Sustainable Fisheries Archives

Preliminary data on deep-sea benthic habitats documented in four macaronesian seamounts

Seamounts are considered biodiversity hotspots and the Macaronesian region hosts over one hundred of them. However, biological information on these underwater elevations remains scarce. In 2014, Oceana launched an at-sea campaign aimed at identifying and describing deep-sea benthic communities that inhabit several Macaronesian slopes and remote seamounts. As a preliminary outcome, the presence of Vulnerable … Read more

Oceana is moderately encouraged by the European Commission’s proposal for 2016 Baltic fishing limits

Today, the European Commission has presented its annual proposal of catch limits (TACs) for the Baltic Sea. The proposal is based largely on scientific advice, issued by the International Council on the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), and for the majority of stocks EC has been able to propose limits at sustainable levels in line … Read more

Towards a new regulation establishing specific conditions to fishing for deepsea stocks in the North-East Atlantic

Regulation (EC) 2347/2002, the ‘deep-sea access regime’, has failed to ensure the sustainable management of deep-sea fisheries and ecosystems in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. Many deep-sea species captured in the region are not covered by the regulation and therefore remain unmanaged, while only three of 24 managed species have one or more stocks considered to … Read more

Exploiting the most vulnerable resources

Exploiting the most vulnerable resources.EU deep-sea fisheries in the North-East Atlantic

Oceana welcomes the approval of the enlargement of the Cabrera National Park (Balearic Islands)

The proposal would be entirely feasible by getting back the 5 million euros invested in 2011 and with the aid of monitoring technologies. Oceana welcomes the approval by the Government Council (Consell de Govern) on Friday to begin the process of enlarging the National Park of Cabrera, in the Balearic Islands. The proposed enlargement of … Read more

NGOs launch fishing transparency website identifying 15,264 EU vessels authorised to fish outside the EU

29th July 2015: Today, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana and WWF heralded a new era of fisheries transparency with the launch of an online database detailing 15,264 EU vessels authorised to fish outside EU waters between 2010 and 2014. The figures have been made public by the NGOs for the first time after an … Read more

European Commissioner Karmenu Vella visits ‘Oceana Ranger’

Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, visited the research catamaran Oceana Ranger last Friday to learn about the scientific expeditions carried out by the international marine conservation organisation. A Maltese native, Mr Vella had the chance to get acquainted with the underwater research currently being conducted in Malta by Oceana, … Read more

First ever database of EU fishing fleet around the world launched

Oceana and its allies launch the transparency database www.whofishesfar.org, an online database detailing 15,264 EU vessels authorised to fish outside EU waters between 2010 and 2014. The figures were made public for the first time after an access-to-information request to the European Commission. Transparency is a key element for eradicating illegal fishing and ensuring sustainable fisheries. … Read more

North-East Atlantic threatened species left in the lurch

North-East Atlantic countries have adopted recommendations for the management of four threatened species and habitats: blue mussel beds, allis shad, sea lamprey and Azorean limpet. The decisions were taken at the annual meeting of the OSPAR Commission, which closed on Friday in Ostend (Belgium), and will finally extend protection to these vulnerable animals, which have … Read more

Oceana denounces Denmark for blocking conservation of threatened Baltic species

Baltic Sea states failed to agree on a key recommendation on the conservation of species that are threatened with extinction, at a HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting that closed yesterday in Tallinn, Estonia. Oceana is deeply disappointed that Denmark is blocking a recommendation that is supported by all of the other HELCOM Contracting Parties, by … Read more