EU Requires Tracking Systems for All Its Fishing Vessels

The European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council agreed a new law that requires all European Union (EU) fishing vessels, including 49,000 small-scale vessels, to install and use tracking systems by 2030 at the latest. Tracking systems have numerous benefits for the ocean, including promoting sustainable fisheries by increasing transparency about fishing activities. Simultaneously, … Read more

Cutting the lines to IUU fishing: Five actions governments can take

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global phenomenon that depletes fish stocks, harms local communities and marine ecosystems, creates unfair market competition, and deprives governments of billions of dollars in tax revenue each year. IUU fishing is notoriously difficult to tackle, not least because it usually occurs far from shore. Pursuing violators can … Read more

European Parliament votes to bring EU fisheries into the digital era

After no less than 5 years of negotiations, the European Parliament has voted in favour of adopting the new EU fisheries Control Regulation After years of complex technical negotiations, the EU’s new system to ensure that fisheries rules are effectively applied has been formally adopted by the European Parliament. Cameras on vessels identified as being … Read more

Charting Progress since MedFish4Ever Declaration

As Mediterranean states of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) gather for the High-level Conference on MedFish4Ever Initiatives, it presents a valuable opportunity to reflect, assess, and implement lessons learned since the adoption of the Malta MedFish4Ever Declaration in 2017. This declaration on the future of Mediterranean fisheries adopted in Malta in 2017 … Read more

Oceana flags three ocean priorities to be addressed by the EU Spanish presidency

Spain needs to ensure the adoption of the Nature Restoration Law, and show leadership on files related to the energy transition, catch limits, and seafood traceability Oceana urges the Spanish presidency of the EU Council to prioritise ocean-related issues during the second half of 2023, considering the dire climate and biodiversity crises in EU waters … Read more

Oceana applauds landmark rules for EU fisheries control: vessel tracking will be compulsory for all fishing vessels

The organisation worked tirelessly with fishers, NGOs, and vessel-tracking companies to make this victory a reality The new Fisheries Control Regulation will benefit the ocean and its ecosystems as well as EU fishers Brussels.- Oceana applauds the approval by the Member States’ representatives and the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament of the new Fisheries … Read more

Blue Manifesto: The roadmap to a healthy ocean in 2030

This report reviews the progress –if any– on the milestones of the Blue Manifesto, the roadmap to a healthy ocean by 2030. This third assessment looks at the milestones set for 2022 and updates the milestones for 2021 and 2020. When comparing the scoring between these three years, it is clear that there is a … Read more

World Ocean Day: Poor ocean policies put iconic marine wildlife at risk

Oceana urges the EU to raise the ambition to rebuild marine abundance and increase ocean resilience to the climate crisis On World Ocean Day, Oceana calls on decision-makers to create and enforce laws to rebuild European seas and increase their resilience to the climate crisis. Most of the problems that are devastating the ocean can … Read more

Conservative politicians, profits, and pan-seared sturgeon

This World Ocean Day, ‘the tides may be changing’, but political will remains stagnant when it comes to saving Europe’s seas. Dozens of Europe’s most iconic marine species are critically endangered. That’s CRI-TIC-CAL-LY endangered—just two steps below “extinct in the wild” and “extinct” in the IUCN Red List. Sharks and rays, including the hammerhead and … Read more