Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Archives

EU-owned vessels using flags of convenience and tax havens can undermine fight against illegal fishing, new Oceana analysis warns

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

Ten years later: Brussels restaurants still serving mislabelled seafood

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

Brussels restaurants still serving mislabelled seafood ten years after Oceana’s first DNA investigation

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

Oceana reports 50 Spanish fishing vessels for disabling their geolocation systems

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

Keeping fishing vessels visible: why enforcing AIS is critical to combat illegal fishing

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 hidden cost of unlabelled seafood: the risk of consuming unethical and unsustainable seafood in Europe

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

Half of squid products analysed in Brussels and Milan lack basic consumer information, new Oceana study finds

DNA testing in Brussels and Milan reveals that most squid comes from distant waters, raising concerns over potential links to illegal fishing and human rights abuses Oceana demands the strengthening of EU consumer information rules for all seafood products to protect citizens and the ocean Oceana’s latest study reveals that nearly half of the analysed … Read more

Med Sea Alliance urges Mediterranean countries to tackle non compliance and binding transparency rules

Ahead of its meeting this week, the Med Sea Alliance, alongside its members Oceana, and The Nature Conservancy calls on the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) to: “The GFCM has the key to turn the tide on Mediterranean fisheries by requiring IMO numbers in all vessels. At the same time, for the first … Read more

Spain introduces key fisheries law: Marine conservation organisations urge Congress to strengthen transparency and tackle illegal fishing

ClientEarth, Ecologistas en Acción, EJF, Oceana, SEO/BirdLife, and WWF consider the legislative proposal a key opportunity to improve transparency in the fisheries sector and consolidate the country’s leadership in the fight against illegal fishing To be effective, the law must address the publication of information on the individuals and entities benefiting from fishing activities Spain has … Read more

What is Engine Power Fraud and why does it matter?

Engine power fraud is an increasingly concerning issue in the fishing industry, particularly in the Mediterranean. It refers to the deliberate underreporting of the actual engine power of fishing vessels, allowing operators to use more powerful engines than permitted by law. The length of the Problem: The case of the Spanish Mediterranean Oceana’s research … Read more