Oceana is calling for an end to the overfishing of severely overexploited fish stocks in European waters as negotiations between the EU and UK start today under the Specialised Fisheries Committee. This new committee provides a forum for discussion and agreement on fisheries management, to prepare the annual consultations through which fishing opportunities for 2022 … Read more
In June 2021, member countries of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)’s Integrated Monitoring Measures (IMM) working group met online to discuss and consider the advancement of ICCAT’s conservation and management measures. During this meeting, IMM members reviewed a series of proposals including those intended to strengthen ICCAT’s measures aimed at combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Among these was a proposal tabled … Read more
Ahead of the adoption on 9th July of a new 2030 strategy for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), Oceana is calling on fisheries ministers from the Mediterranean and Black Sea to deliver its actions without delay. In particular, Oceana urges ministers to prioritize the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems and essential fish … Read more
Advice by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) released today shows that reducing bottom-trawling efforts by 26% could result in protecting 70% of Europe’s Atlantic sea area with small impact on the fishing sector, while delivering huge benefits to the marine environment. These include restoring biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Nicolas … Read more
Brussels. The rate of overfishing has increased in European waters, according to today’s report by the European Commission on the state of play of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Oceana deplores this confirmation that the EU is moving further away from its legal commitment to exploit all harvested fish populations sustainably. To add to this, … Read more
New data shows 10% increase in total trawling hours in UK benthic MPAs in 2020, despite COVID19 On World Oceans Day, 8 June 2021, marine conservation groups call on the UK and on devolved Governments to commit to ban trawling in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and properly protect our precious marine environment. This coincides with … Read more
1. Introduction In October 2021, EU fisheries ministers will agree on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2022. As the deadline to end overfishing by 2020 at the latest as legally prescribed by Article 2(2) of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)1 has passed, all fishing limits must be in line with sustainable exploitation rates. … Read more
The ocean is key to tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies Life on Earth depends on the ocean: no matter where you are, you depend on the ocean and its unique and rich biodiversity for the production of oxygen, food, energy, and the enormous amount of heat and carbon it absorbs. Yet, as United Nations … Read more
Summary Seven years after the last reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) entered into force, the EU, which has exclusive competence in this area, is yet to succeed in fulfilling its objectives. Implementation and enforcement challenges remain, often due to Member States’ inaction, insufficient oversight by the European Commission and industry resistance to change. … Read more
The EU and the UK have at last reached their first annual agreement concerning their shared fish populations, setting quotas for over 75 commercial fish stocks and adopting provisions for the exploitation of non-quota stocks in 2021. Oceana welcomes the willingness of both parties to cooperate but considers that some of the adopted measures fall … 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.
Oceana in Europe gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.
