Habitat Protection Archives

Mediterranean countries advance on fighting illegal fishing in the world’s most overfished sea

Oceana praises the progress made by Mediterranean countries during a fisheries compliance meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), held last week in Tirana, Albania. At the conclusion of the regional gathering between 24 contracting parties, delegates agreed to adopt a stricter sanctioning process for non-compliant Mediterranean countries, and to mprove transparency … Read more

Using “big data” to evaluate MPA effectiveness – the case of reefs in EU

The study looked into the fishing activity across marine Nature 2000 sites having a focus on variety of protected features protected by the Habitats Directive. Significant incompatible fishing activity was observed inside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across all of the European Union (EU), particularly within reef and sandbank habitats types (codes 1170 and 1110).This poster summarizes … Read more

Cold-Water Coral Associated Fauna in the Mediterranean Sea and Adjacent Areas

Recent Discoveries of Extensive Cold-Water Coral Assemblages in Maltese Waters Recent deep-water remotely operated vehicle surveys around the Maltese Islands resulted in the discovery of highly diverse habitats, including extensive hard bottom areas dominated by gorgonians and living cold-water corals with a rich variety of associated fauna. Black coral (Leiopathes glaberrima) forests were dominant at … Read more

Oceana denounces potential cases of illegal, unreported and poorly regulated fishing across the Mediterranean Sea

Oceana has unveiled potential cases of illegal, unreported and poorly regulated fishing in the waters of the Mediterranean – the world’s most overfished sea (80% of fish stocks). The findings from this analysis will be submitted to the meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) this week in Tirana, Albania. The analysis is based … Read more

Towards the Creation of a Marine Protected Area in the Aeolian Islands

Executive Summary The Aeolian archipelago, off the northern coast of Sicily, has long been recognised as a major area of importance for marine biodiversity. The waters surrounding these volcanic islands are characterised by steeply sloped bottoms that host a wide array of habitats – including seagrass meadows, seamounts, and hydrothermal vents – over a large … Read more

Cod crisis deepens in North Sea

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has announced today the collapse of the North Sea cod population, and has recommended reducing its catch limits by 70% for 2020. In order to revert its critical situation, Oceana strongly encourages EU decision-makers to follow this advice, which is the result of an updated … Read more

Oceana calls upon Mediterranean countries to protect areas crucial for fish survival to address overfishing crisis

On eve of political summit, Oceana releases online viewer displaying information on crucial lifecycle areas for fish populations, and current sites closed to fishing Ahead of a political meeting to address the overfishing crisis in the Mediterranean, Oceana is calling upon the region’s countries to protect essential fish habitats (EFHs) as an urgent measure to … Read more

10 things anyone can do to save the oceans!

We hear you. Loud and clear: you’d like to know how or what you can do to help save the oceans. Here are 10 simple steps you can take to help protect our seas and oceans. Drum roll, please… In no particular order: 1. When buying fish, think “where, how and what size” – Fresh … Read more

UK becomes ocean champion with 41 new Marine Conservation Zones

The UK government has announced today that it will create 41 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), taking the new total of MCZs in the UK to 91 Zones, which together cover 32,000 km² (over 12.300 square miles). The move to designate more sites in British waters is welcomed by marine conservation organisation Oceana, and … Read more

Protecting the North Sea

The North Sea is considered one of the most productive seas in the world, with a broad diversity of plankton, invertebrates, fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and other organisms that inhabit its waters and its seabed. It is also of great social and economic value due its fisheries, oil and gas extraction, harbours, and industry — … Read more