The European Commission has proposed to reopen the Northeast Atlantic (NEAT) deep-sea gillnet fishery, which takes place in depths between 200 and 1200 meters in waters north and west of Great Britain and Ireland. This fishery was temporarily closed by the European Union Fisheries Ministers in December 2005 due to its incredible waste and the … Read more
According to the international organisation for marine research and conservation, Oceana, once again a group of European countries, led by Spain, France, Portugal and Poland are attempting to destroy any initiative taken to stop the deterioration of fish species and marine ecosystems. These governments have continually ignored the warnings given by the scientific community regarding … Read more
A fleet of barely 20 fishing vessels manages to discard each year between 2,000 and 15,000 tonnes of anglerfish, generate more than 1,000 kilos of waste and “ghost nets” and overexploit stocks of anglerfish, deep-sea red crab and deep-sea sharks. Every day, more than 6,000 kilometres of fixed gillnets (known as rasco) are deployed in … Read more
The scale of economic dependence on deep-sea fisheries in Europe is low, according to new information presented today by the European Commission during a Fisheries Committee debate in the European Parliament in Brussels. Oceana values the contribution from the Commission, which further justifies measures that have been proposed for improving the sustainability of deep-sea fisheries … Read more
If asked, “would you spread liver oil from threatened deep-sea sharks on your face?” most people would probably answer “no” – yet many European consumers may do so unwittingly, because they have no way of knowing whether a common cosmetic ingredient is sourced from sharks or from plant alternatives. Oceana is calling on cosmetic manufacturers … Read more
Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, is engaged in a campaign to end of the use of shark liver oil, known as squalene, in cosmetics products. Europe is a major force in the production and trade of squalene, and the campaign has included investigative visits to fishing ports and cosmetics shops, and discussions with cosmetic … Read more
Yesterday, the European Council agreed on the 2013 and 2014 TACs and quotas for deep-sea species. Oceana is deeply disappointed in the Fisheries Council agreement to increase TACs for many deep-sea stocks above levels proposed by the European Commission, which already were not ambitious enough to guarantee the responsible exploitation of these vulnerable species. On … Read more
Loophole in EU law allows shark liver oil captured illegally around the world to reach EU consumers as Omega-3. Oceana has called upon the European Commission to amend weak EU laws that leave European markets open to liver oil from illegally caught deep-sea sharks. In recent months, vessels which are internationally blacklisted because of previous … Read more
Deep-sea species and habitats are extremely vulnerable to exploitation. Today, the European Commission published a strong draft regulation establishing access requirements and conditions applicable to deep sea fisheries in the Atlantic. Oceana is pleased with this significant step towards the sustainable use of deep marine resources and the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems. Among the … 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
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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.
