ClientEarth and Oceana have appealed before Spain’s Supreme Court after authorities declined to investigate Spanish vessels suspected of illegal fishing in West African waters. The case, now being appealed from the Superior Court of Madrid, focuses on vessels owned by Spanish companies but operating under foreign flags in the waters of Senegal and Guinea Bissau. … Read more
As one of the world’s biggest importers of seafood products, the European Union has become a global leader in the efforts to combat illegal fishing. Yet an important gap remains unaddressed by European authorities. EU citizens and companies own fishing vessels that operate under non-EU flags, including Flags of Convenience (FoC). These are issued by states with weak fisheries monitoring, control, and surveillance mechanisms. What are flags … Read more
Highlights Abstract This study provides the first assessment of labelling compliance and species authenticity of squid-based products sold in two major EU cities, Brussels and Milan. A total of 198 products were collected from supermarkets, fishmongers and the food service sector. They were analysed through label evaluation and molecular authentication using DNA barcoding (mono-species samples) … Read more
New European Commission study reveals how secret vessel ownership undermines the fight against illegal fishing Each fishing vessel must be registered in a country, and ‘flies its flag’. A new study by the European Commission confirms that EU fishing companies flag their vessels to countries with minimal disclosure requirements on vessel information and beneficial ownership structures, making them ideal for concealing illegal and unsustainable fishing activities. This practice is closely … Read more
The organisation urges the EU to track European owners of fishing vessels flagged to high-risk countries Spanish, Portuguese, and Lithuanian operators account for the highest numbers of EU owners operating under high-risk flags Oceana warns in its new analysis that at least 105 large scale fishing vessels owned by EU citizens or companies are operating under flags of convenience, tax havens, or countries facing EU warnings for failing to tackle illegal fishing. The … Read more
Using DNA methods, Oceana sampled fish and squid sold in restaurants in Brussels, including in the canteens of the European Parliament and the European Commission. Ten years after we first investigated seafood mislabelling in Brussels, the results reveal that information provided to consumers about seafood is frequently lacking or misleading. Has fish mislabelling improved in … Read more
The organisation’s newly released DNA study reveals a 77% fish mislabelling rate in Brussels restaurants, including EU institutions canteens A decade after Oceana first exposed widespread seafood mislabelling in Brussels restaurants, a new investigation shows that the problem persists. Using DNA testing, Oceana sampled 30 fish dishes from restaurants across the city, including in the canteens of the European Parliament and European Commission, and found that 77% … Read more
The intentional disabling of Automatic Identification System (AIS) devices installed on fishing vessels is a widespread problem in global and EU fisheries control. Previous investigations have shown that some fishing vessels routinely turn off these location transmitters to hide their movements, often in sensitive areas such as marine protected areas or the waters of third … Read more
The organisation calls on Spain to strengthen monitoring and penalize this practice, which undermines transparency in the fishing sector Operating a fishing vessel without an Automatic Identification System (AIS) is considered an infringement under European and Spanish law Oceana has reported 50 fishing vessels to the Spanish Government for deliberately disabling their Automatic Identification System (AIS). This … Read more
Europe is one of the most important consumers of seafood globally, importing almost 70% of its total supply, yet close to half of the products sold on the market are not required to provide any information about the species they contain or their origin. This investigation led by Oceana examined how the lack of labelling … 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.
