Oceana, the international ocean conservation organisation, remains convinced that increasing fuel subsidies is not an appropriate response to rising fuel prices and urges governments to find longer term structural solutions to help the sector adapt to a future with higher fuel costs and ensure the long term sustainability of the sector. Oceana believes that governments … Read more
Today the European Commission published a Proposal for a Regulation to establish a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, by both the EU fleet wherever it fishes and for all vessels, including from third countries, in Europe’s seas. A prohibition of imports from illegally caught fish, a tightening … Read more
The detention by Norwegian patrols of two vessels flying Spanish flags, apprehended while catching Greenland halibut, has once again highlighted the wide-ranging practice of rogue fishing by companies that have received subsidies from Galician and Spanish authorities. One of the detained vessels, the Monte Meixueiro, belongs to the Vigo-based company Valiela, S.A., which has received … Read more
The fishing industry in the European Union (EU) receives a significant amount of government subsidies, which have promoted the overcapacity of European fishing fleets, resulting in overfishing1, and rendering fisheries in many European countries unprofitable and a poor investment for taxpayers. In 2011, Oceana released a study estimating the total expenditure in fishing sector subsidies … Read more
Last night, Fisheries Ministers passed one of the last hurdles in the negotiations on the reformed European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) by reaching an agreement on the criteria that will be used to determine how the money will be allocated and spent. While Oceana was pleased to see Ministers steer clear of reintroducing subsidies … Read more
Today, after a year and a half of negotiations, the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament failed to match the new fisheries subsidies mechanism to the ambitious reformed Common Fisheries Policy. In their vote on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the representatives of European citizens refused to seize the opportunity to create a … Read more
Since 2000 fisheries subsidies in the EU have totaled € 12,9 billion. Today, Oceana released the results of a six-month study on the expenditure made by EU Member States in subsidies to the fishing sector since 2000. The report shows that they have granted €4,9 billion in the form of state aid to their fishing … Read more
Once again, we’ve uncovered a disturbing amount of hidden subsidies to the EU’s fishing sector. You may remember in 2011, we calculated that a staggering 3.3 billion Euros in subsidies had gone from the EU to its Member State industries in just one year (2009). This year, we decided to take a look at state … Read more
As the negotiations on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) reach a crucial point in the European Parliament, there are reports that Alain Cadec, the French Member of Parliament in charge of the file, is seeking an agreement directly with the Member States, and thus trying to bypass the opportunity for a detailed discussion … Read more
At this very moment, EU Member States are developing their six-year plans on how they will be using fisheries subsidies (mostly funded by taxpayer money) they will be receiving once the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is finalized. As part of the design process of these Operational Programmes, several countries (though, unfortunately, not … 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.
