The study looked into the fishing activity across marine Nature 2000 sites having a focus on variety of protected features protected by the Habitats Directive. Significant incompatible fishing activity was observed inside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across all of the European Union (EU), particularly within reef and sandbank habitats types (codes 1170 and 1110).This poster summarizes … Read more
Recent Discoveries of Extensive Cold-Water Coral Assemblages in Maltese Waters Recent deep-water remotely operated vehicle surveys around the Maltese Islands resulted in the discovery of highly diverse habitats, including extensive hard bottom areas dominated by gorgonians and living cold-water corals with a rich variety of associated fauna. Black coral (Leiopathes glaberrima) forests were dominant at … Read more
Executive Summary The Aeolian archipelago, off the northern coast of Sicily, has long been recognised as a major area of importance for marine biodiversity. The waters surrounding these volcanic islands are characterised by steeply sloped bottoms that host a wide array of habitats – including seagrass meadows, seamounts, and hydrothermal vents – over a large … Read more
Reinforcing the EU’s multilateral actions to promote best practices The environmental and economic viability of global fisheries remains in crisis, with many fish populations managed within Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) Convention areas overfished and at times at risk of collapsing. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing significantly contributes to this problem. Strengthening fisheries … Read more
The Marine Insurance Industry: A Key Ally By refusing or canceling insurance to vessels or boats that have been blacklisted for pirate fishing, the marine insurance industry can be a key player to combat IUU fishing. This essentially cuts a financial lifeline for those involved in IUU fishing, so no false claims can be made. The … Read more
The North Sea is considered one of the most productive seas in the world, with a broad diversity of plankton, invertebrates, fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and other organisms that inhabit its waters and its seabed. It is also of great social and economic value due its fisheries, oil and gas extraction, harbours, and industry — … Read more
A high resolution version of this report can be found here.
There is increasing interest in the Spanish seafood supply chain for fisheries and aquaculture to be more environmentally and socially sustainable. For businesses to ensure more sustainable seafood is part of their strategic planning and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), they must make specific sourcing policy commitments and set defined, time-bound and measurable indicators. This policy must be public and easily accessible. … Read more
Abstract The tube-building polychaete Sabellaria spinulosa (Ross worm) can form conspicuous biogenic reefs that stabilize the seabed and increase biodiversity by providing a habitat for a multitude of other species. These reefs, however, are assumed to be vulnerable to human-induced physical disturbances of the seabed. In the Greater North Sea, S. spinulosa reefs are recognized to be under threat … Read more
Summary The reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was agreed in 2013 and entered into force on 1st January 2014. Among its many innovations, the 2013 regulation introduced, for the first time, a legal requirement to achieve the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) exploitation rate, as well as an obligation to land all catches. Both are inextricably … 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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