Marine animals and habitats in European waters face several threats driven by a combination of human activities, including climate change, and destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling and overfishing. These threats not only endanger marine biodiversity but also undermine the health and resilience of the ocean. Below are five threatened ocean species and habitats, … Read more
Nice, 13 June 2025 – As the third UN Ocean Conference concludes in Nice, Oceana acknowledges positive commitments by countries including Portugal and Denmark to protect their marine protected areas from destructive fishing, such as bottom trawling. Oceana however deplores the mere token gestures announced by France – the host of the conference – and … Read more
On Monday, June 9, as the third United Nations Ocean Conference gets underway in Nice, France, President Emmanuel Macron announced that he will “limit” bottom trawling – an extremely destructive and wasteful fishing method that bulldozes the seafloor, destroying everything in its path – in some of the country’s marine protected areas. Specifically, France will … Read more
Ocean advocates took to the streets of Nice, France ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference to call for stronger ocean protection. Organised by a coalition of marine and environmental NGOs led by Brussels-based Seas At Risk, the march comes just days after the announcement of the European Commission’s Ocean Pact, at a time when … Read more
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the European Union are established under EU laws including the Habitats Directive, to conserve rare, threatened, or endemic animal and plant species, along with their natural habitats. Thriving marine ecosystems within MPAs can better withstand the impacts of climate change, mitigate its effects, and support the regeneration of fish populations, … Read more
As the United Nations ocean conference prepares to open its doors, EU leaders are facing a new legal complaint over widespread destructive fishing in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Lawyers say continuing to permit this activity goes against the bloc’s core nature laws and puts the ocean – and people – in grave danger. The challenge, … Read more
The announcement takes place a few days ahead of the release of the EU Ocean Pact and the beginning of the UN Ocean Conference Oceana applauds the ratification of the High Seas Treaty by the EU and six Member States as a confirmation of the bloc’s commitment to protect 30% of the global ocean by … Read more
Oceana uncovers over 17,000 hours of destructive fishing inside France’s Marine Nature Parks, Calls on President Macron to ban bottom trawling in protected areas Nice, France. Just before France is set to welcome world leaders to Nice for the third United Nations Ocean Conference, Oceana released a new analysis revealing destructive fishing in the country’s … Read more
What is a Natura 2000 site? Natura 2000 is the European Union’s network of protected areas, created to safeguard valuable and threatened species and habitats across Europe. These sites are vital for preserving biodiversity, but how are Natura 2000 sites designated, especially when it comes to marine and coastal areas? The process is guided by … Read more
Citizens urge EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans to better manage protected areas for the benefit of fishers and the ocean Brussels – Today [13 May] representatives of small-scale fishers, scientists, citizens and civil society organisations handed in a petition (here & here) to the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, signed by over 250,000 … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
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