Oceana and Marviva welcome a step forward in bluefin tuna protection

Last night, United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decided to support Monaco’s proposal for listing Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Oceana and MarViva welcome this important effort towards bluefin tuna conservation. Monaco proposal, if agreed in the upcoming Conference of the Parties … Read more

Adrift! Swordfish and driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea

In 2008, Oceana and MarViva collaborated in a campaign to definitively eliminate the use of driftnets in the  Mediterranean. Banned by the United Nations more than 15 years ago, this gear is still being used and constitutes a serious threat for cetaceans, turtles and sharks. This fishery mainly targets the already overexploited swordfish stock which … Read more

“ICCAT countries sell out bluefin tuna to industry”, says Oceana

Recife (Brazil).- Today, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas agreed to weak management measures for bluefin tuna, ignoring the only acceptable measure that would have recovered this depleted stock: the total closure of the fishery.   Xavier Pastor, Executive Director of Oceana in Europe remarked: “ICCAT’s credibility was in the hands of … Read more

ICCAT’s last chance to prove capable of controlling fisheries

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) will meet in Recife, Brazil, next week to determine the future of commercially valuable bluefin tuna, whose populations have plummeted over recent decades. ICCAT is also expected to take up the issue of controlling shark catches and finning as agreed upon at the Second Joint … Read more

Oceana denounces EU’s failure to recover fishing resources

The meeting of the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers concluded yesterday night with agreements on total allowable catches (TACs) and country quotas for the Community fleet next year. The agreements reached confirm this Council’s inability to protect and manage fishery resources. Most of the decisions ignore the scientific recommendations made by the International Council for … Read more

CITES: A tragedy for the oceans

Today it’s all about last-day expectations. All important discussions have been put off for today’s plenary. The reopening of the bluefin tuna, sharks and corals debates will depend upon the support of the parties. Today we may obtain more protection for more species… or be doomed to lose them. Finally CITES failed to ban the … Read more