The release of 30 juvenile nursehounds (Scyliorhinus stellaris), carried out on 16th July 2026 in the waters of the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, marked the culmination of the Petits Taurons – Acció Stellaris project.
This final release brings to a close five years of close collaboration that has enabled the release of nearly 400 nursehounds bred in a controlled artificial environment, converting this initiative into one of the most significant shark conservation projects carried out in the Balearic Islands.
Petits Taurons was officially launched in 2021, following an initial phase of work that began in 2020 in collaboration with the Directorate General for Fisheries of the Government of the Balearic Islands. The aim was to contribute to the recovery of nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris) populations, a species classified as endangered in the Red Book of Fish of the Balearic Islands, primarily as a result of overfishing and other threats affecting the Balearic Sea.
The project included a pioneering model based on the recovery of adult specimens from bycatches, breeding them in a controlled artificial environment, and the release of their offspring once they had reached a size that increased their chances of survival in the wild.
In addition, some of the juveniles were tagged with acoustic transmitters integrated into the Balearic Tracking Network, coordinated by IMEDEA, making it possible to scientifically monitor their movements and adaptation following their release.
The initial major release took place in March 2023, when the first nursehounds were returned to the sea in the Cabrera Marine Reserve. A milestone achievement that marked the start of a new phase for the project and highlighted the success of the breeding programme developed by the technical teams.
Over the following years, further releases were carried out in a number of protected areas along the Balearic coastline, including the El Toro Marine Reserve, Palma Bay, Sa Dragonera, Sóller and the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park. These releases progressively reinforced wild populations of the species while generating highly valuable scientific information through the monitoring of tagged individuals.
The final release, which took place on 16th July 2026, returned 30 juvenile nursehounds to the sea, bringing the project's overall total of released specimens to nearly 400.
The success of Petits Taurons – Acció Stellaris is thanks to the collaboration of numerous organisations committed to protecting the Mediterranean: the Palma Aquarium Foundation, the Balearic Island Government’s Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, the Marilles Foundation, the Mallorca Preservation Foundation, Save The Med, Shark Med and Petites Illes de la Mediterrània (PIM).
Close coordination between public authorities, scientists and conservation organisations has made this project a benchmark for elasmobranch conservation in the Balearic Islands.
Beyond the numbers, Petits Taurons – Acció Stellaris has created a scientific and conservation legacy that has laid the foundations for future initiatives for the protection of Mediterranean sharks.
Each of the nearly 400 nursehounds that today are swimming in Balearic waters represents years of research, innovation and collaborative efforts, demonstrating that marine conservation is possible when science, institutions and society work towards a common goal.
