Sea turtles have been swimming the oceans for more than 100 million years. They have persisted through natural predators, climatic changes and even the mass dinosaur extinction. They have proven to be important ecologically, economically and culturally both in the United States and abroad. Nonetheless, modern day human activities are killing sea turtles at a … Read more
Sea turtles have played vital roles in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans for more than 100 million years. These roles range from maintaining productive coral reef ecosystems to transporting essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches and coastal dunes. Major changes have occurred in the oceans because sea turtles have been virtually eliminated … Read more
Sharks are extremely vulnerable species which have been fished by European Union vessels at home and around the world without any management for decades. Globally, 21% of shark, ray and chimaera populations are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List. In the Northeast Atlantic the figure is even higher with 26% threatened and … Read more
The appearance this summer of several cetaceans stranded on the coasts of the Canary Islands and the Azores while naval manoeuvres were being carried out has reopened the debate on the impact on cetaceans from the use of sonar and other acoustic pollution arising from these exercises. This is not the first time this has … Read more
The world’s fisheries are in crisis. Experts report that 75% are significantly depleted, overexploited or fully exploited. Behind these statistics are the stories of countless families whose livelihoods have been destroyed as the once-bountiful resources of the oceans have dwindled. Governments generally recognise that there is little time left to act decisively to reverse the … Read more
Society as we know it, perhaps in every country on earth, would not exist in its present form without economic subsidies. Economic support knows many different faces: apart from direct payments to those in need, it may be provided through public-private partnerships or bi-lateral agreements, by joining a free trade agreement or union (such as … Read more
Cruise ship tourism has experienced massive growth in the last thirty years. During these three decades, the number of people opting to spend their vacation on board one of these vessels has multiplied by 25 and so, as a result, have any associated problems. More than 50 companies control almost 300 cruise ships that carry … Read more
At Oceana we take a very positive view of the efforts being made by the Fisheries Directorate-General and the European Commission to establish criteria of sustainability in Mediterranean fisheries in accordance with the recently-passed new EU Common Fisheries Policy. At the same time, we believe that many of the Commission’s proposals, which on occasion do … Read more
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
The continuous deterioration of the fisheries in the North-East Atlantic demonstrates the European’s Union’s resounding failure to manage these fisheries over decades. While the assessment that ICES made in 2003 of the majority of commercial species caught by European fleets was already pessimistic, the panorama represented by the latest report in 2004 is even worse, … 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.
