Threats to the marine environment are multiple and growing and the Baltic Sea is no stranger to them. Numerous human activities have put its ecosystems under severe pressure and it has become one of the most polluted seas in the world. In order to safeguard species and habitats, and to recover the healthy status of the sea, one of the most widely recognized and effective … Read more
Denmark presented plans for six new marine protected areas (MPAs) in Kattegat, which connects the Baltic and North Seas. The new MPAs will be protected from dangerous human activity, such as bottom trawling, which disturbs seafloor habitat. The new MPAs have been selected in part from Oceana’s findings of rare Haploops crustaceans and horse mussel … Read more
In October 2014, the Danish government published a new report – a plan for the Danish Nature. As a marine NGO, Oceana was of course highly interested in seeing how much the plan dealt with the marine environment, but it really was a pleasure to learn that the marine environment was not neglected in the … Read more
Having worked with the Baltic Sea on the policy and advocacy side for some time now, I sometimes get stuck on how to get more audience and raise awareness around the issue. How can we attract a wider audience and in particular, how can we get more young people interested in the issue? Last Saturday … Read more
On Saturday, Oceana joined a research expedition arranged and led by the University of Örebro and Pangaea Exploration to study marine litter in the Baltic Sea, an increasing problem in the world’s oceans. During the course of a month, this expedition will visit several key areas of the Baltic Sea, all the way from Kattegat, … Read more
Today, Oceana has launched a website with the aim of compiling information on the issue of sick, dead and disappearing fish in the Baltic Sea. The creation of a database such as this will hopefully increase available knowledge and help researchers and authorities to carry out further studies on this worrying issue. Reports from fishermen, … Read more
In October, the Total Allowable Catches (TAC) are to be decided by the fisheries Ministers. Oceana is glad to see that the Commission proposal is consistent with the aim of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, to restore fish stocks to levels capable of producing long-term sustainable catches, for the majority of the stocks included in … Read more
In advance of the next EU Commission proposal and Council decision on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea, Oceana would like to provide a constructive opinion on how total allowable catches (TACs) should be fixed for 2015. It is our hope that the EU Commission and EU Member States take into account the recommendations contained … Read more
On Sunday morning, we left Sandhamn and sailed northwest to the Gulf of Bothnia where we will carry out more research on marine litter in the Baltic Sea. On board, we are divided into watch teams. This way, everyone takes their turn to work and carry out daily tasks, despite being as inexperienced in sailing … Read more
I was invited to take part in a research expedition in the Baltic Sea arranged by Örebro University and Pangaea Exploration, which I gratefully said yes to. The expedition has been running since the beginning of August, but I joined them on Saturday. So now I find myself miles from the nearest coast, on board … 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.
