Yesterday the European Parliament voted on part of the Common Fisheries Policy reform package, the outcome of which, despite a close vote, is disappointing according to Oceana: “We are disappointed by the lack of ambition shown today by the European Parliament. The decision to reject the objective to recover and restore fish stocks above levels … Read more
The European Commission has confirmed it will work with Norway to end discards in the Skagerrak. The proposal features an obligation to land all catches of certain fish species so as to stop the practice of discarding by 2015. Oceana welcomes this initiative and urges EU Member States to keep this measure in the new … Read more
Yesterday, a United Kingdom court ruled against two Spanish shipowners connected with the notorious pirate shipowners Antonio Vidal Suárez and Antonio Vidal Pego. The court has imposed a fine of 1.62 Million pounds for falsifying documentation on catches of overexploited hake, for which the quota was overshot. Xavier Pastor, Executive Director of Oceana in Europe … Read more
Every two years, the FAO releases a report called the State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture, and every two years, those of us who follow the issue are disappointed by dismal statistics. This year, 87% of evaluated stocks were fully or over-exploited, up 2% from the last FAO report. Our board member Dr. Daniel … Read more
The text, voted by a qualified majority, maintains the most important provisions of the original Commission proposal such as the objective to restore fish stocks at Maximum Sustainable Yield, but postpones all priority target deadlines by several years. “Although this result is highly disappointing, particularly with regards to the discard ban, it is realistically the … Read more
In an effort to achieve an agreement before the conclusion of the Danish Presidency, horse-trading to accommodate all member states has resulted in a significant weakening of the Commission’s reform proposal from June 2011: The required recovery of fish stocks by 2015 [1], already watered down in the Commission proposal, has been further delayed and … Read more
Oceana urges the Council to support a CFP that prioritizes environmental objectives, because without healthy seas, there can be no sustainable fishing – and no future for the European fleet. “Years of mismanagement of the marine environment have led us to the economic and social situation we are in now. Postponing difficult decisions will only … Read more
Brussels, 8 May 2012 – A broad coalition of civil society groups praised the European Parliament environment committee for its strong stand today on EU fisheries reform. In a vote on the reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the members of the Parliament overwhelmingly supported measures to recover fish stocks, promote environmental protection … Read more
On the eve of the Fisheries Council discussions in Luxembourg, Oceana draws attention to a new paper [1] co-authored by fisheries scientist Dr. Rainer Froese and resource economist Martin Quaas, linking the Council’s poor decisions and disregard for scientific advice to the collapse of North Sea cod. The international marine conservation organization is urging Council … Read more
Last week, we held an event at the European parliament to raise awareness around a concept that is near and dear to us. The event, which brought together scientists, politicians, policy experts and civil society, was designed to start a discussion on how best to implement an ecosystem-based approach (don’t worry, read further down, we’ll … 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.
