Since 2003, Oceana has achieved dozens of concrete policy victories for marine life and habitats in Europe. From stopping bottom trawling in sensitive habitat areas to protecting sea turtles from commercial fishing gear, our victories represent a new hope for the world's oceans.
December 12, 2023
EU Sets Sustainable Catch Limits to Help Recover Fish Populations
The European Union set more sustainable catch limits for the fisheries it manages exclusively in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea for 2024. For Atlantic fisheries, 87% of the catch limits were set in line with scientific recommendations, nearly all the current catch by weight. Also this year, in the Western Mediterranean, fishing effort by destructive trawlers was reduced by 9.5% and catch limits were lowered for various deep-sea shrimps. Oceana and our allies campaigned for these changes across the EU and helped drive public support and engagement. Oceana will continue to campaign for sustainable fisheries management in EU waters.
Oceana Defends EU Common Fisheries Policy from Attack
Oceana and its allies defended the European Union’s main fisheries law from attacks, including attempts to overturn the discard ban, which was the subject of strong lobbying by the industrial fishing sector. Adopted in 2013, the Common Fisheries Policy has led EU fisheries to become increasingly more sustainable by adhering to principles such as science-based catch limits and bycatch reduction. The European Commission’s recent assessment of the law showed that the number of sustainably harvested fish stocks has increased from only five in 2009 to over 60 in 2022. Oceana continues to campaign for full implementation and enforcement of the law
November 30, 2021
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean Strengthens Transparency Requirements for Fishing Vessels
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the regional fisheries management organization covering the Mediterranean and Black Seas, adopted a recommendation to improve its Authorized Vessel List. GFCM member countries are now required to report which vessels are allowed to fish inside Fisheries Restricted Areas, helping authorities spot which fishing vessels are operating within the law and those that are not. This victory is a direct result of campaigning by Oceana, who highlighted the weaknesses of the previous list and secured support for the new recommendation from the EU and other GFCM members. The decision will help ensure that Fisheries Restricted Areas provide real protection to critical fisheries habitats and fragile deep-sea ecosystems.
November 1, 2016
First steps taken for depleted Mediterranean swordfish
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) finally agreed on a recovery plan for the severely depleted Mediterranean swordfish, which has shrunk by two thirds from the 1980s due to overfishing. The plan includes a modest reduction of catches and the adoption of a quota system, enforced by monitoring and control measures to prevent illegal fishing and improve transparency in the swordfish fishery management and trade. Oceana has fought for this iconic species for more than a decade, and will keep the pressure to ensure its full recovery.
Oceana Wins Protection for Essential Fish Habitats in the Strait of Sicily
Following campaigning by Oceana, three Fisheries Restricted Areas were created by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in the Strait of Sicily, protecting 1,493 square km between Italy, Malta and Tunisia from bottom trawling and preserving nursery areas. By preserving these areas, essential fish habitats for commercial fisheries stocks, a key step has been made towards rebuilding the stock of hake – the most overfished species in the Mediterranean – and preserving the home to over 60% of the deep-sea rose shrimps caught in this sea. This is the first time management measures for shared stocks have been undertaken in the central Mediterranean, it is an historical step.
June 1, 2016
Deep-Sea Trawling Ban Protects 4.9 million km2 in Atlantic Ocean
Oceana in Europe campaigned with our colleagues in the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition for the prohibition of deep sea bottom trawling in the North East Atlantic waters. This victory provides increased protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems and deep-sea sharks. The European Parliament, Council and Commission reached an agreement that bans all trawling below 800m depth and that stops bottom fishing activity below 400m if the presence of vulnerable marine ecosystems is demonstrated. These actions protect 4.9 million km2 – an area larger than the EU itself.
Oceana Wins Protection for Essential Fish Habitats in the Strait of Sicily
Following campaigning by Oceana, three Fisheries Restricted Areas were created by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in the Strait of Sicily, protecting 1,493 square km between Italy, Malta and Tunisia from bottom trawling and preserving nursery areas. By preserving these areas, essential fish habitats for commercial fisheries stocks, a key step has been made towards rebuilding the stock of hake – the most overfished species in the Mediterranean – and preserving the home to over 60% of the deep-sea rose shrimps caught in this sea. This is the first time management measures for shared stocks have been undertaken in the central Mediterranean, it is an historical step.
First-Ever Fishing Ban Created for Danish Marine Parks
Thanks to a new regulation by the European Union, Denmark, Germany and Sweden will cease all fishing activity on sensitive bubbling reefs and end fishing with damaging bottom gear (such as bottom trawls) over reefs in protected Danish waters of the Baltic Sea and Kattegat. The new measures are the first of their kind in the Baltic Sea, and were jointly proposed by the three Member States. The regulation covers 10 Natura 2000 protected areas—which are the backbone of marine protected areas in the EU. Oceana has conducted multiple expeditions in the Baltic Sea that exposed the ecological significance of this region, and has campaigned for years for sustainable fishing and habitat protections.
First ever database of EU fishing fleet around the world launched
Oceana and its allies launch the transparency database www.whofishesfar.org, an online database detailing 15,264 EU vessels authorised to fish outside EU waters between 2010 and 2014. The figures were made public for the first time after an access-to-information request to the European Commission. Transparency is a key element for eradicating illegal fishing and ensuring sustainable fisheries.
Spain, which is Europe’s largest fishing country and the biggest importer and exporter of seafood products in the European Union, has become the first Member State to take action against pirate fishing. Spain introduced a new fisheries law that imposes stronger penalties on Spanish citizens found to be involved with pirate fishing anywhere around the world. The new Spanish fisheries law, 33/2014, is the translation into Spanish legislation of the EU’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regulation, which requires all EU member States to take action against citizens and companies found to be involved in any IUU fishing activities anywhere in the world. Under this new law, the Spanish government will be able to act against Spanish citizens who are benefiting from illegal fishing.
