News

The European Commission is actively following up to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) 'Stop finning – Stop the trade,' which asked the Commission for action to end international trade of loose shark fins.

At the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting in Cyprus, the EU paved the way to an agreement for the sustainable management of tropical tunas.

The EU and Cabo Verde have signed a new protocol for the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) allowing access by EU vessels to Cabo Verdean waters for a period of 5 years, while preserving the development of the fisheries sector in Cabo Verde.

When scientists launched the EU funded SeaRover project to explore the depths of Ireland’s oceans, no one expected them to make groundbreaking discoveries.

In the French outermost region of La Réunion, small-scale fishers often use surface longlines to target tuna and billfish. But with this technique, fishers sometimes accidentally catch sharks.

Today, the European Commission published a questionnaire seeking the feedback from the public on policy options to better protect and manage sharks and related marine ecosystems.

Today, the European Commission published a call for evidence seeking views and expertise on the environmental, social and economic consequences of a potential ban on EU sales and international trade of loose shark fins and collecting feedback on potential policy options to better protect sharks

Sharks, as apex predators, are crucial for the well-being of marine ecosystems and serve as a barometer of ocean health. However, many shark populations are now critically endangered. Shark fins have become some of the sea's priciest exports to Asian markets.

In October 2023, the project LIFE European Sharks project started with one objective in mind: safeguarding Mediterranean sharks and rays.