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News
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MSP-ICM Directive should put environment at its heart
Brussels, 21 May 2013. Today, on European Maritime Day, 26 environmental NGOs come together as one voice to demand that the proposed Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management (MSP-ICM) gets a firmer environmental legal basis.
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SAR holds Seminar on Marine Litter at the European level
Brussels, 13th March 2013. Seas At Risk hosted a successful one day seminar with representatives from NGO’s, the European Commission, academics and others to discuss ways to deal with the marine litter problem at the European level.
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Marine Litter: Message from Berlin
Berlin, 12th April 2013. The Message from Berlin, the main outcome of a three day international conference, lays out the key principles and priority actions to tackle the European marine litter problem and calls for the development of regional action plans.
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Politics over reason – Deep Sea management proposal under pressure
Brussels, 21st March 2013. The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee has decided at the last moment to delay the adoption process of a new deep sea access regime. This may leave the EU stuck with its outdated deep sea legislation for several additional years, putting deep sea fish stocks and vulnerable ecosystems at further risk.
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Push for tighter polar shipping regulations
London, 19th March 2013. Environment groups are this week pushing for the UN’s International Maritime Organisation to support tough new rules for ships using polar waters.
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Comms/Policy officer(s) vacancy at SAR
Brussels, 27th February 2013. Seas At Risk is looking to hire one or two people to fill marine litter policy and communications roles within the organisation. This could be one person undertaking both roles full-time or two people undertaking the two roles each on a part-time basis.
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BLOG: Aquaculture on the move in 2013
BLOG: 2013 is set to be a crucial year for European aquaculture with the EU aiming on boosting growth in the sector and existing proposals in the ongoing reform of the CFP also set to further harness efforts. With concerns surrounding the impacts of the industry however, SAR will be working to ensure that sound policies are in place to protect the marine environment, writes SAR's Assistant Director Ann Dom.
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Fisheries ministers discard ambitious approach
Brussels 27th February 2013. After heated negotiations going on until the early hours, EU Fisheries ministers have finalised their negotiation position on the discard ban and some other aspects of basic regulation of the CFP, outlining a pretty dire approach to resolving the problems associated with discards and overfishing.
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Acidification concerns over scrubber wash-water
London, 8th February 2013. A proposal from industry to weaken the pH standard for ship exhaust-gas scrubber wash-water discharges to the sea from pH 6.5 to pH 3.0 has failed to win the support of a key IMO committee.
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Inadequate EU response to Deepwater Horizon spill
Brussels, 22nd February 2013. Three years after the world’s worst oil spill at sea and EU legislators are on the verge of agreeing a weak and inadequate response to protecting the European marine environment from a Deepwater Horizon style future oil spill.
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Learn2sea keeps on growing and growing…
Online, 25th February 2013. Learn2sea.org continues to expand with 8 new resources added this year. Take a look at a few of our favourite materials, which can all be found on www.learn2sea.org
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Marine Litter at the European level
Brussels, 13th March 2013. SAR is hosting a one day seminar on the topic of marine litter and the role of EU legislation in tackling the problem. The seminar will include presentations on relevant legislation and on the interim findings of a new study commissioned by SAR.
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Following scientific advice order of the day
Brussels, 17th December 2012. In advance of the December Fisheries Council meeting and where fishing limits for 2013 will be set, SAR and FISH are calling on EU Fisheries Ministers to follow scientific advice and set limits that enable the EU to rebuild fish stocks to sustainable levels.
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Ministers set deepsea fishing quota higher than advised
Brussels, 29 November 2012. Today the Council agreed on deep sea fishing quota for 2013 and 2014, and set them higher than proposed by the Commission for half of the stocks, ignoring the vulnerability of these stocks.
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Parliament provides early Christmas for Fisheries
Brussels, 18th December 2012. Christmas has come early this year for European fish stocks as the European Parliament’s fisheries committee voted on the most important file of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. On the key topics such as restoring fish stocks to healthy levels, setting fishing limits according to scientific advice, and ending discards, MEPs have expressed their will to lead European fish stocks to a more sustainable future.
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The Learn2sea online ecosystem expands!
