Cabliers Bank – a deep-sea jewel one step closer to protection

Until recently, the Cabliers Bank was a hidden jewel in the Mediterranean Sea. This underwater biodiversity treasure has survived throughout centuries, in the Alboran Sea, the westernmost part of the Mediterranean. Here, Mediterranean and Atlantic waters interact, and are very rich in nutrients. This part of the Mediterranean Sea is also one of the busiest … Read more

EU nature law could be gamechanger for marine biodiversity, but will be meaningless if fisheries not properly addressed – NGO reaction

Today, the European Commission presented its legislative proposal on nature restoration, a new law with binding targets to restore degraded land and marine ecosystems across the EU. This is a major milestone to tackle the current biodiversity and climate crises and restore a healthy relationship between people and nature. We welcome the long-awaited publication of … Read more

Oceana expedition to Alboran Sea uncovers underwater oasis and ‘wasteland’

Gathered data will also support advocacy efforts to ban bottom trawling in European Marine Protected Areas Single-use plastics, abandoned fishing gear, and untreated waste most common pollutants found in seven-day expedition Madrid – Oceana concluded its expedition to the Alboran Sea (South of Spain), where the organisation gathered first-hand evidence of plastic pollution and bottom … Read more

EU makes poor progress on milestones to deliver a healthy ocean by 2030

Yesterday at an EU Ocean Week event, 6 NGOs published their assessment of the EU’s progress to secure a healthy ocean by 2030 – the goal set by the Blue Manifesto(1). The analysis reveals that the EU made little progress in the last year to achieve the necessary targets outlined in the Blue Manifesto(2). Out … Read more

European Parliament calls for action on bottom fishing and true protection for EU’s marine protected areas

Strasbourg – Today, in an important step for the protection of the ocean and the climate, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted amendments which call on the European Union to prohibit extractive industrial activities – which include fishing practices like bottom trawling [1] – in all marine protected areas. The plenary vote on the Own-Initiative Report of … Read more

Oceana Expands Campaigns in the United Kingdom

Oceana, the world’s largest ocean conservation organisation, is expanding its campaigns to protect and restore waters in the United Kingdom (UK). More than 90% of the world’s ocean productivity is under the direct control of 29 countries and the EU. Post-Brexit, the UK exclusive economic zone is ranked among the top 15 fishing areas in … Read more

As EU celebrates 30 years of Natura 2000, NGOs call for these areas to be actually ‘protected’ and for an EU-wide trawl ban in them

As the EU celebrates the 30th anniversary of Natura 2000, NGOs highlight EU countries’ lax implementation of EU nature laws and permissiveness towards widespread destructive fishing, resulting in the conservation status of threatened marine habitats and species remaining overall dire. NGOs call to quickly redress the balance and create an EU-wide ban on bottom trawling … Read more