In advance of the Fisheries Council decision in October on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea, Oceana releases its recommendations for setting total allowable catches (TACs) for 2017, in line with the most recently available scientific advice and aimed at ensuring Baltic fisheries recover from overfishing before 2020. The end of overfishing is necessary not … Read more
This week, the Maltese town of St-Julian’s is transforming into a ‘hotspot’ of scientific discussion on how to improve the incomplete network of Natura 2000 marine protected areas (MPAs). The European Commission, together with scientific experts and NGOs, will critically assess the efforts made by each Member State to protect Europe’s most valuable yet threatened … Read more
Oceana states that EU Commission fishing limits proposal only follows scientific advice when economically convenient whilst ignoring environmental sustainability priorities when it implies short-term sacrifices. Today, the European Commission (EC) has published its annual proposal for fishing limits (“total allowable catches” or TACs) for the Baltic Sea in 2017. The proposal should be based on … Read more
Oceana welcomes a proposal by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), to permanently protect the debated fisheries closure in the Kattegat by upgrading its protection to a marine protected area (MPA). At a time of obvious tensions between Sweden, Denmark and the fishing industries, with increasing Danish pressure to reopen the previously … Read more
Oceana welcomes a proposal to protect the Sound from sand dredging from 1 September 2016, which was presented yesterday by Mette Abildgaard (K), Maria Gjerding (Ø), and Martin Lidegaard (R). In the Sound, sand dredging has taken place on shallow sandbanks along the entire Danish coast. This activity is not permitted in Swedish waters of … Read more
Coalition Clean Baltic, Danish Society for Nature Conservation, Greenpeace, Landsforeningen Levende Hav, OCEANA and WWF sent an open letter today to the interim Director General of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Ingemar Berglund. The letter calls upon the agency to step forwards and state its expert opinion regarding the potential re-opening areas in … Read more
Unfortunately, current government decision weakens original proposal in favour of private interests. The Danish government has finally released its long-awaited decision to establish new marine protected areas (MPAs) in Kattegat, to protect fragile and threatened soft bottom species and habitats, like sea pens and Haploops, which are largely left unprotected throughout European waters. The marine … Read more
On May 6th, the Danish government released its long-awaited decision to establish new marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Kattegat. The MPAs will protect fragile and threatened soft bottom species and habitats, such as sea pens and Haploops, which are largely left unprotected throughout European waters. Once in place, the 590 km2 areas, spread over … Read more
A press conference held by Oceana in Malmö this morning has unveiled early insights from a 3-week at-sea expedition to study the Sound’s marine ecosystems, funded by a generous grant from the Swedish Postcode Foundation. Stunning images and video footage have been captured from the seafloor, revealing not only the extent and diversity of marine … Read more
Unfortunately the Baltic is at the same time one of the most polluted seas in the world, due to exploitation and economic activities. Unsustainable fisheries are one of the most urgent threats to the Baltic fish stocks. Destructive fishing practices, like bottom trawling, high levels of by-catch and illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing all … 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.
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