Marine protection and fishing

Plastic pellets and microplastics: tiny plastic, huge problem

Plastic pellets, the raw material for any plastic product, cause huge damage to flora, fauna and human health when spilled. The latest example for that is the environmental catastrophe at the Galician coast that happened in December 2023. Now, the European Commission wants to tackle the issue of…

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Marine protection and fishing

Greens/EFA welcome Commission plan to end bottom trawling

This morning, the European Commission presented an action plan to end bottom trawling. In the "Action Plan for the Conservation of Fisheries Resources and Marine Ecosystems", the EU Commission calls for an end to the use of bottom trawling gear in marine protected areas from 2030. The Greens/EFA…

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Marine protection and fishing

Biodiversity Summit COP15: Agreement on More Biodiversity Protection

In December 2022, more than 190 countries adopted the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework at a global biodiversity summit (COP 15). This is a landmark agreement that will steer the global action on biodiversity until 2030. While it is historic that countries were able to make an agreement in the…

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Marine protection and fishing

On a mission in Croatia: Action for more Marine and Nature Protection

From September 19 to 22, I visited Croatia to get an idea of the marine protected areas in a Mediterranean country and to see to what extent the EU decisions regarding marine protection are implemented on the ground. I met with NGOs to talk about the challenges but also successes in marine and…

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Marine protection and fishing

Why we need to reduce the impact of human activities to save our oceans

Overfishing and harmful fishing techniques have been tolerated for far too long, disturbing the balance of marine ecosystems and damaging marine habitats. Marine litter has created large garbage patches of plastic in the oceans that marine animals ingest and get entangled in. Extraction of oil and…

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Marine protection and fishing

Why we need effective management of protected areas to save our oceans

Our oceans have been overexploited for decades - unsustainable fishing, oil and gas exploration, and plastic pollution are only some of the human influences that have left their mark. The effects of climate change are creating even more pressure on marine species and habitats. Marine biodiversity is…

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Marine protection and fishing

Bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - an explainer

Bottom fishing activities are the fishing operations that have the worst impacts on the seabed. They harm fish populations, climate, and marine biodiversity. Despite that, in Europe bottom trawling is still allowed in marine protected areas (MPAs) - areas that have the purpose of preserving flora…

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Marine protection and fishing

We need ambitious protection targets to save our oceans

Our oceans make life on this planet possible - they produce over half the oxygen we breathe, and play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, acting as a buffer against climate change. They assist in regulating our weather patterns, and they are a source of food, income, and…

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Marine protection and fishing

Marine biodiversity is in crisis!

Marine species are declining at an alarming rate. None of the previously set global targets for biodiversity protection were reached. But we have the chance to change that!

 

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Marine protection and fishing

Vote on the Landing Obligation Report

The European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries just adopted a report on the implementation of the landing obligation. Under this policy, fishers are prohibited from discarding unwanted catches, all catches need to be landed. This will help protecting marine ecosystems by reducing unnecessary…

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Marine protection and fishing

Vote on the Fisheries Control Regulation

The European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries today voted on an amendment of the Fisheries Control Regulation. While improvements were made on vessel monitoring systems and customer protection, there were setbacks in the context of margins of tolerance and data collection.

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Marine protection and fishing

We need more fish in the seas!

Over 80% of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and nearly 40% in the Atlantic are overexploited and climate change and pollution have a severe effect on marine biodiversity. We need ambitious measures for our seas!

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