Brussels, 18th December 2012. Four fantastic marine educational resources have been added this month on a variety of marine environmental topics including marine litter and fisheries. We now have 57 resources available and our online ecosystem looks set to continue growing in 2013!
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A crucial week for EU fisheries policy
Brussels, 17th December 2012. This week will see the European Parliament vote on the most important file on the reform of the CFP and Fisheries Ministers will set next year’s fishing limits. In advance of the Fisheries Council meeting, SAR and FISH are calling on Ministers to follow scientific advice and set limits that enable the EU to rebuild fish stocks to sustainable levels.
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EU countries lack Marine Directive ambition
Brussels, 17th December 2012. EU countries are not being ambitious enough in implementing the Marine Directive, national targets for 2020 are too weak and there are major shortcomings in coordination at the international level. These are the key findings of a survey held among European NGOs earlier this year.
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EU wide marine litter target on the horizon
Brussels, 13th December 2012. In both a staff working document and in the draft 7th Environmental Action Programme, the European Commission has proposed an EU wide marine litter reduction target.
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EU Ministers must agree on precautionary quota for deep sea fisheries
Brussels, 19th November 2012. In a letter sent ahead of the November Fisheries Council meeting, Seas At Risk and the Fisheries Secretariat are calling on EU Ministers to set quotas for deep sea species that reflect the vulnerability of these stocks given their unique life traits.
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EU Fisheries Ministers want harmful subsidies
Brussels, 23rd October 2012. At the October Council meeting, European Fisheries Ministers have reached a provisional agreement on the future of EU fisheries subsidies, setting aside €975 million for controversial subsidies that maintain or increase the current overcapacity of fishing vessels and thus contribute to overfishing.
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Removing disincentives key to ending ship waste dumping
Antwerp, 25th October 2012. At a conference exploring the use of Port Reception Facilites, Seas At Risk has made a plea for the removal of existing economic disincentives for ships to discharge their waste at EU ports in order to turn Europe into a hub for handling ship waste.
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MEPs cave in to oil lobby pressure
Brussels, 10th October 2012. The European Parliament’s lead Committee reporting on the European Commission’s proposal for regulation on offshore drilling has given into intense lobbying from industry and voted for a major watering down of the proposal.
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BLOG: Reception facilities for ship waste must improve
In this blog, Seas At Risk's Chris Carroll writes about international developments concerning ship waste dumping and the need for improved reception facilities across the globe so as to help prevent the escalation of marine litter and other marine pollutants.
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Ministers to decide on harmful fisheries subsidies
Brussels, 18th October 2012. In a letter sent ahead of the October Fisheries Council meeting, SAR and FISH have made a final call on EU Fisheries Ministers to oppose all proposals that allow aid for new builds, modernisation and/or engine replacements, decommissioning and temporary cessation.
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NGOs call for limits to Blue Growth
Brussels, 5th October 2012. In a position paper sent to European ministers ahead of Monday’s expected ‘Limassol Declaration’ on the Integrated Maritime Policy, Seas at Risk and 18 other ENGOs have called on ministers to respect the ‘limits to blue growth’ and ensure that strategies to strengthen the maritime economy do not come at the expense of the marine environment.
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Disappointment at new postponement of EU action to cut shipping emissions
Brussels, 1st October 2012. In response to a statement from EC Vice-President Kallas and EU Commissioner Hedegaard on GHG emissions from shipping NGOs T&E and Seas at Risk have issued the following joint statement.
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Macro campaign on micro beads gets going
Amsterdam, 21st August 2012. A major new campaign to tackle microplastics entering the marine environment has been launched. SAR has signed on to help solve the problem of micro beads found in 100’s of personal hygiene products that can end up down our plug holes and into our seas.
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Speed key to effective shipping MBM
Brussels, 29th August 2012. Working alongside partners in the Clean Shipping Coalition, Seas At Risk and T&E have made a proposal to the International Maritime Organisation that could help break the deadlock in discussions on market-based measures to reduce the shipping sector's GHG footprint.
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NGOs urge change to proposed EMFF funding priorities
Brussels, 27th August 2012. The negotiations on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund are currently gathering speed. In a joint position paper, BirdLife Europe, Greenpeace, Oceana, OCEAN2012 and WWF are calling for a shift of funds away from subsidies that incentivise and support overfishing to funds that support sustainable fisheries and healthy marine ecosystems.
