Brussels – Oceana calls on EU Commission and Member States to take responsibility and end overfishing in the Mediterranean once and for all. The obligation to sustainably manage stocks was set by the Common Fisheries Policy in 2002 and since then the number of overexploited stocks has kept increasing, with 93% of Mediterranean stocks currently … Read more
People exposed to high levels of mercury in fish can experience health effects such as delayed neurological development in children. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have advised women of childbearing age and children not to eat certain types of fish due to high levels of mercury. Elevated mercury levels … Read more
Species living at these depths have adapted to a cold, dark environment, with few nutrients. As a consequence, they are characterised by slow growth rates, late sexual maturity, few offspring and long lifespans. This makes them highly vulnerable to overfishing, because their capacity to recover from depletion is very limited. Deep-sea rays and sharks are … Read more
Managing fish stocks and ensuring they are maintained within sustainable levels is a binding obligation under EU Regulations and International agreements. And yet, 686 species (82% of total) are still exploited and commercialised by the EU fleet without sound management measures, and for most of them the stock status is unknown. In terms of volume, … Read more
In fact, bycatch is usually discarded. This happens when: the species caught are not commercially valuable (most invertebrate species, fish including sharks, birds, marine mammals, turtles, corals , etc.); catching these species is prohibited because they are protected species; the species are commercially valuable but are smaller than the legally authorized size or the assigned fishing quota … Read more
The previous CFP was adopted in 2002. It was at the time of a major step towards a better management of marine resources, as it established conservation as one of its objectives, but it failed to put a stop to the overexploitation of European fishing grounds. For years, Oceana in Europe worked towards reforming the … Read more
After more than a decade of overfishing, the newly established official Italian register reveals the number of vessels actually targeting swordfish is almost 90% lower than reported in 2015.After more than a decade of overfishing, the newly established official Italian register reveals the number of vessels actually targeting swordfish is almost 90% lower than reported … Read more
Oceana applauds Spain’s actions in opening a new era in the global fight against IUU fishing 14 countries cooperated with Interpol and Spain’s Guardia Civil to break up the group, whose profits amounted to 10 million euros a year Oceana praises Spain for having broken up a group of internationally renowned fishing pirates that has … Read more
Last night the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and Commission reached a disappointing political agreement on the multiannual management plan covering the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea. The plan in its current form allows for the continued overfishing of the most important Baltic stocks essentially making the CFP’s commitment to … Read more
WASHINGTON – Today, Oceana released a new report highlighting the ability of Global Fishing Watch to provide a clear view of fishing activity in marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world. Specifically, the report shows that Global Fishing Watch can monitor the success or failure of policies aimed at controlling fishing activity in protected areas. … 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.
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