Oceana applauds the European Parliament for voting today in favour of a strict ban on shark finning, which will require all sharks caught in EU waters, and by EU vessels fishing worldwide, to be landed with their fins still naturally attached. The measure closes long-standing enforcement loopholes in EU policy on shark finning, will improve … Read more
On November 22nd, the European Parliament will vote to adopt a multiannual plan for salmon in the Baltic Sea. This species has suffered years of mismanagement through sporadic measures such as closed seasons and annual total allowable catches (TAC) set in total disregard of scientific advice, and is now listed as declining and/or threatened in … Read more
Agadir (Morocco) – As the annual ICCAT Meeting closes its doors today, Oceana, an official observer at the meeting, welcomes the steps taken for Eastern bluefin tuna management in 2013, but has grave concerns about the lack of new measures for threatened highly migratory species of sharks, and overall weak compliance with existing measures. Contracting … Read more
The seabeds which attract most attention due to their extraordinary wealth are coralligenous seabeds, where illegal trawling is being performed. The authors of the report request that trawling activities move to greater depths. The enlargement of the Cabrera National Park has the support of many researchers who have examined the seabeds surrounding this area. A … Read more
Today, the European Union has resumed negotiations on a common EU position for the next ICCAT meeting, which takes place next week in Agadir (Morocco). Scientists have called for a precautionary approach to Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, which remains overexploited. The EU has agreed on the possibility of increasing the quota within scientific … Read more
The organizations are pushing to appoint three new large and coherent marine protected areas that have stricter protection than the current marine Natura 2000 sites. The report, co-authored by Oceana, describes the marine environment in Denmark as not doing well, noting a general decline in species diversity. The decline is mainly caused by several anthropogenic … Read more
Yesterday, the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers discussed the 2013 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea in Luxembourg. Oceana is pleased with the Council decisions on cod, plaice, herring and sprat but disappointed in the decision to set the TAC for Baltic Salmon more than twice as high as the number given by scientific advice. “The … Read more
Oceana is appalled by the vote of the Industry, Transport, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament, which adopted this morning its report on the proposal for a Regulation on safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities. Following intense lobbying from the oil industry and oil-drilling Member States opposed … Read more
Pirate fishermen have found a gold mine in deep-sea sharks and are illegally catching these vulnerable species to sell their highly valued liver oil. In recent months, vessels which are internationally blacklisted because of previous Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing activities (IUU fishing) have been engaging in rampant pirate fishing for deep-sea sharks in the … Read more
Loophole in EU law allows shark liver oil captured illegally around the world to reach EU consumers as Omega-3. Oceana has called upon the European Commission to amend weak EU laws that leave European markets open to liver oil from illegally caught deep-sea sharks. In recent months, vessels which are internationally blacklisted because of previous … 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.
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