Campaign: Sustainable Fisheries
UNEP workshop on fisheries subsidies and sustainable fisheries management
Society as we know it, perhaps in every country on earth, would not exist in its present form without economic subsidies. Economic support knows many different faces: apart from direct payments to those in need, it may be provided through public-private partnerships or bi-lateral agreements, by joining a free trade agreement or union (such as … Read more
A contribution from Oceana to the debate on the application of management measures to mediterranean ficheries
At Oceana we take a very positive view of the efforts being made by the Fisheries Directorate-General and the European Commission to establish criteria of sustainability in Mediterranean fisheries in accordance with the recently-passed new EU Common Fisheries Policy. At the same time, we believe that many of the Commission’s proposals, which on occasion do … Read more
Deep sea species: The European Union must decide between science and the private interest of the fishing industry
The European Commission proposal with regard to the setting and distribution of quotas for deep-sea marine species (Com (2004) 746) represents a significant step forward in complying with the European Union’s commitments and the new Common Fisheries Policy. The proposal follows a number of scientific recommendations, many of which have been repeatedly ignored for years, … Read more
Fishing quotas based on scientific information as opposed to national or individual interests
The continuous deterioration of the fisheries in the North-East Atlantic demonstrates the European’s Union’s resounding failure to manage these fisheries over decades. While the assessment that ICES made in 2003 of the majority of commercial species caught by European fleets was already pessimistic, the panorama represented by the latest report in 2004 is even worse, … Read more
European trawlers are destroying the oceans
Nearly 100,000 vessels make up the European Union fishing fleet. This includes boats that fish both in EU waters (the domestic fleet), in the waters of other countries and in international waters (the deep-sea fleet). In addition, there is an unknown number of vessels belonging to other European countries that are not members of the … Read more
The use of ‘rasco’ gillnets in the anglerfish, king crab and deep-sea sharks fisheries in the North-East Atlantic.
Every day, more than 6,000 kilometres of fixed gillnets (‘rasco’ or anglerfish nets) are deployed in the waters of the North-East Atlantic to catch anglerfish, deep-sea red crab and deep-sea sharks. The poor selectivity of these nets, together with the length of time they are left in the water, means that many of the creatures … Read more
Oceana demands immediate halt of bluefin tuna industrial fishing
Bluefin tuna is disappearing. However, tomorrow, bluefin tuna fishing with industrial seine will be reopened. This fishing season will be extended until June 15. The quota for the entire Mediterranean and East Atlantic has been reduced to 13,500 tons: too low to be profitable. Therefore, Italian vessels will not fish this year in exchange of … Read more
Oceana denounces Spanish owned pirate fishing vessel and asks for tough measures against IUU fishing
Oceana has documented and urged action by the Spanish government against the IUU fishing vessel “Furabolos” (IMO 8604668), now named “Eros 2”, and flying a Panama flag, currently in the port of Santa Eugenia de Ribeira in Galicia, Spain. IUU means “illegal, unreported and unregulated” fishing and it is a major contributor to overfishing and … Read more
New Oceana report shows depletion of prey fish may be starving the oceans
Oceana released a new report today finding widespread malnutrition in commercial and recreational fish, marine mammals and seabirds because of the global depletion of the small fish they need to survive. These “prey fish” underpin marine food webs and are being steadily exhausted by heavy fishing, increasing demand for aquaculture feed, and climate change. … Read more
