As the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) convenes in Rome, the Med Sea Alliance, alongside its members Oceana and the Environmental Justice Foundation, is urging member countries to take immediate action to safeguard Mediterranean fisheries. With illegal fishing and depleted fish stocks posing critical threats, the Alliance is calling for decisive measures on … Read more
Ahead of the 47th session of the annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (GFCM) in Rome, Italy, Akdeniz Koruma Derneği, Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, AZIR, ClientEarth, Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy and WWF, who work together to protect the Mediterranean … Read more
New poll conducted by Oceana shows that citizens in Belgium, France, Spain, and Cyprus want to know more about the fish they eat EU Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, should ensure that consumers have basic information on processed seafood A new Oceana poll reveals that 84% of citizens from Belgium, France, Spain and … Read more
The European Union (EU) is one of the three largest seafood markets in the world. With imports representing 70% of all seafood consumed in the EU,1 it has one of the strongest legal frameworks globally to prevent illegally caught seafood from entering its market. Traceability requirements for fresh, frozen and smoked seafood products within the … Read more
In Africa, local communities that depend on fishing for their food security and livelihoods compete with industrial foreign fleets targeting the same fish. After a seven-month collaboration, Financial Times research using data from Oceana unveiled 39 vessels flagged to Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. Even if the vessels were flagged to these countries, they had ownership … Read more
In the EU, one of the largest consumers of fish in the world, it remains difficult for buyers to know which seafood products are harvested sustainably. Most of the seafood products on the EU market come from wild-fisheries (75%) and the rest, from aquaculture. 1 Almost 70% of the EU fish supply comes from imports … Read more
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a threat to fish stocks, coastal communities and those fishing legally. It also generates significant profits for those who orchestrate systematic and deliberate IUU fishing activities. Being able to identify who profits from fishing activities, in particular those who ultimately own or control a vessel, the “beneficial owner,” … Read more
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, Europêche and ANFACOCECOPESCA met with Director-General (DG) Vitcheva on Thursday 4 April 2024 to discuss concerning recent developments in Thailand’s fishing industry and, more broadly, the Union’s policies to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing around the globe. Over the last decade, hard-won reforms have transformed the Thai … Read more
Since 2013, when fishing vessels became eligible to apply for International Maritime Organisation (IMO) numbers, these seven-digit identifiers have gained global recognition as an invaluable tool for vessel identification. Unlike call signs, names, flags, or other registration numbers, IMO numbers remain consistent and permanent throughout a vessel’s lifecycle, from construction to dismantling. They need to … Read more
In December 2023, Toconao[1] (a Liberian-flagged container ship) lost part of its cargo (including plastic pellets), contaminating the coast of Spain and Portugal and triggering an environmental disaster with potential repercussions for marine biodiversity and fisheries. Despite the severity of the situation, identifying those who ultimately control and benefit most from the activity of this … 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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