Less than 1% of the Bay of Biscay is protected, and Spain is lagging in its obligations to create a network of marine protected areas. Following joint studies, Oceana and the Official College of Biologists of Euskadi (COBE), have proposed the creation of a marine ecological corridor in Jaizkibel (in the Basque Country), a major … Read more
Less than one third of the area required by law has been protected, and it barely includes high seas areas. Oceana calls attention to the lack of will of EU states to protect the North-East Atlantic, which constitutes a failure to comply with international legislation and increases the pressure on an area of the Atlantic … Read more
Oceana estimates that over 500 vessels have operated illegally in the Mediterranean, some with nets up to 20 kilometres long. Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, calls for a Mediterranean free of drift nets for 2011, and urges all Member States to take a zero tolerance position on this type of destructive fishing gear. For … Read more
For thousands of years, the Gulf of Cádiz has been known for its ecological importance, as seen in ancient clasical texts mentioning the abundance of its fisheries and the presence of numerous animal species. From the fantastic stories of Strabo, who defined tuna as the “pigs of the sea” because they would feed off the … Read more
A seamount is a regarded as a geological elevation that reaches a minimum of 1,000 metres in height and can consist of very different physical, geological and chemical properties. Therefore, seamounts can only exist where there are sea beds more than one kilometre deep, or, which is one and the same thing, over 60%-62% of … Read more
The Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policy published an ambiguous decree yesterday which eliminates the limits on distances from the coast for the use of driftnets known as ferrettaras. These nets, which in theory are used to catch small pelagic fish (sardines, anchovies, etc.), have been authorised with a mesh size of 18 cm … Read more
With a letter today addressed to Commissioners Dimas and Borg, Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, has called for an end to the illegal use of an Italian driftnet called ferrettara. The letter, which follows a recent formal complaint submitted by Oceana to the European Commission, provides evidence of the illegal catch of vulnerable … Read more
Elasmobranches, the group of fishes that include sharks and batoids (rays and other flat sharks), are found in all European waters, from the cold and deep waters of Greenland to the warm subtropical waters of the Canary Islands. Elasmobranches are cartilaginous fishes, meaning they have skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone; they present a … Read more
Conservation efforts for other endangered European shark and ray species have also advanced recently. Still other species are in urgent need of protection. Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, is welcoming a move made last week by the European Union to advance protection for two species of endangered sharks by proposing them for the Convention … Read more
Almost 50% of these long-living ecosystems have disappeared from European waters. Some coral formations date back more than 8,000 years. The Oceana Ranger research vessel has discovered deep-sea white coral in the Aviles Canyon. The deep-sea coral was identified using an underwater robot, which can work down to 600 meters. The first colonies of white … 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.
