Overfishing in the Mediterranean Sea began around the ‘70s, when fishing effort increased considerably thanks to technological developments that allowed fleets to fish farther, deeper and find catches more easily. Latest assessments of the situation in the Mediterranean, revealed that 96% of stocks fished exclusively by EU countries are overexploited above what is considered sustainable … Read more
Oceana warns at high-level seminar that if overfishing is not stopped by 2020, closing fisheries or losing them will be the only options left Oceana urges the EU to announce this week in Catania concrete proposals to overcome the severe overfishing that is threatening the short-term future of Mediterranean fisheries. 96% of assessed stocks exploited … Read more
Oceana is outraged that governments have refused to expand the OSPAR list of threatened and declining species and habitats, thus further delaying the protection of declining ecosystems and species at risk of extinction in the North-East Atlantic. The Convention meeting held in Trondheim (Norway) concluded yesterday, with countries agreeing on few actions to improve either … Read more
Tomorrow, in Trondheim, Norway, representatives from 15 governments and the EU will convene under the OSPAR Convention to discuss the protection of threatened marine species and habitats in the North-East Atlantic. Oceana urges them to expand the list of threatened and declining species. The list has not been updated since 2008 and does not include … Read more
Oceana has listed 10 key ocean issues that should be prioritised in 2016, and calls on decision-makers to set ambitious policies for tackling them. The international marine conservation organisation asks countries to walk the talk after having adopted the Paris Agreement at COP21, “noting how important it is to ensure the integrity of all ecosystems, … Read more
Today, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has suspended its certificates for all Eastern Baltic cod fisheries. Oceana, having previously warned about the bad condition of Baltic cod stocks, supports the decision and urges EU member states to react appropriately and adopt a sustainable long-term management plan consistent with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy. … Read more
Early this morning in Brussels, EU Fisheries Ministers reached an agreement on the catch limits for the main commercial fish stocks in Atlantic waters for 2016. Oceana describes the agreement as disappointing and deplores the lack of ambition fisheries ministers have demonstrated to honour the commitments agreed in the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular the … Read more
A proposal published today by the European Commission that would close loopholes in the regulation governing the European Unions (EU)’s long-distance fishing fleet has been welcomed by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts and WWF. “The European Commission’s proposal reinforces the EU’s commitment to combatting illegal fishing globally,” said María José … Read more
The establishment of fishing opportunities is the most important management tool to enable European Union (EU) fisheries to keep fishing mortality rates within sustainable levels. In fact, the state of fish stocks and intensity of fish resource exploitation depends heavily on the fishing opportunities decision. Although the manner in which fisheries are managed in the … Read more
A multitude of human activities have put the Baltic Sea ecosystems under severe pressure and turned this brackish, semi-enclosed sea into one of the most polluted in the world. Destructive fishing practices like dredging and bottom trawling pose heavy threats to these sensitive ecosystems. Oceana’s report on fisheries outlines the biggest problems related to fisheries … 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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