Open ocean aquaculture, without strict environmental regulation, poses a serious threat to marine life, fisheries, and the health of the oceans in general. Aquaculture facilities can be significant sources of pollution, including excess feed, fish waste and dead fish. This waste can spur excess algae growth, clouding coastal waters and altering seafloor ecosystems. The high … Read more
Mercury is a dangerous chemical, finding its way into the oceans and the seafood we eat. Mercury released to the environment from industrial sources ends up in our oceans, contaminating seafood. Because it builds up in wildlife through a process called bioaccumulation, animals high on the food chain carry the most mercury. Many of the … Read more
The Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policy published an ambiguous decree yesterday which eliminates the limits on distances from the coast for the use of driftnets known as ferrettaras. These nets, which in theory are used to catch small pelagic fish (sardines, anchovies, etc.), have been authorised with a mesh size of 18 cm … Read more
For decades, EU fisheries subsidies have fuelled the growth of the EU fleet to a level estimated to be two to three times higher than what the ocean can sustainably provide and then artificially maintained the overcapacity of the fleet, driving the overfishing of our seas. Yet the vast majority of Europe’s fishing fleets is … Read more
European fisheries are managed through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which is a set of regulations covering all aspects of fisheries management from technical measures to Total Allowable Catches and fishing subsidies. The current CFP was adopted in 2002 but has failed to put a stop to the overexploitation of European fishing grounds. Since 2009, … Read more
Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is the tool used to establish maximum fishing limits during a certain timeframe and for each one of the species controlled by management plans. Scientific recommendations for each marine area specified by the FAO (ICES fishing areas) are used to establish catch possibilities. Currently, the TAC system is not working correctly … Read more
Discards and bycatch are two problems that are closely related. Bycatch is the portion of the catch that is not comprised of the fishery’s target species and the FAO defines discards as the portion of the catch that is thrown back into the sea. In fact, bycatch is usually discarded. This happens when: – the … Read more
Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is an emblematic species that has been driven toward extinction by overfishing (mainly due to the industrial purse seine fishery and their capture for fattening in cages) and international trade. The bluefin tuna is a predator and, as such, is in the highest positions in the food chain, playing an … Read more
Oceana denounces that the management of tuna and sharks fisheries is insufficient. Today, the majority of commercially important tuna stocks are overfished, some to the point of commercial collapse, and several shark species caught in fisheries are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This week … Read more
Oceana and Marviva presented a report today in Palma de Mallorca with preliminary results of the larval samplings taken in 2008 on board the Marviva Med oceanographic research vessel. The study was undertaken to obtain new data about Mediterranean spawning areas of bluefin tuna, and other large pelagic species such as swordfish, and to propose … 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.
