Mediterranean Sea at Risk Archives

International community takes first step for depleted Mediterranean swordfish on World Fisheries Day

Oceana welcomes long-overdue measures to rebuild the depleted and overfished stock, but the plan falls behind expectations Vilamoura, Portugal.-The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has today finalised its one-week long negotiations between 51 countries. ICCAT has finally agreed on a recovery plan for the severely depleted Mediterranean swordfish, which has been … Read more

New analysis reveals lack of trade traceability in lucrative Mediterranean swordfish market

As the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) today enters its fifth day of fisheries negotiations, all 51 countries have the future and fate of Mediterranean swordfish at the top of their agenda. The negotiations are taking place as new data, commissioned by Oceana, reveals a lack of traceability and transparency in … Read more

EU faces Mediterranean fish ultimatum

The European Union is now facing an ultimatum on a key fishery in the Mediterranean. Oceana has called on EU countries to stop all swordfish fishing in the Mediterranean unless an immediate recovery plan to rebuild stocks is put in place. Mediterranean swordfish has been reduced to one third of its size in just thirty … Read more

Set crisis plan now or EU to ban fishing for Mediterranean swordfish

Mediterranean swordfish drops by 70% in 30 years from overfishing Oceana is fully behind a call for an urgent and immediate action plan to rebuild rock-bottom numbers of swordfish in the Mediterranean Sea and to safeguard its future in the region. The only other alternative to this is to completely close down swordfish fishing in … Read more

1400 km2 in the Balearic Islands protected from destructive fishing

Oceana welcomes the creation of fishing protected areas in the Menorca Channel, and the modest expansion of another area to the east of Cabrera Archipelago National Park. These areas will allow the conservation of coralligenous formations and rhodolith beds, habitats formed by calcareous red algae in which many species feed and reproduce, and which are … Read more

Action not words for future of Mediterranean swordfish

Mediterranean swordfish plummet to 30% after three decades of overfishing. Oceana urges EU Member States sharing Mediterranean waters to take the reins and set out a robust action plan. On the occasion of the Mediterranean Swordfish Stock Assessment Session Meeting, scientists from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) met in Casablanca, … Read more

Oceana celebrates deep-sea trawling ban covering 4.9 million km2

This afternoon, after 4 years of on-and-off negotiations, the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU have announced a final agreement on new regulation for deep-sea fisheries in the North-East Atlantic. In a preliminary reaction, and pending final details of the agreement, Oceana warmly welcomes this clear step forward in the management of … Read more

Oceana launches a new interactive display for El Hierro seabeds

Oceana has collected hundreds of photos, videos and maps of its expedition in El Hierro waters to promote the creation of Spain’s first-ever marine National Park. Oceana has launched a new viewer with information and images from the depths of the island of El Hierro. All the material comes from the expedition carried out in … Read more

Mediterranean countries to close bottom trawling fishing to rebuild fish stocks

Oceana applauds the closure to bottom fish trawling of three nursery areas for hake and deep-sea rose shrimp in the Strait of Sicily and a temporal closure in the Gulf of Gabes. This decision, following a proposal tabled by Oceana, was sealed today in St. Julian (Malta) during the 40th meeting of the General Fisheries … Read more

Oceana unveils images of fish nursery areas damaged by bottom trawling in the Strait of Sicily

Oceana calls to preserve these essential habitats for hake and deep-water rose shrimp during this week’s GFCM meeting Today Oceana unveiled never-before-seen images from the Strait of Sicily, showing damage caused by bottom trawling in areas that are essential for the reproduction of hake and deep-water rose shrimp. On the occasion of the 40th Session … Read more