Trawls A trawl is a large net that is pulled through the water column or along the seabed, catching anything that is not small enough to pass through the net’s mesh openings. This fishing gear is typically used to catch fish or shrimp. Catching unwanted species is a problem for trawlers because it is a … Read more
Italy is one of the most notorious cases. The Italian driftnet fleet has undergone various conversion plans that began over 10 years ago and were financed with public funds. However, Oceana located more than 137 vessels with illegal drift nets on board and has documented the fleet using these nets. Italian legislation allows the use … Read more
Coiba Island lies 120 nautical miles to the south-east of Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica and just 12 nautical miles from the nearby coast of Panama. Intensive illegal fishing activities have made Coiba a highly threatened protected area. Coral reefs, humpback whales, pilot whales, killer whales, dolphins, sea turtles (who lay their eggs on its beaches), … Read more
There are seven species of sea turtles swimming the world’s oceans. Six of the species can be found in EU waters: greens, hawksbills, loggerheads, leatherbacks, olive ridleys and Kemp’s ridleys. (link to our species content) A seventh species, the flatback, only inhabits the waters around Australia. Female sea turtles, like all other reptiles, lay eggs. Most … Read more
French drift nets known as thonailles were used to catch pelagic species, including immature bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Lion. This illegal gear was used with connivance and support from the French government, taking advantage of a legal loophole in EU legislation. However, Oceana reported these vessels since the ban on drift nets came … Read more
Golfito lies to the south of Costa Rica, close to the border with Panama. It is a “sub-gulf” within another larger one known as Golfo Dulce. In Costa Rica, there is another gulf known as the Gulf of Nicoya, which has traditionally been regarded as a bottomless pit in terms of the abundance of fish. … Read more
Oceana believes it is necessary to study and create marine protected areas in order to halt the degradation of the marine environment. In addition, the information allows management measures to be established for the activities developed in it, including fishing. Consequently, protection can be increased for marine and coastal areas, activities in this environment are … Read more
There are hundreds of species of sharks, ranging in size from the spine pygmy shark (7 inches) to the whale shark (40 feet), inhabiting all ocean waters and consuming a variety of prey species. Contrary to popular belief, sharks don’t eat anything and everything in the sea; many sharks have specific prey. For example, whale … Read more
In 1991, the United Nations General Assembly put into effect an international moratorium prohibiting the use of drift nets. In 1992, the EEC prohibited the use of drift nets longer than 2.5 kms. On 1 January 2002, the EU approved a new regulation prohibiting the use of driftnets to catch species including bluefin tuna, swordfish … 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.
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