Marine Protected Areas: LIFE+ INDEMARES Project

The objective of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project is to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the biodiversity in the Spanish seas through the identification of valuable areas for the Natura 2000 network. The actions will be implemented from the 1st January 2009 to the 31st December 2013. The budget foreseen is € 15, … Read more

Marine Protected Areas: Spanish Inventory

  OCEANA´S CONTRIBUTION TO THE SPANISH INVENTORY OF HABITATS AND MARINE SPECIES In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment and Biodiversity Foundation, Oceana has provided new exciting data about species and deep-sea marine habitats to the Spanish Inventory of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity. This project started in 2011 and its  progress can … Read more

Our Goal

Oceana was created to identify practical solutions and make them happen. The good news is that we can restore our oceans to their former glory. In many cases, laws governing fishing and pollution already exist – we simply need to enforce them and ensure that management and industry obey a few commonsense principles. To most … Read more

Mediterranean 2006 Expedition: Overview

The main approaches of Oceana for the 2006 Oceana Ranger Expedition were the international illegal fishing in the Mediterranean and the documentation of specific marine ecosystems in need of protection by the European Union, as the Habitats Directive  would be revised in 2007.

Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Overview

Oceana calls on EU Member States to rapidly implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and take the necessary measures to restore and maintain the health and productivity of European seas.  Over 50% of Europe’s territory is covered by sea, but Europe’s marine environment is highly threatened by both pollution and the dramatic loss of marine … Read more

Common Fisheries Policy: Overview

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

TACs: Overview

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

Patagonia: Overview

The Chilean coast stretches over 4,000 kilometers along the Pacific Ocean with extreme climates at either end. In the north is the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, and to the south are the fjords of Patagonia. Beyond the breathtaking scenery reflected in the placid surface of a Chilean fjord lives a … Read more

Canary Islands: Overview

The Canary Island archipelago is located in front of the coasts of the western Sahara, north of the Cape Verde Islands. Thanks to this location, the subtropical climate leads to the development of unique species and habitats with presence of tropical and southern species as well as a variety of autochthonous species. Studies concerning marine … Read more

Marine Protected Areas: Overview

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Marine Protected Area (MPA) is “a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” In order to address the need to protect seabeds from … Read more