Oceana, the largest international marine conservation organization, and the city of Helsingborg, Sweden, joined forces in order to enhance the protection of the sensitive benthic habitats in the northern part of the Sound. The area, known to be an important home to many commercial fish, like cod and flounder, boasts a high diversity of species … Read more
You may remember last year around this time, we launched our first ever expedition into the Baltic Sea. It’s that time of year again! Our chartered research vessel, the Hanse Explorer, set sail yesterday. Our team will spend two months covering 7,000 miles through the waters of the nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea (Denmark, … Read more
What does this mean? Being awarded SPAMI status means that the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention have granted these places the highest possible protection within the treaty, committing to observe the protection and conservation measures that affect them. The new 7 additions to the list are: The Blue Coast Marine Park (France), The Embiez … Read more
Oceana is deeply disturbed by this decision, which is a clear step in the wrong direction for a government that has prided itself on its efforts to support sustainability. Mussel dredging is extremely destructive, and severely disturbs all benthic life, which can take up to 20 years for a full recovery. “It is absolutely unacceptable … Read more
Oceana campaigns on a permanent basis to prevent overfishing of sharks, mainly caught for their meat and fins. Products ranging from football boots, notebook covers, dietary supplements, beauty products and liver oil among others are obtained form shark by-products. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones in the family with problems: rays, their close relatives, … Read more
Oceana’s expedition to the southeast Spanish coast, in the Almeria region, had an unexpected outcome. Using a submarine robot, we recorded more than 50 species along the Abubacer ridge, but one of them in particular, made quite an impression: an unidentified black coral. It could be a species new to science and, at the moment, … Read more
Very often here at Oceana, we are faced with the task of making recommendations when ship accidents happen and we always demand that companies immediately remove pollutants than can cause an environmental disaster. Today none of this will be necessary, because the shipping company that owns “Maverick Two”, the ferry that ran aground last week … Read more
Some species seek security, constancy and the lowest possible degree of risk in the environment around them. Others however live in areas where conditions vary not only by the season, but by the hour of the day. Such is the case for barnacles, many of which can be found attached to rocks and mussels in … Read more
Oceana deplores the failure of the European Union to take a decision on the protection of threatened sharks and rays in the Mediterranean, at the biennial meeting of the Barcelona Convention, in Paris. The strict protection of ten species of sharks and rays, for which non-EU nations had already indicated their support, hinged on 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.
