North-East Atlantic threatened species left in the lurch

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

Unexpected records of ‘deep-sea’ carnivorous sponges Asbestopluma hypogea in the shallow NE Atlantic shed light on new conservation issues

  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 … Read more

Oceana urges fisheries ministers to end overfishing in 2015

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

Oceana denounces Council decision on deep-sea fishing opportunities

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