The first light of day passes through the porthole; the sea is calm and quiet. Several seabirds are welcoming the day. We are already in the next diving station. The first time we put the ROV in the water we had a problem with the high definition camera, and had to abort the immersion. After … Read more
After ten years of expeditions, once again another Oceana campaign kicks off. This time, the goal is to document the seamounts in the Mallorca Channel through video and bionomic mapping. It is now eight o’clock sharp, and the Cathedral of Palma is disappearing from view, and the bow of the ship is pointing towards the Cabrera … Read more
Marine cave communities have been a continued source of ecological surprises, among other things because of their close ecological and evolutionary ties with the deep sea. The discovery of cladorhizid sponges, the deepest occurring poriferan family, in shallow Mediterranean caves in the 1990s was one such surprise, leading to the generally accepted hypothesis that the … Read more
The ministerial order should make reference to the Mediterranean Regulation, which defines fundamental fisheries regulations affecting two of the areas protected today. Oceana congratulates the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA) for the publication of the order, which approves the proposal to include four areas of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project in the list of … Read more
A SUPERFÍCIE INTERDITA ÀS ARTES DE PESCA DESTRUTIVAS EM ÁGUAS PROFUNDAS QUADRUPLICA EM AREA O TAMANHO DA PENÍNSULA IBÉRICA A OCEANA PEDE QUE ESTA PROIBIÇÃO SEJA ESTENDIDA PARA O RESTO DAS PESQUERÍAS DE PORTUGAL E DA UE O Governo português proibiu por decreto de lei todas as artes de pesca de fundo –exceptuando o palangre, … Read more
France’s position on the reform of European deep-sea fishing regulations is even less justifiable in the light of this new information. On 2 July 2014, the French Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) released data on the activities of French deep-sea bottom trawlers that non-government organizations (NGOs) have been demanding since national multi-stakeholder … Read more
A few days ago, in the coastal town of Cascais, Portugal, the OSPAR Commission marked their 2014 meeting with a decision to protect 11 vulnerable marine species and five habitats in the North-East Atlantic. European eels, cod, spotted rays and seamounts are among those that will receive protection. The OSPAR Commission, which was set up … Read more
A few days ago, the Internet was abuzz with news about the Chilean Devil Ray’s ability to reach previously unknown depths. What a perfect excuse to introduce this species to our readers! Despite its intimidating name, this mostly solitary creature (though it can be found in groups) is harmless to humans and feeds on small … Read more
Oceana today proposed a set of measures to tackle the alarming amount of overfishing occuring in the Mediterranean Sea, which affects 88 out of 97 of assessed fish stocks. The percentage of overfished stocks in this sea has been increasing over the years, cementing this region’s position as the worst hit in Europe. The international … Read more
Today, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) delivered its advice for 2015 catches in the Baltic Sea, including the largest cuts in total allowable catches for cod in years. This move comes after ICES scientists reported a particularly worrying development for eastern Baltic cod: While over the past few years, the … 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.
