Canary Islands: Oceana proposal
The proposal made by Oceana and Fundación Biodiversidad (Spanish) includes 42 measures that address the EU’s requirements. The initiative aims to create a coherent network of marine protected areas (MPA) that also protects a variety of species and habitats that are currently not included in management plans for conservation. As such, many threatened species are included, such as the white gorgonian, the seahorse, the giant grouper, deep sea sharks, sea turtles and certain whales, including blue and right whales.
Other measures focused on the correct management of marine resources and the conservation of marine ecosystems, are also among the 42 measures proposed by Oceana and Fundación Biodiversidad:
– Protect threatened species and habitats of ecological 
importance such as seagrass beds (Cymodocea nodosa) by including them in the Canary Island Catalogue of Protected Species and develop specific management measures to prevent their continued decline.
– Convert the waters of the Canary Islands into a sanctuary for sharks, rays and chimaeras.
– Reduce fishing pressure on overexploited resources and improve the control and supervision of this activity.
– Prohibit any type of exploration surveys for the oil and gas industries off the Canary Island coasts.
– Promote and develop renewable energies on the islands, such as wind and wave energy.
