The European Commission proposal with regard to the setting and distribution of quotas for deep-sea marine species (Com (2004) 746) represents a significant step forward in complying with the European Union’s commitments and the new Common Fisheries Policy. The proposal follows a number of scientific recommendations, many of which have been repeatedly ignored for years, … Read more
Almost 40% of the vessels flying the flags of one of the European Union states have shown deficiencies or committed violations of the MARPOL convention for the prevention of pollution from ships in the last four years, and this figure rises to 75% if we include all types of deficiencies. During this period of time, … Read more
There are eight species of sea turtle, five of which can be found in the North Atlantic; and, of these, two are regularly caught as accidental catches by longliner fleets: the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and, above all, the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Less frequently, the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Kemp’s … Read more
At a meeting in June 1998, the European Union’s Council of Fisheries’ Ministers passed a Regulation aimed at prohibiting the use of driftnets for part of the European fleet; a regulation that was to come into force on 1 January 2002. At that time, some 670 Italian, 70 French and about 30 British and Irish … Read more
A seamount is a regarded as a geological elevation that reaches a minimum of 1,000 metres in height and can consist of very different physical, geological and chemical properties. Therefore, seamounts can only exist where there are sea beds more than one kilometre deep, or, which is one and the same thing, over 60%-62% of … Read more
Every day, more than 6,000 kilometres of fixed gillnets (‘rasco’ or anglerfish nets) are deployed in the waters of the North-East Atlantic to catch anglerfish, deep-sea red crab and deep-sea sharks. The poor selectivity of these nets, together with the length of time they are left in the water, means that many of the creatures … Read more
The deep sea is the last great frontier on Earth. For hundreds of years people have pondered, debated and explored the vast depths of the oceans, yet our knowledge of them barely skims the surface. Remarkably, though it is the largest ecosystem on Earth, we have better maps of Mars than we do of our … Read more
Europe is playing a lead role in the overfishing, waste, and depletion of the world’s sharks. Despite improved management instruments and growing public concern, European Union (EU) restrictions on shark finning remain among the weakest in the world and no overall plan to manage EU shark fisheries and restore depleted populations exists. Because of sharks’ … Read more
In December 2005, the Council of European Union Fisheries Ministers agreed on a measure to close the deepwater gillnet fishery in the North-East Atlantic (NEAT)1. The temporary closure, which took effect on 1 February 2006, encompasses waters deeper than 200 meters to the north and west of Great Britain and Ireland (ICES Divisions VI a … Read more
Driftnets have been condemned by the international community and banned by various countries and different international organisations. This fishery, however, still continues in various countries around the world, causing the accidental capture and death of a large number of cetaceans, sea turtles, elasmobranchs and birds. One of the epicentres of this activity is located in … Read more
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