Most marine protected areas (MPAs) have been declared marine extensions of protected terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, these protected sites are around or beside coastal or island marine reserves, natural parks, etc. That means that most of the protected seabeds are normally shallow coastal areas usually no deeper than the infralittoral zone. Deep-sea laminarians extend down to … Read more
Oceana will today meet with representatives of the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO and of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat to present an analysis of the two biggest threats endangering the integrity of the marine environment of Doñana National Park: the planned expansion of the petroleum industry and illegal fishing. This meeting, also attended by other … Read more
Oceana applauds the recent addition of important marine areas to the European Natura 2000 Network. This important step towards correcting the precarious situation of European seas is a significant advance for Danish, French and Spanish waters, but there is still much work to be done. With a surface area of over 9 million km² divided … Read more
All forms of trawling in Belize have been banned in the country’s waters including its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) when Fisheries Minister Rene Montero signed the Statutory Instrument effecting this legislative change today. The ban, effective December 31, 2010, is a historic decision by Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s administration, which has been making these environmentally … Read more
New report details proposal based on four years of undersea research in the Mallorca channel. Oceana has submitted a proposal to protect the main seamounts in the Mallorca channel (known as Ausias March, Ses Olives and Emile Baudot). The document was presented during the 11th session of the Sub-Committee on Marine Environment and Ecosystems of … Read more
As the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) closed today in Paris, France, Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization called it a “massive failure for bluefin tuna and swordfish, with only modest progress for sharks and sea turtles.” “Despite the flowery rhetoric, it was ‘business … Read more
In the Western Mediterranean, the highest concentration of seamounts occurs in the Alboran Sea and adjoining areas, as is the case of Seco de los Olivos seamount off Almeria or the seamounts and volcanic cones off Alboran. The LIFE+INDEMARES project focuses on these mounts and from 2009 to 2013 the project will study 10 Spanish … Read more
We are fast nearing the end of the 2010 ICCAT meeting in Paris. As some of you know, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international body responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and related species, as well as species caught incidentally as bycatch in these fisheries, including … Read more
Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, released a new report today (EN, FR) that estimates that more than 1.3 million highly migratory sharks were caught in the Atlantic Ocean during 2008, without international fisheries management. This estimate demonstrates the need for protections of highly migratory sharks at the 17th Special Meeting of the … Read more
Oceana presents an opening statement with a list of measures in order to restore the stocks of bluefin tuna, sharks and Mediterranean swordfish. The international marine conservation organization Oceana urges the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to restore bluefin tuna and shark populations in the opening statement submitted today for its … 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.
