Sustainable Fisheries Archives

Bloomberg Philanthropies launches the vibrant oceans initiative, a $53 million commitment to reverse declining fish supply

Five-Year Commitment is the First Program to Simultaneously Reform Small-Scale and Industrial Fishing Practices, and Places Bloomberg Philanthropies Among Top 5 Global Oceans Funders B-roll Video – Password: bloomberg Infographic January 29, 2014 (New York, NY) – Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the launch of the Vibrant Oceans initiative, a commitment of $53 million over five … Read more

EU moves away, but fails to make clean break from harmful subsidies

Today the European Parliament and the Fisheries Council reached a political agreement on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the financial mechanism that will allow the implementation of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy over the next seven years. Previous fisheries subsidies schemes have given priority to short-term economic interests at the expense of sustainability, using … Read more

Oceana detects mercury-contaminated fish in Menorca (Balearic Islands)

The dumping of mercury-contaminated dredged material from the port of Maó into the sea would be an irresponsible act that is a hazard to health and fishing activity. Oceana has detected mercury contamination in samples of monkfish and scorpion fish fished in the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands), in the Maó area. In the case … Read more

EU Moves Away from Harmful Subsidies

European Parliament and the Fisheries Council reached a political agreement on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the financial mechanism that will allow the implementation of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy over the next seven years. Previous fisheries subsidies schemes have given priority to short-term economic interests at the expense of sustainability, using taxpayer’s money … Read more

European Union proposes sweeping shark management measures in ICCAT

While the plight of the bluefin tuna is grabbing much of the world’s attention at this week’s meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Marrakesh, Morocco, some other vulnerable species have now been given the spotlight they deserve. Sharks, the powerful but vulnerable predators of the oceans, have been … Read more

North-East Atlantic Governments leave threatened wildlife in dire conditions

On December 18th, an extraordinary meeting of OSPAR, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, marked a historic failure of the Convention to meet its ministerial commitments to develop protection measures for all threatened and/or declining marine species and habitats on the OSPAR List no later than by 2013. … Read more

Oceana: EU Ministers fail first test of new fisheries policy targets

Yesterday in the evening EU Fisheries Ministers reached a political agreement on 2014 fishing opportunities for the main commercial fish stocks for EU vessels in the North East Atlantic. Only one year is left before the deadline, established in the newly reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), to have sustainably exploited fish stocks. While acknowledging some … Read more

Oceana calls on the EU to improve fisheries management for the most threatened species

Today the European Fisheries Council is discussing and agreeing measures for some of the most threatened stocks their fleets catch. The international marine conservation organisation Oceana makes an urgent call to the EU Fisheries Council to adopt effective management plans that will stop the decline of these species and ensure recovery of their populations. Among … Read more

Critical WTO talks collapse on agriculture and industrial goods

“Oceana is extremely disappointed by the failure of the WTO to reach agreement on the key areas in the Doha round. Other important negotiating areas, such as fisheries subsidies, have unfortunately fallen victim to the collapse of larger issues within the round,” has declared Courtney Sakai, senior campaign director of Oceana based in the United … Read more

2014 fishing opportunities: member states must close the breach between scientific advice and adopted catch limits

On December 16th and 17th, the Council of European Fisheries Ministers will meet in Brussels to agree on 2014 Fishing Opportunities for the main commercial fish stocks in the North East Atlantic. In a report submitted to Member States, Oceana urged the application of the principles and objectives agreed on in the reformed Common Fisheries … Read more