Oceana, the world’s largest ocean conservation organization, is in San Francisco this week to urge the countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to advance a marine environment agreement that would promote the sustainable trade and management of ocean resources. Specifically, Oceana is urging the countries to pursue obligations and commitments in the TPP that would … Read more
On World Oceans Day, Oceana and partners Nautica, West Marine, Planet Green and GQ announced the adult and junior winners of the second annual Ocean Heroes Contest. Jay Holcomb, Executive Director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center, was voted the adult Ocean Hero and The Shark Finatics, a group of students from the Green … Read more
In December 2005, the Council of European Union Fisheries Ministers agreed on a measure to close the deepwater gillnet fishery in the North-East Atlantic (NEAT)1. The temporary closure, which took effect on 1 February 2006, encompasses waters deeper than 200 meters to the north and west of Great Britain and Ireland (ICES Divisions VI a … Read more
Most of the pelagic (open water) sharks caught worldwide by European Union vessels come from the fisheries of modern Spanish and Portuguese surface longliner fleets which target them. In 2004, EU vessels reported 114,669 metric tons of shark and ray catches worldwide. More than 67 per cent of total shark catches in the Atlantic were … Read more
Today, Oceana is launching a public service announcement (PSA) that urges viewers to take an online pledge to protect the oceans, saying: “The oceans need your help. Take the pledge. Be an Ocean Hero.” For each pledge, an anonymous donor will donate $1 to Oceana. The spot features an all-star cast of celebrity ocean advocates … Read more
The use of driftnets to capture large pelagic species is illegal because they are a threat to the conservation of various species of cetaceans, sea turtles and sharks. The first measures against the use of this fishing gear were adopted by the United Nations more than 15 years ago. These nets, however, known as “walls … Read more
Elasmobranches, the group of fishes that include sharks and batoids (rays and other flat sharks), are found in all European waters, from the cold and deep waters of Greenland to the warm subtropical waters of the Canary Islands. Elasmobranches are cartilaginous fishes, meaning they have skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone; they present a … Read more
Los tiburones constituyen una de las creaciones más exitosas de la naturaleza. Hace más de 400 millones de años que habitan nuestros océanos y han sobrevivido a varios eventos de extinción para, al fin, convertirse en depredadores perfectamente adaptados al medio marino. Los primeros tiburones tenían un aspecto muy diferente al de los tiburones modernos, … Read more
Sharks represent one of nature’s most successful creations. They have roamed our oceans for over 400 million years and survived various extinction events to evolve into predators that are perfectly adapted to the marine environment. Early sharks looked very different from today’s modern sharks, but these animals have always had a strategic advantage over their … Read more
Most of large pelagic species like tuna, sharks and swordfish are overfished in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, due to the extremely high prices their meat or fins can reach in most of world’s markets. Bluefin tuna is on the verge of collapse due to overfishing, mismanagement and illegal fishing, Sharks are extremely vulnerable … Read more
Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana.
We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.