An initiative developed by WWF Adria with SPA/RAC support, to promote citizen science and fisher engagement through the tShark platform.
Sharks and rays are among the most threatened marine species in the Mediterranean. To conserve them effectively, scientists need to understand their movements and life cycles. Tagging provides crucial data, but without recapture reporting—when a tagged animal is caught again—this information remains incomplete.
Professional and recreational fishers play a key role, yet reporting rates are low due to limited awareness and lack of accessible tools. To bridge this gap, the tShark platform was set up as an online tool enabling fishers to easily report recaptures of sharks and rays.
The platform has been developed and is hosted by the University of Padova (UNIPD). Its success is the result of a collaborative effort involving several key partners, including WWF, the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split (Croatia), the Angelshark Conservation Project, iSea (Greece), the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (Germany), as well as the donor that supported the relaunch of the platform in its current form, the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV, Germany).
Despite its scientific relevance, the platform remained underutilised and little known among target communities.
“Our initiative aims to bridge the gap between research institutions and the fishing community—two key stakeholders in elasmobranch conservation,” explains WWF Adria.
The Unlocking Collaborative Pathways in Shark Conservation initiative implemented by WWF Adria increased visibility, usability, and uptake of the tShark platform across the Adriatic through an ambitious communication campaign:
- Animated awareness video: A 1:30 minute film explained the importance of shark and ray tagging, demonstrated how to report recaptures, and promoted the use of the tShark platform. Narrated in five languages (English, Italian, Croatian, Albanian and Slovenian), the video achieved over 200,000 views during the campaign.
- Digital outreach: A targeted campaign across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Google Ads reached nearly 800,000 people, generating over 1.8 million impressions. Online ads and social media posts drove measurable increases in traffic to the tShark platform.
- Promotional materials: Practical gear such as dry bags, towels, and fishing gloves, all branded with the project logo and QR codes linking to the platform, were distributed at outreach events in Adriatic fishing communities.
- Field and partner engagement: The project collaborated with fishing associations, NGOs, and research institutions to promote the platform during many events and meetings. It also coordinated with another SPA/RAC-supported initiative, Guardian Sharks led by the Croatian NGO HIPPOCAMPUS, to amplify shared messages on shark conservation.
By empowering fishers to provide recapture data, this initiative enhances research and strengthens conservation of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean.
If you are interested in learning more about the tShark platform or contributing, please visit: tShark platform.
This initiative, along with five others for shark conservation, was supported by SPA/RAC; the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), as part of its support to the implementation of the 2024–2025 Work Programme of UNEP/MAP; and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the FishEBM Med project.