On the occasion of World Oceans Day today, 8 June, Oceana warns of the detrimental impact rubbish dumping and waste pollution is having on the world’s oceans and marine wildlife. Such continued misuse of the world’s oceans as a dumping ground is hampering global conservation efforts to protect marine habitats and to restore depleted fish … Read more
Following campaigning by Oceana, three Fisheries Restricted Areas were created by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in the Strait of Sicily, protecting 1,493 square km between Italy, Malta and Tunisia from bottom trawling and preserving nursery areas. By preserving these areas, essential fish habitats for commercial fisheries stocks, a key step has … Read more
Oceana applauds the closure to bottom fish trawling of three nursery areas for hake and deep-sea rose shrimp in the Strait of Sicily and a temporal closure in the Gulf of Gabes. This decision, following a proposal tabled by Oceana, was sealed today in St. Julian (Malta) during the 40th meeting of the General Fisheries … Read more
Oceana calls to preserve these essential habitats for hake and deep-water rose shrimp during this week’s GFCM meeting Today Oceana unveiled never-before-seen images from the Strait of Sicily, showing damage caused by bottom trawling in areas that are essential for the reproduction of hake and deep-water rose shrimp. On the occasion of the 40th Session … Read more
Oceana in Europe campaigned with our colleagues in the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition for the prohibition of deep sea bottom trawling in the North East Atlantic waters. This victory provides increased protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems and deep-sea sharks. The European Parliament, Council and Commission reached an agreement that bans all trawling below 800m depth … Read more
Mediterranean countries have committed to develop new management measures for vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) by 2018 at the latest. These unique ecosystems include cold water coral reefs, gardens of soft corals and deep-sea sponge aggregations, which are frequently associated with high levels of biodiversity. The first action will be to define a list of Mediterranean … Read more
Following campaigning by Oceana, three Fisheries Restricted Areas were created by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in the Strait of Sicily, protecting 1,493 square km between Italy, Malta and Tunisia from bottom trawling and preserving nursery areas. By preserving these areas, essential fish habitats for commercial fisheries stocks, a key step has … Read more
The protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) has been a legal obligation for RFMOs since 2008, with specific requirements laid out under United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolutions 59/25, 61/105 and 64/72. However, GFCM lags far behind other RFMOs in fulfilling these obligations. GFCM measures to protect VMEs are limited to three fisheries restricted areas … Read more
Recent scientific studies have demonstrated that vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) such as cold water coral reefs, gardens of soft corals, and deep-sea sponge aggregations are found in many areas of the Mediterranean Sea, and are unique. These ecosystems are frequently associated with high levels of biodiversity, and provide habitat for very specific assemblages of species, … Read more
The 40th meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and Black Sea (GFCM) represents an opportunity for its Contracting Parties to consolidate the role of this Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, by translating the recently reformed Agreement into effective fisheries management. In recent years, GFCM has made progress in its approach to fisheries management, … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
Oceana in Europe gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.
