Oceana concludes expedition to document biodiversity and fisheries in the Baltic

Compiled data will be analyzed and used to present proposals for the creation of an effective network of Marine Protected Areas. Oceana concluded one of its most comprehensive expeditions to date to document species and habitats in the region around the Baltic Sea. The international marine conservation organization completed over one hundred dives with an … Read more

Scientists advise reducing Baltic catches for the first time

Today ICES, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas published their advice on recommended catch amounts for Baltic fish stocks in 2012. Based on this advice, the European Commission will propose a Total Allowable Catch per fish stock. While around 60 different fish species are caught in the Baltic Sea for consumption, ICES … Read more

Oceana unveils new evidence that Baltic Sea is heading towards collapse unless urgent, effective protection measures are implemented

Oceana experts are in Copenhagen to present first findings from expedition Today, Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, unveiled never before seen images of the Baltic seabed that highlight the devastating impact of overfishing, destructive fishing practices and pollution on the marine environment. The organization, which is currently engaging in an expedition to document the … Read more

Baltic: Maps

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Introducing Oceana’s Baltic Sea Office

We’d like to let you all know that we recently opened a new office in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is focusing exclusively on the Baltic Sea. The Baltic is a unique environment with highly valuable biodiversity, but pollution, destructive fishing practices and poorly managed marine protected areas continue to threaten the richness and resilience of the … Read more

Oceana calls on HELCOM countries to halt degradation of the Baltic Sea ecosystems

Destructive fishing practices and poorly managed Marine Protected Areas continue to threaten the richness and resilience of the sea. Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, is deeply concerned that after more than three years the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan to restore the good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment lacks … Read more

Baltic Sea Watch

While marine pollution poses serious long-term threats to the Baltic Sea, the most acute threat to its ecosystem is short-sighted industrial-scale commercial fishing practices. Their destructive impact is magnified by the systematic failure of the Baltic coastal governments to vigorously enforce existing laws and regulations on catch limits, by catch control, and habitat preservation.   Last … Read more

Baltic: Species at Risk

A rich and varied biodiversity, composed by healthy stocks of marine species, plants and their habitats is crucial for the proper functioning of the Baltic ecosystem. Due to the special conditions of the Baltic, only a handful of the so called “cornerstone” species form the basis of the marine food web. Baltic cod is one … Read more

Marine Protected Areas in the Baltic

Marine Protected Areas are an effective way of protecting parts of the oceans from fishing and other maritime activities in order to give ecosystems a chance to recover. Nations agreed during the Convention on Biological Diversity protect 10% of the marine ecoregions by 2012. To achieve this goal, the European Union has built up the … Read more