Oceana calls for the ban to be extended to other fisheries in Portugal and the rest of the EU The Portuguese government has issued a decree prohibiting all deep-sea fishing – with the exception of longlining, which is authorized under certain conditions – in an area spanning 2,280,000 km2, to promote sustainable fisheries and the … 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
Every year, coinciding with the birthday of Linnaeus, the founder of modern taxonomy, the International Institute for Species Exploration at New York State University (IISE – SUNY) publishes a list of the 10 most interesting species discovered. The latest list, released yesterday, includes a giant foraminifer found on a seamount off Cabo de Palos (Murcia). … Read more
Oceana applauds yesterday’s decision by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, to protect the Émile Baudot and Ausiàs March seamounts as well as the Fort d’en Moreu coral reef. The international marine conservation organization spent years documenting these seabeds and actively campaigning for the Spanish and Balearic governments to protect these highly ecologically valuable … Read more
Almost 80% of fish stocks in the Mediterranean Sea are overfished Rome – Today, high-level officials representing Mediterranean countries, including Maria Damanaki, EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, expressed their commitment to put an end to overfishing in the Mediterranean Sea while considering marine ecosystems and preserving fragile habitats. This historical step has been … Read more
In reality, business carries on as usual inside so-called protected areas. While the number of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Baltic Sea and Kattegat continues to increase, the number of areas with actual protection measures unfortunately, isn’t growing at the same rate. Many MPAs completely lack plans that regulate the activities within them. Oceana’s … Read more
Fish, squids and corals full of organisms whose names you can’t even begin to pronounce – our oceans are brimming with life. Yet sometimes it seems that many on land have forgotten that life once began in the ocean and still plays a big role in maintaining the balance on this planet. Even in this … Read more
The combined size of the world’s MPAs exceeds the size of Europe. While that might sound like a very large area, the MPAs in fact cover less than 3 percent of the world’s oceans according to IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature). Only around 1 percent of the world’s oceans are closed to fishing … Read more
The Gorringe Bank, located 1600 nautical miles SW off the Portuguese coast, has been object of several studies since it was discovered in 18875 by Captain Henry Honeychurch Gorringe and his crew. After that, in the twentieth century, Prince Alberto I of Monaco developed various campaigns in the area. Ever since, several studies have taken place … Read more
Thessaloniki, Greece – Today, a joint statement committing to adopt measures to tackle global fleet overcapacity was signed by the EU and major fishing nations including the United States, Colombia, Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. This initiative revives and strengthens the international commitment to address this problem, which was signed in 1999 but has since been … 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.
