NGOs call for evaluation of Marine Action Plan and new rules to strengthen protection of EU seas Brussels – No EU country has comprehensive plans to phase out destructive fishing, like bottom trawling, from marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030, a new analysis released today by marine NGOs Oceana, Seas At Risk and ClientEarth reveals. … Read more
Monday, March 10th–Following the conclusion of EU Ocean Days, leading ocean advocates — BLOOM, Blue Marine Foundation, Défense des Milieux Aquatiques, National Geographic Pristine Seas, Oceana, Only One, and Seas At Risk — in collaboration with fishers and scientists, are urging Commissioner Kadis to support a ban on destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling … Read more
In a bid to restore its marine environment, Denmark has announced a proposal to expand its ban on bottom trawling, which will cover a total area of around 23,000 km², equivalent to 17% of its sea area. Currently, fishing with bottom trawling gear is prohibited in 4,864km² of Danish waters. This proposed expansion marks a … Read more
Environment NGOs Seas At Risk, Danish Nature Conservation Association, Oceana and ClientEarth welcome the Danish government’s proposal to ban bottom trawling in over 17% of Danish waters. The establishment of trawl-free areas is a long-awaited step that will provide a much-needed opportunity for marine ecosystems to recover as bottom trawling has pushed the region to … Read more
NGOs – the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), Seas At Risk, Oceana and ClientEarth – welcome last night’s Swedish government proposal to amend legislation, paving the way for a future ban on bottom trawling in Swedish marine protected areas. NGOs celebrate this as an important milestone and urge other EU governments to follow the … Read more
This week, Mediterranean countries have failed to adopt permanent measures banning destructive fishing practices – like bottom trawling – over parts of the Cabliers Bank, a 400,000-year-old coral reef in the Alboran Sea. Oceana strongly criticises this decision, which leaves such a biodiversity hotspot vulnerable to fishing impacts, and weakens the prospects of establishing a … Read more
Polls expose gap between people’s opinion of marine protection in Europe and the stark reality Nearly 9 in 10 citizens (86%) surveyed across seven EU countries expect their political leaders to prioritise the protection of marine biodiversity, according to the results of national polls conducted by Sapience and published today. The study further identifies that, … Read more
There are over 2100 marine Natura 2000 sites designated across Europe’s seas under the EU Habitats Directive. Member States have designated such sites to protect and recover both important marine habitats such as reefs and sandbanks and a range of iconic species including the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and grey and … Read more
Leading civil society organisations have launched a campaign calling on the EU to take tougher action against EU countries that still allow bottom trawling in their Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), after a new report reveals that the destructive fishing practice is still taking place in 90% of offshore EU MPAs. The report, co-authored by Marine … Read more
Plenary likely to approve report by Fisheries Committee that supports destructive fishing and undermines Parliament’s position on biodiversity targets Marine NGOs Seas At Risk and Oceana are sounding the alarm that the European Parliament is poised to adopt a report on the Marine Action Plan (1) on 18 January supporting destructive fishing. The report was … Read more
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