Elasmobranches, the group of fishes that include sharks and batoids (rays and other flat sharks), are found in all European waters, from the cold and deep waters of Greenland to the warm subtropical waters of the Canary Islands. Elasmobranches are cartilaginous fishes, meaning they have skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone; they present a … Read more
Sharks represent one of nature’s most successful creations. They have roamed our oceans for over 400 million years and survived various extinction events to evolve into predators that are perfectly adapted to the marine environment. Early sharks looked very different from today’s modern sharks, but these animals have always had a strategic advantage over their … Read more
Most of large pelagic species like tuna, sharks and swordfish are overfished in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, due to the extremely high prices their meat or fins can reach in most of world’s markets. Bluefin tuna is on the verge of collapse due to overfishing, mismanagement and illegal fishing, Sharks are extremely vulnerable … Read more
According to conventional wisdom, small, fast-growing fish are impossible to overfish because their populations are so large and grow so quickly. Yet we are now seeing disquieting signs that conventional wisdom is wrong. Most significantly, scientists are reporting ocean predators emaciated from lack of food, vulnerable to disease and without enough energy to reproduce. Scrawny … Read more
Sharks have been fished for hundreds of years, some records even date back to ancient Roman times. But it has only been in the last few decades when the volume of shark catches increased exponentially. Sharks are now targeted by both highly industrialised fishing fleets and artisanal fisheries. Sharks are mainly hunted for their fins … Read more
In 2006 and 2007, Oceana researchers carried out a year-long investigation into European Union shark fisheries and trade of shark products (meat and liver oil fins) around the world. These investigations are part of a major campaign to conserve sharks, threatened animals that are crucial to maintaining the health and stability of ocean ecosystems. As … Read more
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
Protecting marine species worldwide is difficult and requires specific actions to be developed or adapted. Countries are authorised to protect only an extremely small proportion of the habitats in which these species live. As such, the development of isolated policies or policies based on geographic limitations makes measures less effective. In addition, agreements or legislation … Read more
Sharks, rays and chimaeras make up the group of fish known as Chondrichthyans– these fish all have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. In general, Chondrichthyans grow slowly, mature late and produce few young over long lifetimes. Consequently, their populations grow at extremely low rates, leaving them exceptionally susceptible to fisheries overexploitation and slow … 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.
