Seco de los Olivos (aka Chella Bank) was chosen for protection within Natura 2000, the network that gathers together the most valuable natural areas of the EU. Oceana spent five years studying this seamount in south east Spain. Its range of depths varies between 76 and 700 metres below the surface, so it could only … Read more
The ongoing discussions in the circle of EU bodies will soon determine the future of red coral in EU waters. In the current situation, it would be appropriate to ask the question: “will a future for red coral in Europe be guaranteed?” The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is an organization in charge … Read more
The ministry has proposed to include four more areas of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project in the Natura 2000 network, which gives protection to the most important natural areas in the EU Oceana applauds the protection of Seco de los Olivos, a seamount 12 nautical miles south of the coast of Almerimar (Almería) that the … Read more
Following last week’s World Parks Congress in Sydney, the IUCN red list was updated, showing that the Pacific Bluefin tuna, Chinese puffer fish, American eel, Chinese cobra and the Australian butterfly are currently being pushed to the limit. The Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) was moved from the “least at risk” category to now be … Read more
Lack of agreement for key commercial stocks like mackerel, blue whiting or herring Today, the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), responsible for managing fishery resources in the international waters of that region, has finished its week-long annual meeting in London. Oceana, an NGO observer to NEAFC, strongly welcomes the measures adopted for shark management … Read more
Cepesca and Oceana have called upon the 49 Contracting Parties to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) to close legal loopholes that still allow some fleets to carry out illegal finning of sharks (i.e., removing shark fins at sea while discarding the bodies), by adopting a measure requiring all sharks to … Read more
Sharks in the deep waters of the Northeast Atlantic continue to face a bleak future, according to new scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Scientists produced recommendations for three deep-sea shark species (kitefin shark, leafscale gulper shark, and Portuguese dogfish), and their advice remains unchanged from that of … Read more
With the support of the Biodiversity Foundation and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Oceana has conducted over ten ROV dives at depths of between 80 and 1,000 meters around El Hierro Island in the Canaries, as well as several others with divers in shallower areas. Through this work, Oceana has documented large … Read more
Yesterday, the entry of 5 new species of sharks and all manta rays to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix II went into effect, as agreed on in the CITES meeting last year in Bangkok, Thailand. The shark species that are now included in this list are the Oceanic Whitetip, the … Read more
The government projects that El Hierro will be made into the first marine national park in Spain Today, Oceana launched an expedition with the support of Biodiversity Foundation to document the waters around the island of El Hierro, which is expected to become the first marine national park in Spain. The one-month campaign will be … 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.
