Given these threats, there is a real and immediate need for a precautionary European Arctic Policy. In response to the Communication adopted today by the European Commission: The EU and the Arctic Region, Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, reminds decision makers that any EU policy on the Arctic region should aim to ensure high … Read more
Tromso, Norway – The Arctic Council — a “high level forum” for addressing many of the common concerns and challenges faced by the eight Arctic states of Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States and the six Arctic indigenous peoples organizations that are … Read more
Arthur C. Clarke once said: “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.” He wasn’t off mark. Did you know that, in terms of volume, the oceans occupy 99% of planet Earth? That’s why we wanted to honour this Earth Day by celebrating our incredible, mysterious oceans. We believe that … Read more
Oceana is appalled by the vote of the Industry, Transport, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament, which adopted this morning its report on the proposal for a Regulation on safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities. Following intense lobbying from the oil industry and oil-drilling Member States opposed … Read more
The “United for America’s Arctic” coalition challenged oil companies to provide proof that they can clean up oil in America’s Arctic in icy conditions. Shell is seeking approval to drill wells in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in 2012, and the company has submitted a plan it says can respond to a worst case spill. … Read more
A international delegation passed new conservation measures that will protect more than 16.1 million square miles of seafloor habitat in the North Pacific Ocean from bottom trawling and other bottom contact gear. Participating nations, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Russia, China, Korea and Taiwan, PoC (Chinese Taipei), acted on a commitment they made at the United Nations … Read more
In a huge triumph for the U.S. Arctic, Shell announced it would cancel plans to drill exploratory wells offshore in Alaska due to continued uncertainty over whether it would receive federal permits. Shell had hoped to drill exploratory wells in 2010 in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, but its plans were put on hold by Interior Secretary … Read more
Pollution of the air, water and soil is a worldwide crisis that affects billions of people. Global air and water currents bring a dangerous amount of the world’s pollutants to the Arctic. As a result, the Arctic holds a disproportionate amount of the world’s fouler poisons, including DDT and other persistent organic pollutants (POP) and … Read more
Receding sea ice will open new shipping lanes across the Arctic, increasing the danger of a shipping accident or disastrous fuel spill in the far north. The remoteness and shifting ice of the Arctic not only make shipping incredibly challenging but also make any efforts to respond to shipping accidents equally daunting. Increased Arctic shipping … Read more
Large-scale industrial fishing has adversely affected much of the world’s ocean ecosystems. The high Arctic has some of the last few ocean areas that are is still relatively pristine. Yet large-scale industrial fisheries are burgeoning in the sub-Arctic seas. Already, there is evidence of northward migration of fish stocks and the fleets in these seas. … 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.
