Oceana applauds Denmark’s decision to increase protection for the Sound

Oceana applauds the Danish government’s decision to end sand dredging in the Sound (Öresund) from January 2019 and to not issue new permits or renew the current ones, which expire in 2025. The official announcement is expected this Friday and it will also include the designation of the northern part of the Sound as a … Read more

Oceana: Time is fast running out for ending overfishing in the Baltic

On October 15th, the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) is due to meet in Luxembourg where ministers will decide on fishing limits for the Baltic Sea in 2019. Oceana encourages the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be in line with scientific advice, which could help rebuild stocks and eventually increase catches by 25%. In … Read more

Oceana: EU ministers must put an end to overfishing in the Baltic Sea now

Luxembourg – On October 9th, the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) are due to meet in Luxembourg where ministers will decide on catch limits for the Baltic Sea in 2018. Oceana has actively been advocating for the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be in line with scientific advice and with the Common Fisheries Policy … Read more

The Sound: Biodiversity, threats, and transboundary protection

The waters of the Sound – the shared strait that lies between Denmark and Sweden – host a high level of biodiversity, and a unique mosaic of marine communities and habitats, including stone reefs, seagrass beds, horse mussel beds, and kelp forests. This diversity is due to the specific characteristics of the area, the combined … Read more

Denmark stands alone in defiance against Baltic Sea marine protection agreement

Denmark threatened to effectively stop progress on a key Baltic Sea regional initiative during the HELCOM Head of Delegation meeting which took place on 14-15 December in Helsinki. This process, prioritized by the EU who is currently chairing HELCOM for the first time, represents an agreement by Baltic Sea Ministers to advance progress towards securing … Read more

EU Fisheries Ministers’ decision on Baltic cod is insufficient to save stock

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council reached an agreement today on fishing limits for Baltic stocks for 2017 including 5597 tonnes for Western Baltic cod, a 56% reduction of the current quota. Although for the European Commission this figure is in line with the Baltic Multiannual Plan (BMAP) for fisheries management, it exceeds scientific recommendations provided … Read more