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.
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.
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.
Seas At Risk welcomed new member organisation Evo Vitae at its Annual General Assembly held earlier this year. The Slovenian NGO’s marine focus is on tackling marine litter and current campaigns involve awareness raising, beach cleans and monitoring.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Marking International bag free-day, over 30 NGOs are making a final call to EU Environment ministers ahead of the July 15 deadline for setting marine litter targets, as required under EU law. In an open letter sent to all 27 ministers, the NGOs are calling for ambitious and significant reduction targets for 2020.
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.
In his new book Ocean of Life, the renowned marine biologist Callum Roberts has made the case for urgent action to protect and restore the global marine environment – painting a gloomy picture but one, that he argues, can be corrected.
This June saw SAR member the North Sea Foundation launch their ‘MyBeach’ initiative across the Dutch coast – a project that aims to tackle marine litter by encouraging beach goers to clean up not only their own mess but also the trash brought in by the sea.
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.
In a collaboration between the Oerol festival and SAR member the Waddenvereniging, the Wadden Sea island of Terschelling this June became a site not only of musical and artistic expressionism but also of marine environmental awareness raising.
European Fish Weeks will provide the opportunity to get involved in events across Europe and tell politicians to “End overfishing or fishing will be over!”.
The 2012 European Fish Weeks will take place between June 8 and August 31. A new video by 0CEAN2012 underlines the message that you can help to convey in these weeks: “End overfishing or fishing will be over!” Politicians are responsible for making the decisions that will end overfishing; citizens have the responsibility to encourage and support them in making these decisions. European Fish Weeks will run between June 8 and August 31 and will provide the opportunity to make your voice heard by getting involved in Fish Week activities near you or by organising your own event.
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.
Environmental groups have welcomed the deal announced by European Parliament representatives, the EC and EU member states to reduce the sulphur content of marine fuels. The deal now needs to be approved formally by the Council and Parliament.
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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