June 30, 2026
Meet Vera Coelho, Oceana’s new leader in Europe
BY: Sarah Holcomb
Vera Coelho is Executive Director and Vice President at Oceana in Europe, leading a team of 30+ advocates, scientists, and communicators to protect and restore the oceans. A political scientist with nearly 20 years of experience working to protect freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, Coelho joined Oceana in April 2020. Coelho has successfully campaigned for the adoption of EU environmental legislation, fisheries policy and regulation, and international treaties and agreements on climate and biodiversity.
How did your upbringing in Portugal shape your interest in the oceans?
Vera Coelho: I grew up in northern Portugal, along the rugged Atlantic coast, where the ocean is fierce. The currents are strong, the water is cold, and those who venture into the sea — whether to fish or to swim — are considered brave. From a young age, I learned both to enjoy and to respect the ocean, spending countless hours swimming and playing at the beach with family and friends.
I also grew up eating a lot of fish. Portugal is among the largest consumers of seafood in the world, with the average person eating about 55 kilograms (121 pounds) of seafood each year. In my case, that meant at least one fish meal every day — something I didn’t always appreciate as a child.
Only later in life did I truly understand how special Portugal’s seafood culture is, and how it’s connected to the health of the ocean. My childhood offered an early glimpse into why Oceana’s vision matters: a healthy ocean can provide a billion people with a healthy seafood meal every day, forever.
How do your diverse experiences across Europe influence your perspective on ocean conservation?
VC: People sometimes forget just how diverse the European Union is. It’s made up of 27 member states, each with their languages, history, and culture. Working at the EU level means navigating complexity every day. In my career, I’ve been fortunate to live and work in six different EU countries and to speak six different languages.
This diversity can make policymaking challenging. Fishing fleets, target species, and seafood markets vary widely across the EU. In Portugal, for example, the fleet is largely made up of small-scale vessels, while countries like Belgium and the Netherlands tend to have fewer, but larger and more industrial vessels.
One of the EU’s greatest strengths is its principle of “no borders” — a concept especially relevant to the ocean. Ocean pollution doesn’t stop at national boundaries. Fish are among the most globally traded commodities in the world. We all share one ocean, even if we experience it differently and use different languages to describe it.
Ultimately, shared objectives are the best way to protect the ocean in a way that works for Europe’s diversity, while ensuring a healthy ocean for all Europeans.
For the past five years, you’ve served as Oceana’s deputy vice president in Europe. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
VC: I’m incredibly proud of what our small but mighty European team has accomplished over the past five years. Together, we’ve secured over 25 victories across Europe — from the adoption of major EU laws to the creation of new marine protected areas (MPAs) and securing action against vessels fishing illegally.
If I had to choose one accomplishment to highlight, it would be Oceana’s role in passing the EU Nature Restoration Law in 2024, which is the first new biodiversity law in the EU in more than 30 years. This law represents a turning point. It requires EU Member States to restore at least 20% of EU seas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It also recognizes that countries must work together when restoration goals come into conflict with destructive practices like bottom trawling.
I’m proud of not just the policy itself, but the persistence behind it — years of advocacy, coalition-building, and belief that Europe could do better for its ocean.
Many of Europe’s MPAs are still impacted by destructive fishing. How can we change that?
VC: Europe often presents itself as a global leader in ocean conservation, but when it comes to MPAs, implementation has often been our Achilles’ heel. Many MPAs exist only on paper — mere lines on a map while destructive fishing continues.
That disconnect became very real to me when talking to fishers in the Mediterranean, who described how lack of enforcement of MPAs rendered them meaningless.
Oceana is bringing this reality to light. We’ve analyzed human activity in thousands of MPAs across Europe and exposed so-called protected areas that are still heavily fished with the most destructive gears, such as bottom trawls. Together with our allies, we’ve taken legal action against Spain and other EU countries to challenge the continued use of destructive practices in MPAs.
That pressure is delivering results. We’ve secured bans on bottom trawling in specific areas and continue to push for an EU-wide ban in all MPAs. Last summer, during the UN Ocean Conference in France, our on-the-ground advocacy helped secure commitments from Spain, France, and Denmark to ban bottom trawling in biologically rich areas, and from Portugal to designate vast strictly protected areas. And we will keep pushing until Europe’s MPAs are truly protected.
What is your vision for the future of Oceana’s campaigns in Europe?
VC: The next few years will be decisive for our team. We are at a crossroads: The European Union can either defend and strengthen its world-leading fisheries and environmental standards, or it can roll them back and undo decades of hard-won progress. That urgency drives our campaigns and excites me as I step into this role.
Our vision is clear. We will continue to fight to effectively protect at least 30% of EU waters by 2030 and ensure those protections are enforced. We will defend and strengthen Europe’s fisheries management rules to meet challenges like climate change. And we will leverage the EU’s enormous seafood market power and distant-water fleet to push for greater global fisheries transparency, so that illegal and destructive practices have nowhere to hide.
Looking ahead in 2026, as the EU prepares new legislation and a long-term budget, we see a critical moment to drive ambitious, lasting change. The ocean remains central to Europe’s identity, economy, and food system. Our role is to make sure it is never sidelined. Time and again, we have shown that moments of disruption can be turned into opportunities for progress, through smart campaigning, strong alliances, and science-based solutions.
