EU

Deepwater sharks in extreme decline: ICES recommends zero catch

10 November, 2005

The slow and steady life strategy of sharks may have served them well for millions of years, but now these fearsome fish are under serious threat from a combination of destructive fishing practices. In the marine area covered by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – the North Atlantic, Baltic and North Sea – over 100 species of sharks and their relatives (together known as elasmobranchs) have been recorded. Yet from the wide diversity of European species, only a few have supported fisheries.

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Scientists Speak Out: Action Urgently Needed in the Deep Seas

20 October, 2005

There is growing concern amongst scientists about the need to take urgent action to protect deep sea biodiversity – fish stocks as well as habitat. The International Council on the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has prepared a report calling for “a complete overhaul of deep-sea fisheries.” (1) According to a 17 October ICES press release about the report’s launch (2), “scientists will recommend that all existing deep-sea fisheries should be cutback to low levels until they can demonstrate that they are sustainable. They will advise zero catch of depleted deep-sea sharks, and they will recommend that no new fisheries for deep-sea fish should be allowed until it can be demonstrated that they are capable of being sustainable.”

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Oceans unveil how little is known

24 August, 2005

The latest discovery of underwater life in abundance – coral forests at 1000 metres deep – was released today in Vienna at a conference (1) of marine biologists, underlining recent calls to take a time-out on trawl fishing of the ocean bottom until scientists can accurately assess the real richness of deep sea life and its resources. Scientists outlined new research from the US Government National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration 2002 and 2004 Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expeditions. Marine ecologists collected and described a new species of deep sea fan (2), or gorgonian, called a “bamboo coral” from a dozen mountains in the sea between Santa Barbara, California and Kodiak, Alaska, USA, suggesting the animal occurs on peaks throughout the Pacific Ocean.

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Initial impressions of UNICPOLOS outcome

11 June, 2005

Initial impressions of the outcome this year’s meeting of the UNICPOLOS from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition team in New York. The negotiations finished at about one o’clock this morning. There were moments of real drama as countries grappled for real action just as others tried to prevent it. New Zealand and Costa Rica with support from Mexico and others, fought hard to get a call for urgent and targeted action to protect deep-sea ecosystems on the high seas, in spite of the fatigue, the lateness of the hour and the clear frustration of many delegations that the negotiations were dragging on.

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High time for high seas: timeout on bottom trawling key to sustainable oceans

6 June, 2005

As the United Nations Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS) meeting begins today, the international community faces a crisis of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.   The high seas make up the majority of the world’s oceans and large parts of the high seas are devoid of effective internationally agreed controls for activities such as high seas bottom trawling making it the single biggest area open to abuse and exploitation.

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Get your act together & protect fragile footholds for ocean life

12 May, 2005

Following on from a European tour in which leading marine biologists brought their concerns direct to European decision-makers, a number of European countries are being asked to support a moratorium on bottom trawling on the high seas in the run-up to the EU’s Law of the Sea Working Group (COMAR) meeting on Friday 13 May.

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International scientists visit European Parliament with call for action to stop the destruction of deep ocean habitats in international waters

19 April, 2005

Leading deep sea scientists today spoke out against the European Community’s failure to fulfil its commitments to protect the seabed from high seas bottom trawling. Addressing a gathering at the European Parliament, hosted by MEPs Paolo Casaca and Elspeth Attwooll, the scientists echoed concerns already raised by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the European Community itself, over the enormous damage caused by bottom trawl fishing to deep-sea corals and other rare and unique species, fish populations and sensitive deep ocean habitats worldwide.

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International Conference on Biodiversity, Science and Governance Ends with Strong Call for Deep Sea Protection

28 January, 2005

– Paris. The International Conference on Biodiversity, Science and Governance in Paris will close today with a strong call on the international community to meet its goal of halting the decline in global biodiversity by 2010. Critical among the areas of the planet high in biodiversity and under threat are the often-neglected deep oceans.

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