The use of driftnets to capture large pelagic species is illegal because they are a threat to the conservation of various species of cetaceans, sea turtles and sharks. The first measures against the use of this fishing gear were adopted by the United Nations more than 15 years ago. These nets, however, known as “walls … Read more
In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) agreed a resolution to establish an international moratorium from 1992 on the use of driftnets on the high seas. It was the first worldwide measure adopted against a specific fishing technique. As a result of this decision, several governments established laws to comply with the UNGA mandate. … Read more
Oceana and MarViva welcome today’s judgment by the EU Court of Justice which has found Italy in breach of EU law for continuing to use driftnets, a fishing gear banned since 2002. Driftnets are a serious threat to the conservation of endangered species in the Mediterranean. This case was finally taken to the Court in … Read more
In 2008, Oceana and MarViva collaborated in a campaign to definitively eliminate the use of driftnets in the Mediterranean. Banned by the United Nations more than 15 years ago, this gear is still being used and constitutes a serious threat for cetaceans, turtles and sharks. This fishery mainly targets the already overexploited swordfish stock which … Read more
Oceana issued a report to the European Commission and the general public on the continued use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean. This report is the last of a series resulting from years of Oceana work against the use of this illegal fishing gear and the fraud in subsidies. Oceana’s efforts contributed toward a judgment … Read more
The Court also formally denied France’s request to consider future exemptions for its fleet from the EU driftnet ban. In Italy, the Calabrian prosecutor formally charged several driftnetters for illegal activities and has since kept them ashore under house arrest.
After Oceana showed that some fishing ships continued to use illegal fishing gear, the European Court of Justice rejected further requests by the French government for exemptions from the EU ban on driftnetting in the Mediterranean Sea. This ruling spares 25,000 juvenile bluefin tuna caught annually in the driftnets, along with thousands of other types … Read more
Two months after Oceana presented its findings to ACCOBAMS, a scientific organization devoted to the protection of dolphins, whales and other cetaceans in European seas, the Italian Attorney General announced new efforts to crack down on illegal driftnetting by declaring it illegal for vessels to carry driftnets on board regardless of whether or not they … 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.
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