A health-check report on world fisheries and aquaculture by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that one-third of global marine fish stocks are now fished at unsustainable levels and have reached ‘overfished’ status. Oceana flags particular attention to the state of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, which according to the report published today, is the … Read more
Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs) are spatial management measures adopted under the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and Black Sea (GFCM) to regulate or restrict demersal fisheries in the high seas. Since 2006, a total of six FRAs have been established in the GFCM area, each under different management objectives. Three were established to protect … Read more
Management of fisheries in the Mediterranean basin has often been described as a unique and complex challenge, due to their multi-specificity, the diversity of gear-types, and the number of nations involved. This perspective has gone hand-in-hand for decades with a lack of strong political will from decision-makers, who have been unwilling to put Mediterranean fisheries … Read more
The EU has one of the largest fishing fleets operating around the world and its activities represent 28% of total EU catches Members of the European Parliament voted today on the European Commission’s proposal to sustainably manage the activities of the EU’s fishing fleet operating outside European Union waters. EU fishing vessels operate in the … Read more
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council agreed tonight to allow continued overfishing in North-East Atlantic. Once again, ministers approved catch limits for 2017 that surpass scientific recommendations, ignoring the facts that 64% of European stocks are overfished and 85% are below healthy levels. EU countries have a legally binding obligation to fish stocks at sustainable levels … Read more
For the first time ever, we know the full potential of fish recovery in Europe and its good news! If we manage fish sustainably, fish catches can increase by 57% or 5 million tonnes. That’s a lot of fish currently missing from our seas. On December 12th-13th the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the EU … Read more
The AGRI-FISH Council of the EU is gathering in Brussels on December 12th-13th to decide on annual catch limits (TACs) for the main commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic and the North Sea for 2017. Oceana recently released the most comprehensive study of EU fisheries ever and the case for recovering fish stocks is stronger … Read more
According to the information reflected in the European Commission communication and an independent scientific study commissioned by Oceana, fishing mortality rates in the NE Atlantic are still clearly above the committed levels required to meet sustainable objectives. This in turn is threatening the status of the stocks and leading to the under-exploitation of fish resources. … Read more
Members of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament voted today on the European Commission’s proposal to regulate activities of the EU’s fishing fleet operating outside EU waters. The Committee has agreed on the need for new and unprecedented measures for transparency and sustainability within fisheries, including the creation of the first public register of … Read more
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts and WWF are working together to secure the harmonised and effective implementation of the European Union’s (EU) Regulation to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The EU has been active in fighting IUU fishing at a global level through its innovative and ambitious IUU … 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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