Here’s a very simple way to protect marine life—keep drift gillnets out of California waters. Fishermen use this fishing gear to target swordfish and thresher sharks, but they also catch and kill dozens of other important marine species. In 2011, for every five swordfish the fishery landed, one marine mammal was killed and six fish—including … Read more
We can all agree that wasting food is unacceptable. So why are U.S. fisheries allowed to throw away perfectly edible seafood? Many fisheries toss fish and other species overboard, usually dead or dying, simply because it’s not the type of seafood they are trying to catch. And the government allows this wasteful practice. A new … Read more
Today, Oceana released a new report exposing nine of the dirtiest fisheries in the United States. These nine fisheries combined throw away almost half of what they catch and are responsible for more than 50 percent of all reported bycatch in the U.S., injuring and killing thousands of protected and endangered species every year. In … Read more
CORRECTION: This report referenced a bycatch rate of 40% as determined by Davies et al. 2009, however that calculation used a broader definition of bycatch than is standard. According to bycatch as defined in this report and elsewhere, the most recent analyses show a rate of approximately 10% (Zeller et al. 2017; FAO 2018). In the United … Read more
Last week, the Pacific Fishery Management Council rejected a proposal to expand the use of drift gillnets off California. The decision was paired with a request to extend emergency regulations to protect sperm whales from entrapment in drift gillnets until permanent protections go into effect. The meeting in Sacramento drew unusually high numbers of public … Read more
In each issue of Oceana magazine, we review recent victories in our Making Waves section. Read for updates from the Winter 2013 issue. Offshore Wind Energy Gains Momentum on the East Coast On July 31, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held its first-ever competitive offshore wind lease auction. The government leased 164,750 acres off … Read more
Today the Pacific Fishery Management Council—the 14 member voting body tasked with managing fisheries 3 to 200 miles off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington—decided to cease consideration of a proposal to expand the use of deadly drift gillnets off California and instead requested extension of emergency regulations that went into effect last year … Read more
London, UK: Oceana’s Junior Council launched in London Wednesday night. Hosted by Benjamin Goldsmith and Stephanie Bilet, the evening was attended by a select group of high profile figures from London’s fashion, music, finance, culinary and art world. The event benefited Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization. Benjamin Goldsmith opened the program by describing … Read more
Mile-long drift gillnets create a deadly trap for ocean wildlife. These nets, meant for swordfish and thresher sharks, form dangerous underwater walls that entangle iconic ocean marine life, preventing them from surfacing for air, so many eventually drown or become critically injured. After soaking in the ocean overnight, the nets are pulled from the water … Read more
I’m proud to announce that the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation just awarded Oceana a grant of $3 million to aid our conservation efforts in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Over the next three years, this grant will help fund existing and new campaigns that target ocean habitats and keystone species, like sharks. The Pacific and Arctic … 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.