Imagine if Spaniards only ate fish from their own waters. Yesterday, Spain ran out of its own fish stocks, and now will have to depend on imports from other countries – for the rest of the year. May 8th marked Fish Dependence Day in Spain, about two months ahead of Fish Dependence Day for the … Read more
Inaction of decision makers and open access fisheries, called to question by Oceana. The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) closed its 35th Session in Rome on Saturday. According to recent scientific advice, 22 of 23 Mediterranean stocks are overexploited, including highly valuable commercial species like red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus), hake (Merluccius merluccius) and … Read more
The Importance of Addressing By-Catch and Discard Management. In Europe around 1,3 million tonnes of marine fish are discarded every year, representing 13% of total catches. Because in most cases discards do not survive, the negative ramifications of this enormous waste of marine resources are severe. The unnecessary death of juvenile and mature individuals of … Read more
1.3 Million Tons – That’s how many marine fish (and other organisms) are discarded and dumped overboard (dead most often than not) by EU fishermen every year. The amount of waste, which represents 13% of the total catch, is difficult to fathom, and even more so at a time when we are fighting so hard … Read more
Oceana welcomes the informal proposal of a gradual ban discard presented this afternoon by the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, to the Member States. Though the purpose of this meeting was not to make a final management proposal of discards, Oceana applauds this new attempt to discuss this issue and urges … Read more
Oceana celebrates the step forward taken by Moroccan authorities to comply with international legislation and demands that the process of eliminating driftnets be transparent and conclusive. For years Oceana has documented and lodged complaints about the presence of these illegal nets in ports such as Tangier, Nador and Al Hoceima, for the fishing of swordfish, … Read more
In two years’ time, the percentage of fully exploited, overexploited or depleted stocks has risen from 80% to 85% Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, highlights the urgent need for better scientific data on worldwide fish stocks, following last night’s release of the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) report on the State of World Fisheries … Read more
Oceana will today meet with representatives of the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO and of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat to present an analysis of the two biggest threats endangering the integrity of the marine environment of Doñana National Park: the planned expansion of the petroleum industry and illegal fishing. This meeting, also attended by other … Read more
As the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) closed today in Paris, France, Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization called it a “massive failure for bluefin tuna and swordfish, with only modest progress for sharks and sea turtles.” “Despite the flowery rhetoric, it was ‘business … Read more
We are fast nearing the end of the 2010 ICCAT meeting in Paris. As some of you know, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international body responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and related species, as well as species caught incidentally as bycatch in these fisheries, including … Read more
Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana.
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.
