Fundacion Oceana

Oceana's global mission is to make our ocean more biodiverse and abundant by winning policy victories in the countries that govern most of the world's marine life. This work is vital as more than 4.5 billion people rely on fish as an important source of animal protein, a number only to increase with the growing population. Fishing activities also support coastal communities and hundreds of millions of people who depend on fishing for all or part of their income. Yet the world's ocean is in serious trouble: intense human pressures have driven and continue to drive widespread, significant changes in the marine environment. Globally, 34% of assessed fish stocks are fished at biolog... read more Oceana's global mission is to make our ocean more biodiverse and abundant by winning policy victories in the countries that govern most of the world's marine life. This work is vital as more than 4.5 billion people rely on fish as an important source of animal protein, a number only to increase with the growing population. Fishing activities also support coastal communities and hundreds of millions of people who depend on fishing for all or part of their income. Yet the world's ocean is in serious trouble: intense human pressures have driven and continue to drive widespread, significant changes in the marine environment. Globally, 34% of assessed fish stocks are fished at biologically unsustainable levels; in Europe, although the situation in the Northeast Atlantic has improved, according to the latest STECF report on the performance of the CFP, fishing pressure remains above sustainable levels for 61% of the assessed EU fish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Human activities on land and at-sea have led to extensive loss and damage of marine habitats and to pervasive pollution of the ocean, including the growing problem of plastic pollution. All these impacts are set against the backdrop of the climate crisis, which causes a wide array of impacts on ocean dynamics and marine life. While the challenges are great, there are also solid science-based solutions at hand, to help rebuild ocean resilience in the face of such heavy pressures. There are many examples of fish rebounding once science-based management is implemented; the implementation of the CFP demonstrates that fisheries rebuilding is achievable in European seas; Marine Protected Areas are a proven tool for biodiversity protection, if well designed and effectively managed; and increasing transparency on fishing activities as well as providing public information on cases of non-compliance has also proven to reduce IUU fishing. As the largest international environmental organisation focused solely on protecting, conserving, and rebuilding ocean abundance, Oceana is well-suited to addressing these challenges. Our offices around the world work to win strategic, directed campaigns that achieve measurable changes by securing science-based policies. Oceana's campaigns focus on improving fisheries management, including reducing destructive and illegal fishing; protecting habitat, including securing the designations of MPAs and improving the management of existing ones; and strengthening transparency of fishing activity and government decision making processes. As Oceana Europe we focus our work in European waters. The European Union is home to countless biodiversity hotspots, valuable habitats, and unique ecosystems; it has one of the largest fishing fleets in the world and is the largest market for seafood products in the world; and wields global political and market influence. Hence, improvements in EU marine policies have the potential for significant global impacts. Europe has demonstrated global leadership in passing marine legislation to achieve sustainable levels of fishing while maintaining the vital economic value of the fishing sector. It has also taken steps to improve transparency of data on the fishing sector and its activities. In addition, the EU has taken bold steps to protect marine habitat. The Natura 2000 Network, the Common Fisheries Policy and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive are all examples of progressive policies that serve as models for other countries and support the EU's role in pushing for more ambitious measures in international negotiations. Building on our extensive experience and lessons learned over the past 20 years, we will focus on: - Putting the ocean at the heart of decision-making in Europe: Oceana works to ensure that ocean protection and sustainable management are fully integrated into European policy frameworks. This includes promoting coherent and ambitious approaches that recognize the ocean's central role in environmental, economic, and social systems, while strengthening political and public support for ocean conservation. - Rebuilding fisheries in Europe: Oceana aims to promote sustainable fisheries management across Europe by supporting the recovery of fish populations and encouraging practices that minimize environmental impact. This work focuses on advancing the effective implementation of existing frameworks and fostering a transition toward more responsible and equitable fishing systems. - Protecting marine habitat in Europe: Oceana seeks to strengthen the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems by advancing robust conservation measures and improving the management of marine protected areas. The goal is to safeguard biodiversity, enhance ecosystem resilience, and ensure that marine habitats can recover and thrive. - Eliminating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through transparency: Oceana works to combat illegal and unregulated fishing by promoting greater transparency and accountability in the fishing sector. This includes encouraging stronger governance, improved access to information, and more effective monitoring and enforcement systems to ensure compliance with fisheries rules. Oceana envisions a future in which the world's ocean is rich in biodiversity and filled with life, where local economies thrive rather than decline, and where seafood is a healthy and plentiful source of food for hundreds of millions of people. To realise this future, we need to protect the ocean and manage marine resources more sustainably. This need has become even more apparent considering the climate crisis. The ocean faces an unprecedented level of threat, which in turn puts at risk the many ecosystem services it provides, ranging from global temperature regulation and carbon sequestration to coastal protection, the provision of foods, and cultural benefits.