The Importance of Addressing By-Catch and Discard Management. In Europe around 1,3 million tonnes of marine fish are discarded every year, representing 13% of total catches. Because in most cases discards do not survive, the negative ramifications of this enormous waste of marine resources are severe. The unnecessary death of juvenile and mature individuals of … Read more
Threatened species include sharks, rays, deep-sea fish, cod, hake, anchovy and eels. The international organisation for the defence of the seas, Oceana, has carried out a study on the state of the main fishing stocks in the waters of the North Atlantic to evaluate their situation. Based on the latest scientific evaluations, it has reviewed … Read more
Oceana, the leading international organisation dedicated exclusively to the protection and recovery of the seas, is participating on 26 and 27 April in a meeting of experts in Geneva on fishing subsidies and sustainable fisheries management, convened by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on Fisheries. The meeting, which is being held in Geneva, the … Read more
For decades, politicians have been ignoring scientific advice on preventing the collapse of the North-East Atlantic fisheries. Despite the numerous alarms raised by scientists for years, the quotas agreed by politicians at Fisheries Ministers’ Councils have repeatedly disregarded these warnings. For 2004, recommendations were to reduce anchovy catches to just 11,000 tonnes and yet 33,000 … Read more
Some populations of deep-sea fish should be regarded as “endangered”: substantial cutbacks in their catches may not be enough to protect them. From orange roughy more than 150 years old to deep-sea sharks of 80, from hermaphrodite seabream to bioluminescent creatures, many species from the depths of the oceans have come to represent a target … Read more
Sharks are extremely vulnerable species which have been fished by European Union vessels at home and around the world without any management for decades. Globally, 21% of shark, ray and chimaera populations are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List. In the Northeast Atlantic the figure is even higher with 26% threatened and … Read more
Oceana describes the priorities to be established within the amendment: The implementation of the precautionary principle and an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management. The correct management of all fisheries through TACs– (Total allowable catches), effort control and technical measures. Fisheries in European Union waters and by European Union vessels should only be carried out … Read more
Nearly 100,000 vessels make up the European Union fishing fleet. This includes boats that fish both in EU waters (the domestic fleet), in the waters of other countries and in international waters (the deep-sea fleet). In addition, there is an unknown number of vessels belonging to other European countries that are not members of the … Read more
Oceana released a new report today finding widespread malnutrition in commercial and recreational fish, marine mammals and seabirds because of the global depletion of the small fish they need to survive. These “prey fish” underpin marine food webs and are being steadily exhausted by heavy fishing, increasing demand for aquaculture feed, and climate change. … Read more
On the occasion of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 23 and 24 April, Oceana calls attention to the complete absence of regulations in EU waters to reduce the problem of bycatch and discards, which amount to over 3,000 tonnes every day. Discard is defined by the FAO as “the portion of … 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.
