Marine Strategy Framework Directive

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 species and habitats. The June 2008 Marine Strategy Framework Directive is the first EU binding law designed to make a significant contribution to the preservation, protection and restoration of marine ecosystems, including … Read more

Natura 2000 Network

These protected areas constitute the Natura 2000 Network. In the first stage, Member States nominate protection areas, known as Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), which are thus subject to a preventive protection regime. Afterwards, in a maximum period of 6 years, the corresponding management plans must be drawn up and, once they are ready, the … Read more

Canary Islands

Studies concerning marine species and habitats in the Canary Islands are scarce and limited to a few meters depth. The archipelago’s narrow continental shelf has limited the knowledge of ecosystems to just a few miles from the coast. A clear example of this is that only 0.15% of the archipelago is protected. The location of … Read more

Doñana

The marine environment of the Doñana site is, as occurs in the terrestrial domain, an exceptional site for biodiversity. Situated in the gulf of Cadiz, at the confluence of special geographic, oceanographic and environmental characteristics, the marine area of Doñana is a place of enormous strategic and biological productivity. It is of great importance for … Read more

Bay of Biscay

In addition, because this marine area encompasses almost 300,000 km2 within its territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, the Galicia-Bay of Biscay area is Spain’s second largest ocean area after Canarian waters. Despite this, only 250,000 ha are protected, in other words, less than 1%. Ninety-four percent of this protected area corresponds to the recently … Read more

Marine Protected Areas

    Banning bottom trawling in Europe’s marine protected areas An area one third of Europe’s continent is impacted by trawling in European waters every year. Bottom-towed gear is widely used in the EU, including inside marine protected areas, with some studies indicating a higher intensity of trawling inside than outside designated areas. Indeed, a … Read more

ICCAT

Because the species managed by ICCAT are highly migratory, their management depends on cooperation among the countries that capture them. For example, management measures applied in just one part of a highly migratory species’ range are likely to be of limited use, while overfishing in one location could have detrimental effects on stocks shared among … Read more