Egypt’s Ministry of Setting has completed the primary part of a nationwide program to observe sharks utilizing satellite tv for pc monitoring, the primary of its sort within the Crimson Sea area.
The initiative, announced on 28 June, was led by an Egyptian crew from the Ministry of Setting, the Hurghada Environmental Safety and Conservation Affiliation (HEPCA), and the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports activities.
It was carried out in coordination with the Inexperienced Hurghada Undertaking and a French shark-tracking skilled.
9 satellite tv for pc tags have been efficiently installed on tiger and oceanic whitetip sharks in key habitats, together with the Brothers Islands close to Hurghada, Elphinstone Reef in Marsa Alam, and Shaab Al Shur Reef in Safaga.
The crew additionally collected 14 organic samples for genetic evaluation and documented the distinctive dorsal fins of oceanic whitetip sharks to assist construct an identification catalogue.
Setting Minister Yasmine Fouad said this system goals to observe the vertical and horizontal motion of sharks throughout the Crimson Sea, contributing to each ecological analysis and marine tourism planning.
She famous that sharks play an important function in marine ecosystems and are a big draw for diving tourism, including that Egypt is among the many few international locations within the area to legally defend shark species.
All tagged sharks have been safely returned to their pure habitats, and the satellite tv for pc tags are anticipated to transmit knowledge for a minimum of one yr. This system, the minister added, displays Egypt’s dedication to biodiversity safety and science-based marine conservation insurance policies.
The monitoring program follows a number of deadly shark assaults in recent times, together with incidents close to Marsa Alam in 2024, Hurghada in 2023 and 2022, and Sharm el-Sheikh in 2010. The assaults prompted short-term seaside closures and raised issues over shark habits within the Crimson Sea.