Mediterranean countries must adopt urgent protection for disappearing sharks and rays

With 41% of the sharks and rays threatened, the Mediterranean is the most dangerous sea for these species Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, urges Mediterranean nations to strengthen protection for threatened and endangered sharks and rays at the meeting of the Barcelona Convention which begins today in Marseille. This week’s meeting is critical for … Read more

Oceana urges European Commission to amend deeply flawed shark finning ban

Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, strongly urges the European Commission to move forwards on amending the EU shark finning ban, following a public consultation which closes today, by developing a strong proposal requiring all sharks to be landed with their fins still attached. The existing regulation on finning was intended to stop this wasteful … Read more

Kung Hei Fat Choi – but hold the shark fin soup, please!

Today millions of people around the world are celebrating the Chinese New Year and ushering in the Year of the Rabbit with family, friends, food and conversation. Unfortunately, shark fin soup is a featured dish at many of these meals – a traditional dish that has had a devastating effect on shark populations worldwide that … Read more

ICCAT says “I can’t”

As the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) closed today in Paris, France, Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization called it a “massive failure for bluefin tuna and swordfish, with only modest progress for sharks and sea turtles.” “Despite the flowery rhetoric, it was ‘business … Read more

ICCAT Highlights: News from Paris

We are fast nearing the end of the 2010 ICCAT meeting in Paris. As some of you know, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international body responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and related species, as well as species caught incidentally as bycatch in these fisheries, including … Read more

Oceana warns that political inactions is seriously threatening Atlantic bluefin tuna and sharks populations

Oceana presents an opening statement with a list of measures in order to restore the stocks of bluefin tuna, sharks and Mediterranean swordfish. The international marine conservation organization Oceana urges the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to restore bluefin tuna and shark populations in the opening statement submitted today for its … Read more

Oceana calls for protection of ocean’s top predators at upcoming international fisheries meeting

Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, is calling for the protection of the ocean’s top predators at the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Paris, France, November 17 to 27. Specifically, Oceana is seeking protections for several vulnerable and overexploited species vital to maintaining … Read more