Good news readers! Great news, actually: Yesterday, EU has finally voted in favour of strictly protecting ten threatened species of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean Sea, under the Barcelona Convention. These species, including hammerheads, tope, and shortfin mako, have declined dramatically in numbers – some by as much as 99% during the last century … Read more
Every two years, the FAO releases a report called the State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture, and every two years, those of us who follow the issue are disappointed by dismal statistics. This year, 87% of evaluated stocks were fully or over-exploited, up 2% from the last FAO report. Our board member Dr. Daniel … Read more
In 1992, at the original Earth Summit in Rio, the world came together to shape a brighter future for the planet. Yet 20 years later, the oceans have received far less protection than land, deep sea areas in particular have been ignored, marine protected areas are few and far between, while many are poorly (if … Read more
Editor’s Note: This commentary by our Executive Director originally appeared in the EUObserver Tomorrow, the Fisheries Council will gather in Brussels for a crucial vote on the general approach for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The developments of these last few weeks indicate that the Parliament, the Council’s equal partner for the … Read more
Despite meeting’s failures, Oceana welcomes Mediterranean shark finning ban and significant steps for shark protection. On Saturday, the FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) closed its annual meeting, without having taken any decision to address the steepest ever decline in Mediterranean fish stocks. Although 96% of Mediterranean demersal (bottom-dwelling) fish stocks are overfished, … Read more
Brussels, 8 May 2012 – A broad coalition of civil society groups praised the European Parliament environment committee for its strong stand today on EU fisheries reform. In a vote on the reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the members of the Parliament overwhelmingly supported measures to recover fish stocks, promote environmental protection … Read more
You can imagine how we felt when we heard the conclusions of a new paper by German scientists linking bad decision making by the EU Fisheries council to the collapse of North Sea Cod. In the early 2000’s, the council rejected the recommendation of scientists to close the North Sea Cod fishery to allow it … Read more
Did you know that 82% of fish species caught by the EU fleet lack catch limits? This means that 686 fish species, including commonly eaten ones like octopus and mullet, can be exploited without any management of the stocks or fishing effort used. And these species are no small fry. In total, their economic value … Read more
Measures needed to ensure the responsible managements of stocks and the future of common species like crab, squid and conger eels. Oceana, with the support of actor Miguel Ángel Silvestre, today published a report denouncing the lack of management measures for 82% of fish species exploited by the European fleet. The study shows that 686 … Read more
Responsibility to Manage Species Marine commercial species are a natural renewable resource but they are not always managed in the most responsible way1, despite fisheries resources providing an important part of the food supply2 and supporting many people’s livelihoods across the EU3. Inadequate or inexistent management of exploited fishery resources constitutes a real threat … 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.
