As a new round of negotiations between the UK and the EU begins this week, Oceana draws attention to the urgent need for a successful conclusion of the talks when it comes to fisheries. Due to the shared nature of ecosystems and fish populations, a deal on fisheries is essential not only to settle issues … Read more
Following a workshop organized by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) in Lisbon to evaluate the recovery and management plan for Iberian sardine (Sardina pilchardus), 15 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Portugal and Spain[1] are concerned about a plan submitted to the European Commission by the Portuguese and Spanish governments. This plan … 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
One of the aspects behind the critical situation of Mediterranean stocks is the high exploitation rate of juveniles in many demersal fi sheries. The fisheries management in place today has brought most of assessed stocks outside safe biological limits (FAO, 2017) and some of them face a high risk of biological collapse, such ascommercially-important hake … Read more
The EU and Mediterranean countries have failed to protect critical fish nursery areas for commercial species that are already overfished, some of which stocks are near to collapse. Despite growing international concerns over the state and health of the Mediterranean – the sea with the most fish stocks heading towards depletion (above 80%) – the … Read more
MEPs have today introduced changes that significantly weaken a plan to better manage fisheries in the European waters of the Atlantic Ocean. After a vote in the European Parliament, the Fisheries Committee voted to take a step backwards on sustainably managing the fishing grounds for 8 major EU fishing countries and overlooked legal obligations under the … Read more
According to the World Bank and the FAO (The Sunken Billions revisited, 2017), global marine fishing loses account for US$83billion each year, but this figure could be reversed if correct management measures were applied. Along the same lines, the recent study Exploitation and status of European stocks conducted by Dr. Rainer Froese on behalf of … Read more
A proposal published today by the European Commission that would close loopholes in the regulation governing the European Unions (EU)’s long-distance fishing fleet has been welcomed by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts and WWF. “The European Commission’s proposal reinforces the EU’s commitment to combatting illegal fishing globally,” said María José … 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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