The latest “Looting the Seas” report by the ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) was published today. You may recall a few months ago, we discussed their investigation into illegal fishing, seafood fraud and runaway subsidies in Spain. This time, they turned their focus to the Pacific Ocean, specifically looking into how European, Asian and … Read more
Europe’s fishing grounds were once amongst the most productive in the world, but thirty years of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) have resulted in serious depletion of fish populations, ecosystem degradation, and damage to species, habitats and sites. Today, 63% of the assessed stocks in the Atlantic are overfished, 82% of the assessed stocks in … Read more
Oceana is disappointed in the agreement reached today by European Fisheries Ministers concerning Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the Atlantic European fleet. The approved fishing limits ignore 41% of scientific advice and are a clear move away from the precautionary proposal tabled by the Commission. In establishing these TACs EU Member states are extending the … Read more
Perhaps it would do well to give you all a little background in how fishing opportunities are set in the EU for the Atlantic, before I get to the point. Every year, scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) get together and use whatever data is available to determine the … Read more
Oceana is urging EU Fisheries Council Ministers to put aside short term interests in tomorrow’s meeting to establish 2012 catch limits for the main species targeted by Europe’s Atlantic fleet. Science-based Total Allowable Catches (TACs) are indispensable to stopping the overexploitation of our seas. Yet year after year, despite their commitment to manage stocks at … Read more
It’s no secret that Finding Nemo is one of my absolute favorite movies, and apparently, I’m not alone in this. Finding Nemo was the second highest grossing movie in 2003, right behind The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (another favorite of mine…but I digress). So it was quite upsetting when I woke … Read more
Today, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) released their long-awaited analysis of the effectiveness of EU fleet management, which shows the systematic failure of fleet capacity reduction policies. Oceana is deeply concerned that even though the problematic nature of overcapacity has been recognized for over 20 years, the EU has been unable to properly address … Read more
Today, the European Commission presented its proposal for the new subsidies regulation of the European fisheries sector, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), which will cover subsidies from 2014 to 2020. Oceana recognizes the positive steps that the Commission has taken by removing the worst fleet capacity enhancing subsidies, such as those used for vessel modernization, … Read more
State of resources As concluded in the Communication from the Commission concerning Fishing Opportunities, fish stocks in European waters are improving. This is confirmed by the downward trend in the number of overfished and collapsed stocks. But the progress achieved in European fisheries management in relation to the fishing opportunities is clearly insufficient and Oceana … Read more
The Balearic Islands have a long history of artisanal fishing. Apart from being a way to make a livelihood, this activity also represents a rich cultural tradition that distinguishes these islands from elsewhere. Unfortunately, overfishing among other factors, has led to a sharp decline in artisanal fishing in this archipelago. Pressure from industrial bottom trawlers, … 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.
Oceana in Europe gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.
