Though failing to improve protections for bluefin tuna, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) increased the number of shark species prohibited for retention in ICCAT fisheries. Specifically, the group improved conservation measures for oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks and shortfin mako sharks. In addition, ICCAT put in place new measures to … Read more
The Biodiversity Summit in Japan is kicking off week 2 and we thought we’d give you a recap with some highlights and news stories from last week. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity released a report highlighted the enourmous (but necessary) cost of altering the global economy to put value on forests, reefs and other … Read more
In light of tomorrow’s EU Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting, Oceana strongly urges increased protection for endangered bluefin tuna, swordfish and sharks, and reminds the EU of its commitment to restore fish stocks to the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). The Ministers will be discussing the EU position for the upcoming meeting of the Contracting Parties … Read more
Today, delegates from over 190 nations are converging at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Nagoya, Japan. For 2 weeks, they will be discussing ways to curb the erosion of biodiversity on the planet. Ryo Matsumoto, Japan’s Environment Minister said “we are now close to a ‘tipping point’ – that is, we are … Read more
The Census of Marine Life, the results of which were presented this week, was an incredible effort that took 2700 scientists from 80 nations over ten years (and 9000 days at sea!) to complete. This project, which also included the participation of more than 600 institutions, including the World Register of Marine Species, is one … Read more
Yesterday, we attended Invasion of the Jellyfish, an interesting meeting hosted by the European Parliament’s Seas and Coastal Areas Intergroup. It sounds like the name of a low-budget 80s horror movie, but it’s unfortunately the growing reality in coastal waters around the world. Here’s a quick download on what you need to know about the … Read more
Well we can’t say we are too surprised, but it’s still incredibly frustrating that OSPAR member states choose to continue endangering the health and future of an ecosystem on which millions of Europeans depend. Good news first – European countries agreed to create six new marine protected areas. This is an historic decision because they … Read more
Seagrasses are plants with roots, stems and leaves adapted to living in the marine environment and capable of producing flowers, fruits and seeds. These plants are more evolved and complex than seaweed, which have a more simple structure, although the two species are often confused. Seagrass beds occur extensively in shallow waters and can reach … Read more
It has been a busy few days for us at OSPAR. So far the meetings we’ve assisted have been incredibly interesting, but the entire process is exhausting and rather intense: we’ve been getting back to our hotel at around 23h and waking up very early in the morning to prepare for meetings. The delegates look … Read more
Today marks the beginning of the OSPAR Commission meeting in Bergen, Norway. In case you are wondering what this actually is, we thought we’d give you a bit of background on the Commission and what it is that they do. OSPAR is the result of the 1992 unification of two international Conventions related to 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.
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