Swedish government urged to protect vital species and ecosystems. Oceana has identified Klints Bank and the area East of Gotland as one of the locations in need to protection. As part of its 2012 Baltic Expedition, the marine conservation organization has been conducting extensive research in the past few days to bolster data collected in … Read more
For the first time in its 60-year history, the FAO’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean took action for shark protection. The Commission adopted measures for the management and conservation of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean, the region of highest risk in the world for these fishes. Twenty-three Mediterranean countries endorsed a proposal from … Read more
Oceana last week presented MedNet, a proposal for a network of 100 marine protected areas in the Mediterranean, to the scientific community at the International Conference on Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, MarCoastEcos2012. The conference addressed the protection of marine and coastal areas, and other important issues related to the preservation of ecosystem functioning, climate change, … Read more
While shark finning has technically been banned in the EU since 2003, a number of loopholes remain. Some countries grant special permits that allow fishing vessels to remove shark fins on board, on the basis that they keep both fins and meat and that landed fins do not exceed 5% of the live weight of … Read more
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
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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.
