Though failing to improve protections for bluefin tuna, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) increased the number of shark species prohibited for retention in ICCAT fisheries. Specifically, the group improved conservation measures for oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks and shortfin mako sharks. In addition, ICCAT put in place new measures to … Read more
Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, released a new report today that estimates that more than 1.3 million highly migratory sharks were caught in the Atlantic Ocean during 2008, without international fisheries management. This estimate demonstrates the need for protections of highly migratory sharks at the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission … Read more
Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, released a new report today that estimates that more than 1.3 million highly migratory sharks were caught in the Atlantic Ocean during 2008, without international fisheries management. This estimate demonstrates the need for protections of highly migratory sharks at the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission … Read more
Many shark species migrate vast distances through our oceans, swimming across various national and International jurisdictional boundaries along their way. These species of sharks, like tunas and swordfish, call large swaths of the ocean their home and their populations cannot be claimed by any specific country. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the … Read more
Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, released the following statement today from chief scientist and head-of-delegation Dr. Michael Hirshfield. “The stakes are high today as the 17th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) begins in Paris, France. Oceana is calling ICCAT’s bluff: Restore depleted bluefin tuna … Read more
Texas became the 10th state in the U.S. to ban the sale of shark fins after signing a house bill into law. Texas had recently emerged as a hub for shark fins, with the state’s fin trade growing by 240 percent since 2010. This move also makes Texas the first state in the Gulf region … Read more
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2010 – Oceana, the world’s largest international conservation organization focused solely on protecting and restoring the world’s oceans, announced today its partnership with Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which premieres Sunday, August 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. “Sharks deserve widespread attention not only because they are fascinating but also because they are in … Read more
Sharks are extremely vulnerable species which have been fished by European Union vessels at home and around the world without any management for decades. Globally, 21% of shark, ray and chimaera populations are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List. In the Northeast Atlantic the figure is even higher with 26% threatened and … Read more
Every day, more than 6,000 kilometres of fixed gillnets (‘rasco’ or anglerfish nets) are deployed in the waters of the North-East Atlantic to catch anglerfish, deep-sea red crab and deep-sea sharks. The poor selectivity of these nets, together with the length of time they are left in the water, means that many of the creatures … Read more
Europe is playing a lead role in the overfishing, waste, and depletion of the world’s sharks. Despite improved management instruments and growing public concern, European Union (EU) restrictions on shark finning remain among the weakest in the world and no overall plan to manage EU shark fisheries and restore depleted populations exists. Because of sharks’ … 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.