NGOs call for evaluation of Marine Action Plan and new rules to strengthen protection of EU seas Brussels – No EU country has comprehensive plans to phase out destructive fishing, like bottom trawling, from marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030, a new analysis released today by marine NGOs Oceana, Seas At Risk and ClientEarth reveals. … Read more
Monday, March 10th–Following the conclusion of EU Ocean Days, leading ocean advocates — BLOOM, Blue Marine Foundation, Défense des Milieux Aquatiques, National Geographic Pristine Seas, Oceana, Only One, and Seas At Risk — in collaboration with fishers and scientists, are urging Commissioner Kadis to support a ban on destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling … Read more
In a bid to restore its marine environment, Denmark has announced a proposal to expand its ban on bottom trawling, which will cover a total area of around 23,000 km², equivalent to 17% of its sea area. Currently, fishing with bottom trawling gear is prohibited in 4,864km² of Danish waters. This proposed expansion marks a … Read more
The EU is stepping up to ratify the High Seas Treaty, also known as the BBNJ Agreement – the UN treaty designed to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. These international waters begin 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from the coast. On February 4, Spain became the first EU country to ratify the … Read more
Environment NGOs Seas At Risk, Danish Nature Conservation Association, Oceana and ClientEarth welcome the Danish government’s proposal to ban bottom trawling in over 17% of Danish waters. The establishment of trawl-free areas is a long-awaited step that will provide a much-needed opportunity for marine ecosystems to recover as bottom trawling has pushed the region to … Read more
NGOs – the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), Seas At Risk, Oceana and ClientEarth – welcome last night’s Swedish government proposal to amend legislation, paving the way for a future ban on bottom trawling in Swedish marine protected areas. NGOs celebrate this as an important milestone and urge other EU governments to follow the … Read more
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
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 Version in Arabic Version in Turkish
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
With Ocean Week taking the stage this week in Brussels (30 September- 4 October), 138 organisations call on the newly elected EU institutions to take a series of bold measures to stop the EU’s ocean and coastlines being pushed to the brink, including launching a Ocean Fund and proposing new legislation to ban destructive activities … Read more
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