Cadaqués students release nursery-raised catsharks into the sea

Students from the Caritat Serinyana institute in Cadaqués have released ten catsharks into the Mediterranean Sea as part of a marine conservation pilot project. The release took place at Es Cucurucuc island, where divers placed the animals in a rocky area approximately ten meters deep to protect them from predators.

The project, initiated in January by the Aletea Foundation, aimed to provide a second chance to catshark eggs that are frequently lost to accidental fishing. Approximately thirty students participated in the months-long process, which included monitoring water salinity and pH levels, simulating marine environments in aquariums, and feeding the hatchlings shrimp, saury, and mussels.

While the project initially gathered 19 eggs, it resulted in ten surviving juveniles, each measuring about ten centimeters. The initiative serves as both an environmental education tool and a conservation effort for a species common in Cap de Creus that lacks formal legal protection.