Click here to access the Oceana Ranger Expedition 2010 video.
A blueprint for blue planet protection
London, England – July 30, 2010 – The oceans have become so depleted by over-fishing, pollution and climate change that they can only be saved by a large global network of reserves, according to a growing consensus among marine scientists.
Campaigners say that sea life — particularly at the top of the food chain — is suffering to such an extent that there will eventually be no fish left if action drastic action is not taken to protect the oceans.
More than 70 percent of the world is covered by oceans. There are currently more than 4,000 marine protected areas covering just over 1 percent of the oceans, but the vast majority of reserves have only limited protection.
According to Professor Callum Roberts, of the University of York, one of the leading campaigners and author of The Unnatural History of the Sea, only about 0.1 percent of the sea is completely protected from all exploitation. This should be between 25 and 45 percent to give marine species the best chance of recovery, he said.
Read the complete story from CNN.
Iceland wants to stay out of EU fishing policy
BRUSSELS—Iceland opened membership talks with the European Union on Tuesday, saying it wants to sit "at the family table" of Europe but stressed its fishing sector — the lifeblood of the Icelandic economy — must be off limits to the EU.
Ossur Skarphedinson, Iceland's foreign minister, proposed Iceland's fishing waters be named a "specific management area," letting only Iceland manage species there, unhindered by fishermen from other EU nations who have allegedly depleted fish stocks everywhere.
Saying the EU's common fisheries policy has failed to prevent "endemic overfishing" elsewhere, he said Iceland's fishing sector "must not be undermined" if and it joins the EU.
Read the full Associated Press story via The Boston Globe
International Agreements Concerning Living Marine Resources of Interest To NOAA Fisheries
The 2010 guide to International Agreements Concerning Living Marine Resources of Interest To NOAA Fisheries, compiled and edited by Keith Cialino, has been published by the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of International Affairs.
Oceana gives $1 million Arcadia grant
Arcadia has awarded $1 million to the international marine conservation organisation Oceana, which will fund the first year of its two-year Baltic Sea Enforcement Project. Oceana plans to seek other donors to meet the remaining project cost.
Oceana will work on two fronts in the Baltic Sea, with the aim of reducing and preventing illegal and non-sustainable fishing.
Its campaign by land will involve the research and documentation of all ports in the nine Baltic countries, with researchers specialising in fisheries issues hired locally and trained for this specific campaign. Their role will be to monitor the Baltic coasts to verify fleets and their catches, including bottom trawlers and driftnets. An investigation of the fishing companies operating in these fisheries will also be carried out, as well as a thorough study of the regulations in each area. This will enable Oceana to develop policy proposals.
Read the complete story from Arcadia.
Oceana warns against near lack of shark fisheries management all around the world
The organization calls on the EU to manage its fleets’ shark fisheries with quotas, recovery plans, minimum landing sizes and a “fins attached” landing policy.
MADRID – July 22, 2010 – In a new report by Oceana, The Race for Threatened Sharks, the international marine conservation organization demonstrates how sharks are extremely vulnerable species that have been fished by European Union vessels at home and around the world without management for decades. Globally, 21% of shark populations are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red List, and targeted and by-catch fisheries are the main threat to their survival.
Changes in shark fishery management in the European Union have been slow, with strong proposals often rejected or weakened. Oceana is urging the responsible fisheries management bodies and authorities to pick up the pace in establishing new regulations. Specifically, the marine conservation organization demands that all shark fisheries be regulated with “fins attached[1]” policies, catch quotas, minimum landing sizes, recovery plans or technical controls for fishing gear.
Read the complete story from Oceana.
Oceana urges caution over anchovy catches
MARINE conservation organisation Oceana is calling for the EU to follow scientific advice in determining the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of anchovy in the Bay of Biscay.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has proposed a TAC of 6,000 tonnes according to the precautionary approach, which would ensure that another anchovy collapse like that of 2005 does not happen again.
Ricardo Aguilar, Research Director of Oceana in Europe, said: “Anchovy in the Gulf of Biscay is an incredibly vulnerable stock. In spite of being a short-lived species, it has taken the stock almost five years to recover from the collapse which occurred in 2005. This slow recovery was due to low recruitment episodes, whose causes are still unknown. This situation not only threatens the continuance of this species, but also the livelihoods of fishermen. The current situation necessitates a TAC of 6.000 tonnes in accordance with the precautionary approach.”
Read the complete story from Fish News EU.
Scallops fit for a Queen
July 15, 2010 – Her Majesty seems to know exactly what she fancies as she inspects local produce in a Scots fishing village yesterday – some fresh QUEEN scallops.
Thousands turned out to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip to Kirkcudbright as they toured Dumfries and Galloway.
Chef Carlo Bignami, 52, and wife Heather served the shellfish cooked in Cointreau to the Royal couple.
Heather, also 52 – who runs Carlo's restaurant in nearby Castle Douglas – said: "The Queen called Philip over to try some. He was very interested in what liquor was used in the recipe – he seemed to like it."
Read the complete story from The Sun.
Ted Danson Urges U.S. Senate to Reduce Subsidies that Lead to Overfishing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 14, 2010 – Ted Danson, award-winning actor, longtime ocean advocate and Oceana board member, testified today before the Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness of the Senate Committee on Finance. In the hearing entitled Marine Wealth: Promoting Conservation and Advancing American Exports, Danson described how government subsidies negatively impact the oceans and global seafood market as well as explained why sustainable fishing is necessary to preserve ocean health and jobs.
“There’s an inextricable link between ocean conservation and global competitiveness,” said Danson. “It’s quite simple – No fish. No fishermen. No future.”
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is currently engaged in a dedicated negotiation on fisheries subsidies as part of the Doha trade round. Yet despite international consensus on the dire state of the oceans, many governments continue to provide major subsidies to their fishing sectors. These subsidies promote overfishing by pushing fleets to fish longer, harder and farther away than would otherwise be economically feasible.
Read the complete story from Oceana.
No Cheers for Fishing Subsidies as Ted Danson Heads to the Hill
It might not be the "Cheers" bar, but everyone is still sure to know his name when actor Ted Danson appears before the Senate Finance Committee this week.
Danson, famous for his role as Sam Malone on the long-running television series "Cheers," is scheduled to testify Wednesday at a hearing on fishing and international trade. A longtime advocate for marine conservation, Danson will be representing Oceana and is expected to call for the United States to use international trade negotiations to press other nations to repeal fishing subsidies.
The International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee will look at "marine wealth" and options to support and advance U.S. seafood exports. The hearing is intended to explore how U.S. fish and seafood producers can compete in global markets and promote ocean conservation, according to the committee.
Read the complete story from the New York Times.
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