Marine biologist Alan Deidun has spoken out against the catching of catsharks in Malta.

In a post on social media, Deidun shared a photo of a number of catsharks dumped on a slipway. "These catshark individuals (nursehounds mainly) have been dumped at the Xlendi slipway by the fisher who caught them, who was offering to sell them for the right price...... Whilst some are stating that at least an attempt is being made to sell these sharks, rather than discarding them as bycatch, these species should NOT be targeted through fishing in the first place, given that sharks, unlike bony fish, reproduce relatively slowly and in small numbers."

"Similarly, dead sharks and rays littered the seabed at Gnejna a few days ago...... Sharklab Malta and the Malta National Aquaroum have been repopulating our waters with such species for years, only for their painstaking voluntary work to be undone in one fell swoop,"