Common Fisheries Policy Archives

The fishing grounds off the Iberian penninsula, the west of Ireland and the North Sea are those in the worst state

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

Orange roughy, bioluminescent fish and other deep-sea species are now a commercial target due to the scarcity of traditional fisheries

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

The race for threatened sharks

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

European trawlers are destroying the oceans

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

New Oceana report shows depletion of prey fish may be starving the oceans

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

Oceana calls for far reaching and science based EU governance to halt ongoing collapse of marine resources

Oceana welcomes the constructive assessment of the present situation made by the Commission in the Green Paper, launched this morning in Brussels. This document, and the subsequent consultation period with stakeholders pave the way for the drafting of the Commission Proposal on the planned reform of the EU Fisheries Framework Regulation, to enter into force … Read more

Oceana asks EU for measures to stop 3,000 tonnes of marine catches thrown away every day

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

Overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction are threatening European Seas

Oceana denounces the severe deterioration of Europe’s oceans and seas and calls for immediate measures to halt the collapse of fish resources, the destruction of marine habitats and the pollution affecting its waters. On World Environment Day (5 June) and World Oceans Day (8 June), Oceana points out that European seas are among the most … Read more

Common Fisheries Policy: Overview

European fisheries are managed through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which is a set of regulations covering all aspects of fisheries management from technical measures to Total Allowable Catches and fishing subsidies. The current CFP was adopted in 2002 but has failed to put a stop to the overexploitation of European fishing grounds. Since 2009, … Read more

Enviromental NGOs criticize lack of public participation and transparency of Spanish government in World Fisheries Ministerial Conference

Madrid, Spain –. NGOs committed to the sustainable use and conservation of fisheries resources are concerned with the lack of transparency and communication of the Spanish Minister of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Elena Espinosa concerning preparations for the 5th World Conference of Fisheries Ministers (1) in Bayona, Spain, next week. The Spanish Government … Read more