Spanish Supreme Court risks opening the high seas to crime and impunity

Spanish Supreme Court agreed this week to consider Oceana’s appeal requesting the nullification of their ruling in favour of Vidal Armadores. As the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial unveiled, the Supreme Court decided in December to file the case against Vidal Armadores, who were prosecuted in Spanish National Court for almost a decade of pirate fishing … Read more

Spain closes the net around pirate fishing

Oceana applauds Spain’s actions in opening a new era in the global fight against IUU fishing 14 countries cooperated with Interpol and Spain’s Guardia Civil to break up the group, whose profits amounted to 10 million euros a year Oceana praises Spain for having broken up a group of internationally renowned fishing pirates that has … Read more

Where do European Vessels Fish?

European vessels have been fi shing in the world’s oceans ever since the fi rst pioneering English, French, Spanish and Portuguese fi shermen crossed the Atlantic to fi nd cod off the Canadian coast in the early sixteenth century. It is estimated that 28% of the fi sh caught by EU vessels for human consumption … Read more

NGOs welcome EU move to fight illegal fishing through vessel numbering scheme

Today, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana and WWF welcomed a new European Commission requirement that all EU fishing vessels, and foreign vessels fishing in EU waters, need to have unique vessel numbers from construction to disposal. The move will affect up to 8,205 European vessels. The change is a key reform that helps close … Read more

European Commission Praised for Warning the Comoros and Taiwan, PoC on Illegal Fishing

BRUSSELS—The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and WWF commended the European Commission today for issuing an official warning—known as a “yellow card”—to the Comoros and Taiwan, PoC for failing to take sufficient action to combat illegal fishing. The groups also welcomed the Commission’s publication of a Communication to the Council of … Read more