Attacks are extremely rare"

According to the Institute, this is only the third recorded catch in Montenegrin waters in the last almost 30 years. The last occurrence of a young individual in the Adriatic was recorded in 2023 in Croatia.

"Although adult great white sharks can pose a potential threat to humans, attacks are extremely rare. People's fear of potentially dangerous animals is understandable, but with accurate information without sensationalism, it is clear that the frequency of shark attacks on humans is significantly lower compared to many other animals, including those we encounter every day," the Institute writes.

Only one shark attack on a human has been recorded in Montenegro, in the mid-20th century. On the eastern Adriatic coast, attacks are extremely rare, and the last fatal one occurred in Croatia in 1974.

The last non-fatal attack was recorded in 2008 near the island of Vis, when a great white shark attacked a diver carrying a caught fish. The gap between the two attacks is more than 30 years.

The Italians have been looking for them for years, but have not found any

In most Mediterranean countries, including Montenegro, targeted hunting of great white sharks is prohibited.

A recent study by Italian colleagues in the Adriatic and other parts of the Mediterranean attempted to find and tag a great white shark. Despite years of attempts, none have been recorded.

Great white sharks, rays and chimaeras, or cartilaginous fish, are among the most endangered groups of vertebrates in the world. More than a third of the species in this group are facing the threat of extinction.