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Standing up to the oil industry
Brussels, 21st August 2012. An online Avaaz petition has been launched that calls on European decision makers to stand up to the formidable oil industry and to ensure that a proposal to protect against offshore oil spills is not watered down.
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EU states leaving it late on Marine Directive
Brussels, 20th August 2012. Several EU Member States are leaving it to the last possible minute to carry out an important phase of the Marine Directive and now need to speed up their efforts to ensure that a European Commission reporting deadline is achieved by October 15.
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DSCC hails proposal on deep-sea bottom trawling
Brussels, 19th July 2012. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) today welcomed the proposal by the European Commission to phase out destructive deep-sea bottom trawling and bottom gillnetting by EU fishing fleets in the Northeast Atlantic.
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Fisheries Committee commits to MSY
Brussels, 11 July 2012. In its adoption of an overarching communication on the CFP reform, the Parliament’s Fisheries Committee has encouragingly supported the objective of keeping EU fish stocks above levels that are capable of producing MSY, again signalling the Parliament’s intent to achieve a more sustainable CFP.
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Parliament gives mixed messages on offshore drilling
Brussels, 11th July 2012. Discussions in the Parliament on the Commission’s offshore drilling Proposal has given mixed messages, with two reports backing a strong legislative response to protect against oil leaks, whilst another rejected several measures, seemingly having caved under the pressure of the oil and gas industry.
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Drilling rules needs strengthening, not watering down
Brussels, 4th July 2012. Despite a largely positive Commission proposal for regulation on offshore safety, the risk of oil or gas accidents in EU waters will remain unacceptably high. Now that it is under discussion by Parliament and Council, it needs strengethening, not watering down.
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NGOs call for EU action on bags
Brussels, 3rd July 2012. European Green groups GAIA, EEB and Seas At Risk have called on the European Commission to ban single-use plastic bags on the occasion of International bag-free day. A year after a public consultation on the topic, still no plan has been set out for an EU approach.
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SAR calls on MEPS to clean up shipping
Brussels, 28th June 2012. Speaking at a public hearing in the European Parliament, Seas At Risk has called on MEPs to help clean up the shipping sector and tackle ship waste dumping at sea.
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No respite for oceans at Rio+20
Rio de Janeiro, 25th June 2012. Despite early hope of help for oceans issues at Rio+20 the outcome of the conference does nothing to advance the cause of ocean’s conservation or ease the perfect storm of pressures that are engulfing marine ecosystems.
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Call for Swedish leadership on litter
Gothenburg, 23rd May 2012. Speaking at the annual European Maritime Day event in Gothenburg, Seas At Risk has called on Sweden to take a lead on the MSFD and set a 50% marine litter reduction target for 2020.
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Council pulls plug on CFP reform
Brussels, 13th June 2012. After an 18 hour negotiation marathon a scandalous lack of ambition has led ministers to backtrack on previous commitments and sanction another decade of overfishing, environmental destruction, and the loss of fisher jobs and livelihoods.
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Final countdown to sustainable fisheries
Brussels, 29 May 2012. In a letter sent to EU Ministers ahead of the June Fisheries Council meeting, SAR and Fish have highlighted a list of key issues needing attention in order to repopulate European seas and enable a viable fishing sector through the reform of the CFP.
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European Fish Weeks fight overfishing
Brussels, 25th May 2012. OCEAN2012 launched this year’s European Fish Weeks with a brand new and instructive video on “Ending Overfishing”. Between June 8 and August 31, many of the over 150 OCEAN2012 member organisations will organise events around Europe, providing the opportunity to get involved and tell politicians to “End overfishing or fishing will be over!”.
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Fisheries ministers oppose sustainability
Brussels, 14th May 2012. European fisheries ministers expressed their opposition to the Commission’s proposals to improve the dire situation of fisheries in Europe and to pave a path towards a sustainable exploitation of marine resources.
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Environment Committee leads the way on CFP reform
Brussels, 8th May 2012. The members of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee have voted to significantly strengthen the Commission’s proposal for a new Common Fisheries Policy. The final opinion as approved is a clear sign that MEPs want to put sustainability at the heart of the reform.
