CITES: There got to be a solution

Friday 19 March Despite the European proposal for the protection of bluefin tuna’s defeat, not everything is lost yet. There is still a little possibility to which we’ll hold tight. Today is a day for praying so there’ll be no meetings. We’ll take this opportunity to go out for a walk and clear up our … Read more

CITES: Bluefin tuna trade ban defeated

Breaking news out of Doha: a trade ban on bluefin tuna (Appendix I listing) has been defeated. Although there were repeated calls from delegates from the E.U., U.S. and Monaco to allow time for parties to meet and arrive at a compromise position, a Libya delegate forced a preemptory vote on the E.U. proposal, which … Read more

CITES: It’s warm…

Sun is burning hot in the outdoors, but we barely feel it. We haven’t gone to the streets yet, all the work happens at the convention hotel, we have no time to see the daylight; as a matter of fact it could actually be an advantage. Follow the shark negotiation with Elizabeth Griffin Follow our … Read more

CITES: On the spot

Today is Monday and we start working “on the spot”. We thought we’re going to find known faces from the ICCAT meeting, and we’re right. Even though CITES is a conservation-oriented meeting, this year the presence and interference of the fishing industry is going to be stronger than ever because of the importance of the … Read more

CITES: Hi from Doha!

Hi everybody! Sorry for not writing before but with all the travel rush we just didn’t have a minute to do it. We finally made it to Doha! We arrived on Sunday night to attend the CITES meeting. From the taxi cab we could see a scenario of lights and anarchic skyscrapers which made the … Read more

Oceana welcomes CITES call for protection of marine species

Today in Geneva, bluefin tuna, sharks and corals took one large step closer to winning protection. In an important and noteworthy announcement, the Secretariat of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, recommended the adoption of proposals to list North Atlantic bluefin tuna, various sharks, and red and … Read more

Protecting Sea Turtles

In response to a lawsuit brought last year by Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, NOAA, has proposed designation of 181.000 km2 of ‘critical habitat’ in waters off of Washington, Oregon and California in an effort to meet the … Read more

Protecting Belize from Foreign Trawlers

News of Jamaican trawlers entering Belize’s southern waters in December to fish led to a decisive agreement by the Ministry of Fisheries to halt the issuing of fishing licenses to foreign fishing fleets in Belize’s Exclusive Economic Zone pending consultation with local fishermen. The action will allow officials to assess the sustainability of the proposed … Read more

Increasing U.S. Observer Funding

Oceana’s ongoing efforts to increase funding for the fishery observer program continue to produce results. Observers are trained monitors who count everything that is caught by a fishing vessel, including discarded fish, sea turtles and marine mammals. Observers are our eyes on the ocean and provide important information for fishery managers. In 2009, Congress appropriated … Read more

The United States saving Sharks

The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 by voice vote, paving the way for full Senate consideration. The bill, introduced by Sen. John Kerry, would end shark finning in U.S. waters by requiring all sharks caught to be landed whole with their fins still attached. … Read more