North-East Atlantic countries have adopted recommendations for the management of four threatened species and habitats: blue mussel beds, allis shad, sea lamprey and Azorean limpet. The decisions were taken at the annual meeting of the OSPAR Commission, which closed on Friday in Ostend (Belgium), and will finally extend protection to these vulnerable animals, which have … Read more
Marine cave communities have been a continued source of ecological surprises, among other things because of their close ecological and evolutionary ties with the deep sea. The discovery of cladorhizid sponges, the deepest occurring poriferan family, in shallow Mediterranean caves in the 1990s was one such surprise, leading to the generally accepted hypothesis that the … Read more
Unsustainable deep‐sea fisheries Deep‐sea fisheries management in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean has become an issue of serious concern. During the past few decades, fishing activities have increased dramatically in deeper waters, with significant impacts on marine species and ecosystems. Most exploited deep‐sea stocks are currently fished more heavily than is sustainable1 , which is particularly … Read more
Regulation (EC) 2347/2002, the ‘deep‐sea access regime’, has failed to ensure the sustainable management of deep‐sea fisheries and ecosystems in the North‐East Atlantic Ocean. Many deep‐sea species captured in the region are not covered by the regulation and therefore remain unmanaged, while catches of all managed stocks have been deemed to lie outside safe biological … Read more
The below document addresses common misperceptions about North-East Atlantic deep-sea fisheries, based on the best available information regarding the status and biological characteristics of deep-sea stocks, by-catch and discard rates of deep-sea fisheries, and EU and international precedents of restricting deep-sea bottom trawls and gillnets. Myth 1: Deep-sea stocks in the North-East Atlantic are in … Read more
Regulation (EC) 2347/20021 , the ‘deep‐sea access regime’, has failed to ensure the sustainable management of deep‐sea fisheries and ecosystems in the North‐East Atlantic Ocean. Many deep‐sea species captured in the region are not covered by the regulation and therefore remain unmanaged, while only three of 24 managed species have one or more stocks considered … Read more
In advance of the Fisheries Council meeting of 10‐11 November, in which fishing opportunities will be decided for deep‐sea species, Oceana would like to provide Fisheries Ministers with constructive recommendations on how total allowable catches (TACs) should be set. In order to achieve the commitments of the Common Fisheries Policy, it is essential that fisheries … Read more
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRI-FISH) will meet in Brussels on the 15th-16th of December to decide the catch limits of the main commercial fish species in the North-East Atlantic for 2015. Oceana reminds EU Member States of their obligation to maintain sustainable catch levels in the framework of Common Fisheries Policy, and urges them … Read more
Yesterday, the Council of Fisheries Ministers of the European Union reached an agreement on fishing opportunities for deep-sea species for 2015 and 2016. Although catches will be reduced for many deep-sea stocks, Oceana is deeply disappointed that catch limits were nevertheless set higher than scientifically advised for 63% of stocks, putting these vulnerable species at … Read more
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