Habitat Protection Archives

Oceana’s Contribution with respect to the Commission’s Proposal to issue a Communication on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Atlantic Basin

Oceana considers that the Atlantic basin’s characteristics differ enough from other marine regions to require a specific policy. Nevertheless, this policy will be even more useful if it incorporates more sectors where fishing, protection of marine habitats or energy are some of the main aspects. The commission’s introduction of a framework of integrated marine governability … Read more

Dutch Postcode Lottery funds 2-month Oceana research expedition in the North Sea

Oceana extends its gratitude to the Dutch Postcode Lottery for a generous 2.25 million euro grant to fund a 2-month research expedition in the North Sea. The at-sea work will be carried out in summer this year and will include the filming and photography of deep-sea areas with an underwater robot and professional divers, and … Read more

Starfish with 10 to 11 arms spotted in the Mediterranean

Marine scientists have discovered a population of a species of starfish with 10 and 11 arms living more than 200 m below the surface in waters off Malta (central Mediterranean). These starfish were spotted using an underwater robot during an at-sea survey as part the Life Ba?AR for N2K project, which aims to identify new … Read more

Denmark stands alone in defiance against Baltic Sea marine protection agreement

Denmark threatened to effectively stop progress on a key Baltic Sea regional initiative during the HELCOM Head of Delegation meeting which took place on 14-15 December in Helsinki. This process, prioritized by the EU who is currently chairing HELCOM for the first time, represents an agreement by Baltic Sea Ministers to advance progress towards securing … Read more

Mediterranean countries need to protect an area the size of Ireland by 2020

So far only 7% of the Mediterranean has been protected and deep-sea ecosystems have almost no protection. Tangier, Morocco – An area the size of the Republic of Ireland (71,840 km2) still needs to be protected in the Mediterranean, Oceana warns, if countries are to fulfil their international obligation to protect 10% of coastal and … Read more

Rare species found during Deep-Sea Lebanon Project first-ever surveys of submarine canyons

Scientists explored areas up to 1050 metres deep and found over 200 species, including Atlantic and even polar ones. Lebanon could lead deep-sea marine conservation efforts in Middle East. The Deep-Sea Lebanon Project has concluded a one-month deep-sea expedition, in previously unstudied areas in Lebanon. In total, Oceana and Lebanese scientists documented more than 200 … Read more

International community takes first step for depleted Mediterranean swordfish on World Fisheries Day

Oceana welcomes long-overdue measures to rebuild the depleted and overfished stock, but the plan falls behind expectations Vilamoura, Portugal.-The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has today finalised its one-week long negotiations between 51 countries. ICCAT has finally agreed on a recovery plan for the severely depleted Mediterranean swordfish, which has been … Read more

New analysis reveals lack of trade traceability in lucrative Mediterranean swordfish market

As the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) today enters its fifth day of fisheries negotiations, all 51 countries have the future and fate of Mediterranean swordfish at the top of their agenda. The negotiations are taking place as new data, commissioned by Oceana, reveals a lack of traceability and transparency in … Read more

OCEANA MedNet: A complementary approach for the Mediterranean N2000 in open and deep sea

The Mediterranean Sea is regarded as a biodiversity hotspot and a global priority conservation area. Despite this, it remains under serious threat (overexploited fishing stocks, pollution, habitats destruction, etc.) and y contrast, the current MPA network covers only a minimum percentage of its total surface. This MPA network is neither comprehensive nor representative, as most … Read more

OCEANA MedNet II 30 jewels of the Mediterranean Sea

Since its presentation in February 2011, Oceana MedNet has become well known in many international forums as a comprehensive and diverse proposal for a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network in the Mediterranean. This initiative would strongly promote the preservation of sea resources, as the current MPA network is poorly structured, concentrating on the Northern coast, … Read more