Why Marine Protected Areas matter

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are vital for protecting the oceans and addressing the threats it faces from overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change. Since 2005, Oceana has conducted 31 at-sea research expeditions in the Atlantic, Baltic, and Mediterranean seas. These efforts have helped protect marine habitats, restore degraded ecosystems, and establish new MPAs to safeguard marine … Read more

Extending the limit on deep-sea bottom fishing in the Mediterranean to preserve vulnerable habitats

The report highlights the ecological risks of deep-sea bottom fishing in the Mediterranean, emphasizing that activities below 800 meters threaten vulnerable marine ecosystems. Oceana supports extending these protections to safeguard biodiversity hotspots and enhance the Mediterranean’s climate adaptation capabilities. Version in French Version in Spanish

Oceana condemns Mediterranean countries for delaying permanent protection of age-old coral from deep-sea fishing 

This week, Mediterranean countries have failed to adopt permanent measures banning destructive fishing practices – like bottom trawling – over parts of the Cabliers Bank, a 400,000-year-old coral reef in the Alboran Sea. Oceana strongly criticises this decision, which leaves such a biodiversity hotspot vulnerable to fishing impacts, and weakens the prospects of establishing a … Read more

Oceana’s reaction to the appointment of Ursula von der Leyen

In response to the election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission, Oceana issued the following statement: “Oceana congratulates Ursula von der Leyen on being re-appointed as President of the European Commission. The announcement of a European Oceans Pact is a welcome first step, because a healthy and productive ocean is … Read more

Most EU citizens want political leaders to prioritise ocean protection and to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas, new polls reveal

Polls expose gap between people’s opinion of marine protection in Europe and the stark reality Nearly 9 in 10 citizens (86%) surveyed across seven EU countries expect their political leaders to prioritise the protection of marine biodiversity, according to the results of national polls conducted by Sapience and published today. The study further identifies that, … Read more

Reviving Europe’s oceans: Marine wins under the Nature Restoration Law

The EU Council has officially adopted the Nature Restoration Law today, marking the first major piece of legislation aimed at restoring nature in the past thirty years! This regulation mandates the restoration of marine habitats and addresses destructive fishing practices, thereby enhancing the ocean’s role as the planet’s largest carbon store and bolstering biodiversity and … Read more