Great white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea are in danger of disappearing, with illegal fishing contributing to their decline.

This is according to research by US scientists, working in partnership with UK charity Blue Marine Foundation. They say some of the most threatened species - including great white sharks - are being sold in North African fish markets.

Great whites are one of more than 20 Mediterranean shark species protected under international law, meaning it is illegal to fish for them or to sell them.

By monitoring fishing ports on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, researchers discovered that at least 40 great white sharks have been killed there in 2025 alone.

The BBC has also found, and independently verified, footage from social media of protected sharks being brought dead into North African ports.

One video showed a large great white being hauled ashore from a fishing boat in Algeria. Another, filmed in Tunisia, shows heads and fins of what appears to be a short-finned mako shark, which is also a threatened and protected species, being prepared for sale.

Lead researcher, Dr Francesco Ferretti from Virginia Tech, explained that many shark populations - white sharks in particular - had declined dramatically in the Mediterranean in recent decades.

The Mediterranean white shark population is now classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Dr Ferretti and his team worked in the Strait of Sicily to fit a satellite tracking tag onto a white shark - something that has never been done in the Mediterranean Sea.

Despite their efforts, they captured only a glimpse of one blue shark on their submarine cameras.

It's disheartening,” Dr Ferretti conveyed. “This shows how degraded this ecosystem is.”

In Tunisia, James Glancy from Blue Marine found multiple white sharks for sale in fishing markets. He believes there’s a chance for recovery if conservation efforts are intensified.

To sustain the shark population, support and training in sustainable fishing methods are crucial for North African fishers.

“We've got to act very quickly,” Glancy emphasizes if we want to save these majestic creatures.