Spanish Government opens proceedings against alleged pirates

The Spanish Government has announced the launch of ‘Operation Sparrow’, an investigation into several companies for alleged links with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. If the investigation finds links to IUU fishing, including financial connections, it could lead to the imposition of significant fines on Spanish companies and citizens involved. This is the … Read more

EU to ban fish imports from Sri Lanka for illegal fishing

Brussels — Today, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and WWF welcome a decision by the European Union fisheries ministers to sanction Sri Lanka for its failure to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. After months of discussion, ministers have decided to ‘red-card’ Sri Lanka by putting in place trade … Read more

Spain Announces Law to Fight Pirate Fishing

Spain, which is Europe’s largest fishing country and the biggest importer and exporter of seafood products in the European Union, has become the first Member State to take action against pirate fishing. Spain introduced a new fisheries law that imposes stronger penalties on Spanish citizens found to be involved with pirate fishing anywhere around the … Read more

Yet more species pushed to the limit

Following last week’s World Parks Congress in Sydney, the IUCN red list was updated, showing that the Pacific Bluefin tuna, Chinese puffer fish, American eel, Chinese cobra and the Australian butterfly are currently being pushed to the limit. The Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) was moved from the “least at risk” category to now be … Read more

Oceana: ICCAT cannot ignore pirate fishing happening in its waters

Today, Oceana has called upon the 49 Contracting Parties to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to examine and take action on activities related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the ICCAT Convention area, involving pirate vessels that are blacklisted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine … Read more

Oceana celebrates NEAFC improvements on shark management

Lack of agreement for key commercial stocks like mackerel, blue whiting or herring Today, the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), responsible for managing fishery resources in the international waters of that region, has finished its week-long annual meeting in London. Oceana, an NGO observer to NEAFC, strongly welcomes the measures adopted for shark management … Read more

OCEANA alerts that EU is turning blind eye to swordfish overfishing

EU maintains inaction despite accounting for 90% of the fleet responsible. Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, has sounded the alarm today on the European Union’s reluctance to take measures for the recovery of Mediterranean swordfish. According to an assessment carried out by scientists earlier this year, the stock is overfished; it has declined steeply … Read more