The Mediterranean: Illegal fishing in our backyard?

Being one of the busiest seas in the world, the Mediterranean is also a sea where illicit fishing activities still go unnoticed and thus unpunished…until now. Most of the cases of illegal fishing that make news in Europe seem to happen in far flung regions such as the Pacific or even the Antarctic. But such … Read more

Joint NGO priorities on the Multi-annual plan for the Western Mediterranean Sea (WMedMAP)

The Commission’s proposal is a first step in the right direction to tackle the long-lasting overfishing situation in the Mediterranean Sea and realise the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)’s objectives of achieving Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2020 and minimize fisheries impacts on the ecosystems. However, the WMedMAP is clearly insufficient as it stands to reverse … Read more

EU still far from phasing out overfishing by 2020

The European Commission today released its annual report on the state of fish stocks and the progress made so far in achieving sustainable fisheries – the main objective of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The data from the report show that overfishing levels still remain high in the North East Atlantic, including adjacent seas, … Read more

Iberian marine environmental organizations meet in Lisbon to join forces for healthy oceans and sustainable fisheries

Today, 15 marine conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Spain and Portugal met in Lisbon – in Ecologistas en Acción’s sailboat Diosa Maat and on Liga para a Protecção da Natureza’s headquarters – for the first time, to coordinate their work on key marine conservation issues. The Iberian sardine stock, the deep sea fishing opportunities and … Read more

EU proposal does not ensure ambitious control system to tackle illegal fishing

The European Commission today published a revision of the European fisheries Control Regulation, which aims to ensure compliance with rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and a system of monitoring, inspection and enforcement for fishing operations in EU waters and activities of the EU fleet globally. The Commission’s proposal includes measures that aim to … Read more

Oceana: The most productive sea in Europe traded away today by EU Parliament

The European Parliament today adopted in its final vote the North Sea Multi-Annual Plan (NSMAP). The plan covers nearly one-third of all fish catches in EU waters, and includes demersal species, such as: cod, haddock, whiting, sole, plaice and Norway lobster. According to Oceana, the final deal is not acceptable, as it does not fully implement … Read more

Transition to sustainable fishing could land the UK nearly 30% more fish

Oceana released a new socio-economic report today, which finds that the UK is losing out on the opportunity for more food, jobs and money from its fisheries. The findings, presented at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), reveal a possible 27% rise in fish catches (153,000 tonnes more) for the UK fishing … Read more

More Food, More Jobs and More Money in the UK Oceana’s Recipe for Fish Recovery

The United Kingdom (UK) is a global fishing nation and a major player in fisheries in Europe. However, fisheries in Europe are in an alarming state of affairs. Sixty-four percent of stocks in European seas are now classed as ‘overfished’1, meaning that fish are caught at a quicker rate than they can naturally reproduce. Key … Read more

European Commission’s fisheries plan ignores sustainability of Atlantic ecosystems

The European Commission’s proposal for a multi-annual fisheries plan for western waters is a missed opportunity to preserve Atlantic ecosystems, according to Oceana. The plan, released today, concerns stocks for fish living at the sea bottom or close to it, targeted by fleets from eight countries. Sustainable catch limits will only be set for 16 … Read more

Gesunde Fischgründe sind gut für’s Geschäft

Der Bericht von Oceana analysiert die für Deutschland 44 kommerziell wichtigsten Arten in Bezug auf Handelswert und Anlandungen, die zusammen 75% der deutschen Gesamtfangmenge ausmachen. Eine nachhaltige Fischereiwirtschaft in den nächsten zehn Jahren hat folgendes Potential: • Die Fangmenge könnte sich um 72.000 Tonnen (+44%) erhöhen. • Der Wert der Anlandungen könnte um 68 Millionen … Read more