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Mandatory fishing privatisation almost off the table
Brussels, 28 April 2012. At the Fisheries Council meeting yesterday, a majority of Fisheries Ministers dismissed the Commission’s proposal for mandatory use of market based Transferable Fishing Concessions as a way to regulate access to fisheries. Seas At Risk and other NGOs had denounced this proposal as a near privatisation of marine resources.
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Advice to fisheries ministers for their May meeting
Brussels, 03 May 2012. In an open letter to EU Fisheries Ministers ahead of their Council meeting 14-15 May, Seas At Risk and the Fisheries Secretariat are urging Ministers to manage harvested species at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and are advising them to use a greater share of the fisheries subsidy package to improve data collection and controls.
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BLOG: TFCs putting fishing communities on the brink
ONLINE, 18th April 2012. An article published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera earlier this year has highlighted how the system of Transferable Fishing Concessions has decimated fishing communities on the Danish island of Bornholm – a shocking state of affairs which may also be replicated across Europe.
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Commission consults on ship GHG measure
Brussels, 12th April 2012. The Commission's consultation on including shipping in the EU green house gas reduction commitment has closed.
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Marine litter on agenda for European Maritime Day
Gothenburg, 22nd May 2012. Seas At Risk will be speaking at the annual European Maritime Day conference this May to raise awareness of marine litter and the need to set ambitious reduction targets under the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
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IMO fails to take on offshore drilling
London, 20th April 2012. The International Maritime Organisation has refused to put offshore drilling on its formal agenda, ending any immediate possibility for a new global regime on liability and compensation for oil and gas leaks.
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NGOs advise EU Ministers against mandatory TFCs
Brussels, 25 April 2012. Ahead of the Fisheries Council meeting this week, Seas At Risk together with the Fisheries Secretariat sent an open letter to the Ministers, urging them not to support the mandatory use of market based Transferable Fishing Concessions as a way to regulate access to fisheries.
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New study lists possible marine protection measures
Brussels, 26th March 2012. A study commissioned by the European Commission has analysed different possibilities for policy measures aimed at improving the marine environment. The study’s recommendations are a source of information for Member States when implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and include examples of cost effective measures for the protection of the marine environment.
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Discard ban still on and external dimension agreed
Brussels, 20 March 2012. At the Fisheries Council meeting yesterday, EU Ministers spoke out in support of a discard ban despite a concerted effort by France and Spain to get rid of the proposal in the ongoing reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Ministers also took the first formal step of agreement on aspects of the CFP reform by adopting conclusions on the external dimension.
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Sustainable fishing is possible, good policy is crucial
Brussels, 19th March 2012. In an open letter sent to EU Ministers last month, SAR and FISH welcome the Commission proposal for regulation on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products as well as for a new Maritime and Fisheries Fund. However, the groups point out several caveats that need attention in the on-going reform of the CFP and that need urgent attention before the end of 2012.
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Commission launches ship GHG consultation
Brussels, 22nd January 2012. The European Commission’s work on an EU ship GHG measure has taken a further step forward with the launch of an on-line public consultation. This follows a series of stakeholder events where industry and environment groups, including Seas At Risk, were briefed and able to put their ideas forward.
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Oceans move up the Rio+20 agenda
New York, 10th January 2012. The protection of the world’s oceans look set to be given greater prominence at Rio+20, but the recently published draft outcome document needs significant strengthening if this important opportunity is to result in the urgent actions that are needed to save our seas.
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MEPs put forward CFP reform ideas
Brussels, 8th February 2012. The six European Parliament rapporteurs in charge of the CFP reform package have exchanged views with Commissioner Damanaki, Seas At Risk and other stakeholders on the future of European fisheries. Recovery targets, access to fish resources and a ban on discards were among the most debated issues at the event.
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BLOG: Cutting back on short life carrier bags
ONLINE, 13th February 2012. Seas At Risk are calling for a Europe wide ban on short life carrier bags. With 70% of respondents to an EU public consultation agreeing that a ban is necessary, the pressure is now on the EU to implement a ban that is reasonable, and reduces unnecessary waste...
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