WWF -

Fisheries deal fails to bridge gap with ambitious European Parliament

2013-05-15

Brussels, Belgium: After pulling yet another all-nighter, fisheries ministers unfortunately remained predictable with little effort being made to meet the European Parliament half way on their ambitious proposal to save fisheries in Europe.

"The devil is in the detail as they say, but in this case it's the lack of detail, as fisheries ministers decided on a legally neutral text with few binding timelines and concrete measures. If implemented it would enable them to continue badly managing our oceans and ruining our fish stocks for yet another decade." says Roberto Ferrigno, WWF's Common Fisheries Policy reform coordinator.

"On the opposite side of the coin, the European Parliament demands an ambitious reform that would deliver new fishing laws aimed at restoring fish stocks, through transparency, fixed timelines, accountability and enforceability"

"This new law that is currently in the making will be used for the next 10 years to protect our oceans and fish stocks. A new WWF analysis¹ shows that recovery of fish stocks could take more than 100 years under current proposals by EU Fisheries Ministers, whereas with the Parliament's offer, it could only take 10 years for 75% of the stocks to recover – the latter is by far the better deal and it's what we urgently need", concludes Ferrigno.

The council has dealt its cards and it is now up to the European Parliament, led by MEP Ulrike Rodust, to decide whether they accept the so-called 'compromise' that the council is offering - or whether they reject it and stand their ground by sticking to their ambitious position for reform. It remains to be seen if they will use their new co-decision powers to say "no deal now is better than a bad deal for the next 10 years", or not.

Member states finally agree on fisheries deal but fail to bridge gap with ambitious Parliament

2013-05-15

Brussels, Belgium: After pulling yet another all-nighter, Fisheries Ministers finalised their negotiating mandate with regards to the current EU fisheries reform. Despite the agreement between Members States being a positive step forward, unfortunately the Ministers - who generally don't like to compromise - remained predictable with little effort being made to meet the European Parliament half way on their ambitious proposal to save fisheries in Europe.

"The devil is in the detail as they say, but in this case it's the lack of detail, as Fisheries Ministers decided on a legally neutral text with few binding timelines and concrete measures. If implemented it would enable them to continue badly managing our oceans and ruining our fish stocks for yet another decade. On the opposite side of the coin, the European Parliament demands an ambitious reform that would deliver new fishing laws aimed at restoring fish stocks, through transparency, fixed timelines, accountability and enforceability", says Roberto Ferrigno, WWF's Common Fisheries Policy reform coordinator.

"This new law that is currently in the making will be used for the next 10 years to protect our oceans and fish stocks. A new WWF analysis¹ shows that recovery of fish stocks could take more than 100 years under current proposals by EU Fisheries Ministers, whereas with the Parliament's offer, it could only take 10 years for 75% of the stocks to recover – the latter is by far the better deal and it's what we urgently need", concludes Ferrigno.

The Council has dealt its cards and it is now up to the European Parliament, led by MEP Ulrike Rodust, to decide whether they accept the so-called 'compromise' that the Council is offering - or whether they reject it and stand their ground by sticking to their ambitious position for reform. It remains to be seen if they will use their new co-decision powers to say "no deal now is better than a bad deal for the next 10 years", or not.

1. WWF analysis of EU proposals for fish stock recovery

For further information or interview requests:

WWF EUROPEAN POLICY - www.wwf.eu/fisheries

ALEXANDRA BENNETT, Communications Director, WWF European Policy Office, abennett@wwf.eu, +32 477 393 400

Source of the article

Ending overfishing may take more than 100 years says WWF analysis of EU proposals for fish stock recovery

2013-05-13

Brussels, Belgium: New scientific analysis from environmental organisation WWF reveals recovery of European fish stocks will take more than 100 years under current proposals by EU Fisheries Ministers.

"No law can end overfishing in one fell swoop but Ministers appear to be actively sidelining stock recovery", says Roberto Ferrigno, WWF's Common Fisheries Policy project coordinator. "For the sake of fishermen, coastal communities and the health of our oceans, Ministers must set targets for the fastest possible recovery. 100 years plus is too long."

Two out of three fish stocks in European waters are considered overfished. Ambitious reform of Europe's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) could reverse this situation over the next 10 years. But core elements of the reform package relating to discards, subsidies and stock recovery are under dispute, and negotiations between the European Parliament and Fisheries Ministers over what shape future EU fishing laws should take, may collapse.

Parliament wants to reduce fishing activity to allow stock recovery by 2020, with stock size and catches managed according to the principle of 'maximum sustainable yield' (MSY). WWF analysis suggests implementation of Parliament's ambitious proposals, could result in the recovery of three-quarters of overfished European stocks within the next 10 years.

