Oceans Archives

Though the French institute for sea exploitation known as Ifremer appeared optimistic when presenting its 2020 report on the state of fish populations caught in France, they, however, called for continued efforts, particularly in the Mediterranean where the situation is more worrying. EURACTIV France reports.

2021 marks the start of the UN Decade on Ocean Science – a chance to move away from past mistakes where EU decisions were not always made based on the best-available science or even went against scientific advice, writes Antonia Leroy.

Efforts to protect the European Union seas are failing to slow biodiversity loss or prevent overfishing, with the Mediterranean under particular threat, a report by auditors said on Thursday (26 November).

While focusing chiefly on wind power, the European Commission’s upcoming offshore energy strategy also seeks to boost other ocean energy sources like wave and tidal, according to a draft policy document seen by EURACTIV.

Offshore wind capacity in the EU "should be multiplied by 25 times by 2050" as the European Commission looks for all possible ways of boosting the share of renewables in energy consumption, according to a draft policy document seen by EURACTIV.

Seas across Europe are in “generally poor” condition, according to a report by the European Union’s environment agency, published on Thursday (25 June).

The EU's new Biodiversity Strategy will increase the EU’s network of marine protected areas, writes Virgilius Sinkevicius

In his first interview as the new chair of the parliamentary committee on fisheries (PECH), the Renew Europe MEP Pierre Karleskind called for a fisheries agreement with the UK that recreates the current situation whereby EU fishermen can have access to British waters and UK seafood can be sold on the Single Market.

The EU's outgoing Fisheries Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, warned that climate change and biodiversity loss were putting the earth's ecosystems dangerously close to a tipping point, and pleaded for his successor to carry on the International Ocean Governance (IOG) put in place during his five-year mandate.

The Arctic has lost around 12.8% of its surface area every decade between 1979 and 2018, which is "likely unprecedented for at least 1,000 years" and could shrink even more if no action is taken, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'environnement reports.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented its special report on the oceans and ice caps today (24 September). Although climate scientists have, once again, drastically increased their sea-level rise forecasts to one metre by 2100, there is still time for action. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Putting the youngest ever Commissioner-designate in charge of managing the most fearful threats for future generations of Europeans, such as environment protection and oceans' conservation, is the biggest gamble Ursula von der Leyen took in composing her team.

Surfrider Europe, a French organisation fighting for clean oceans,  is organising an event ahead of the G7 summit in France. The aim is to call for incorporating ocean protection into international negotiations, particularly those concerning climate change. EURACTIV's partner la Tribune reports.

600,000 tonnes of plastic are being dumped by 22 countries in the Mediterranean Sea every year, of which 11,200 tonnes come from France. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

The EU has a historic opportunity to protect the Southern Ocean at the upcoming EU-China summit, write Geneviève Pons and Pascal Lamy.

On 27 December, the Congress of New Caledonia voted to do away with most single-use plastic objects by 2020. EURACTIV France’s media partner the Journal de l’environnement reports.

The EU should match its rhetoric on sustainable fisheries by leading global efforts to preserve mako sharks, argues Staci McLennan.

As global leaders met at the world’s first Sustainable Blue Economy conference this week, the EU must face the sobering reality of the state of our ocean and stand by its commitments to sustainably protect and effectively manage Europe’s seas before it’s too late, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

For the first time, a state – Seychelles – has issued a 'Blue Bond', which will finance the protection of marine ecosystems and the development of sustainable fishing. EURACTIV France’s media partner, the Journal de l’environnement reports.

From studying toxic microplankton to currents and ocean temperatures, the Euro Hab and Euro-Argo projects are trying to understand the oceans. The British are contributing to this undertaking but Brexit could complicate things. EURACTIV France reports.

The high seas make up nearly two-thirds of the world’s ocean, but less than 1 percent is currently protected. All this could change this September, when governments come together at the United Nations for an intergovernmental conference to negotiate a new treaty that would create a mechanism for protecting these ocean areas, writes Liz Karan.

On World Ocean Day (8 June), it is important to bring back to the forefront the debate of overfishing which is undermining the health of our oceans. Five years after the reform on the EU Common Fisheries Policy nothing much has changed, and discarding at sea is still common practice, writes Rebecca Hubbard.

Plastic is everywhere, polluting our waters, choking marine wildlife, and even in our food and water. It is a problem of global proportions but an ambitious EU Plastics Strategy can create vital momentum, writes Pierre-Yves Cousteau.