In contrast, Fisheries Ministers want to reduce fishing pressure gradually without any binding measures before 2020, resulting in an uncertain century-long recovery process.

"Procrastinating until 2020 would sanction continued overfishing," says Ferrigno. "Ministers risk losing perhaps the last opportunity to ensure Europe once again has healthy and economically viable fisheries." Currently, European fisheries produce only about 60 percent of what could be landed if stocks were allowed to recover.

CFP reform is faltering due to contrasting socio-economic interests of individual Member States. "Some fishing nations want to maintain the status quo and thwart reform," says Ferrigno. "Real change is hanging by a thread. Failure to deliver now will be a massive setback in the fight against overfishing, threatening the health of our oceans as well as the future of the fishing industry."

The upcoming Fisheries Council meeting on May 13-14th may be the last chance Ministers have to collaborate with Parliament, revive the CFP reform process, deliver meaningful targets for stock recovery, and end overfishing.

For further information:

WWF EUROPEAN POLICY - www.wwf.eu/fisheries

ALEXANDRA BENNETT, Communications Director, WWF European Policy Office, abennett@wwf.eu, +32 477 393 400

ROBERTO FERRIGNO, Common Fisheries Policy Project Coordinator, WWF European Policy Office, rferrigno@wwf.eu, +32 497 433 688

Good news for sharks at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission meeting

2013-05-13

Gland, Switzerland: WWF welcomes the adoption of key conservation measures for oceanic white-tip sharks, whale sharks and cetaceans following the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting last week in Mauritius.

IOTC member states agreed on important measures for the management of tuna fisheries and other vulnerable species such as white-tip sharks, which are not to be retained and need to be released unharmed if possible, while purse seiners can no longer set around whale sharks and cetaceans.

One very positive outcome was the adoption of a proposal by the Maldives with regard to interim target and reference points, and a framework for management decisions to be taken in response to changes in stock status.

A reference point is a benchmark value that helps managers decide how the fishery is performing and is often based on an indicator such as fishery stock size or the level of fishing. Fisheries scientists conduct a fishery stock assessment to provide estimates of a fishery stock size and fishing mortality over time. Reference points serve as a standard to compare those estimates based on our understanding of the biological characteristics of the targeted species.

"This is an important step towards the implementation of full harvest control rules and paves the way for the development of management tools essential for a sustainable fishery", said Dr Wetjens Dimmlich, Indian Ocean Tuna Coordinator for WWF's Smart Fishing Initiative.

"WWF welcomes the increasing involvement of Indian Ocean coastal developing states in conservation proposals, demonstrating an awareness of the need to responsibly manage tuna fisheries in the region," Dr Dimmlich added.

"Negotiation and successful adoption of the Maldives proposal for the management of tunas in the Indian Ocean is indeed a giant leap forward in the history of IOTC.

"We are now confident and convinced that together we can make IOTC an effective tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisation", said Dr Hussain R Hassan, the Maldives Minister of State for Fisheries and Agriculture, and head of the Maldives' delegation.

WWF looks forward to continuing work in cooperation with the Maldives Government and other developing coastal states in the region to improve the management and conservation of tuna stocks.

Civil society, citizens, children, fishermen and politicians urge Fisheries Ministers to "get on board and end overfishing!"

2013-05-13

For photos from the "All aboard!" live action in Brussels go to: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjF4vYfK

"All aboard!" online action - Tweet your Fish Minister: http://allaboard.panda.org/

13 May 2013 - Brussels, Belgium: this morning civil society, citizens, children, fishermen and politicians met in front of the Council building in Brussels, where Fisheries Ministers are meeting over the next two days, to urge them to put an end to 30 years of ocean mismanagement and "get on board to end overfishing!"

The reason for concern is that political negotiations have hit a deadlock: the European Parliament endorsed a far-reaching overhaul of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) by 507 to 137 votes in February, whilst the Council on the other hand, has been unwilling to propose any kind of acceptable compromise.

NGOs said "Time is running out and there is a real danger the reform process may stall or worse still collapse, if Fisheries Ministers continue playing chicken. Ministers are not being asked to do the impossible; many fishing nations outside Europe have outlawed overfishing and worked to rebuild their fish stocks."

Since the trilogue negotiations started, the Parliament's negotiator, MEP, Ulrike Rodust, has signalled that she would be prepared to compromise, but that a significant strengthening of the Council's position would be needed to broker a deal. However the reluctance of some countries, including France, Spain and Poland, to find common ground with the Parliament on key issues of the reform is threatening the negotiations.

"We are calling on the fisheries ministers to back fish stock recovery by 2020, reduce fishing capacity in accordance with agreed guidelines and support financial penalties for countries that fail to implement agreed rules and abandon loopholes that weaken the proposed discard ban", said the NGOs

"Sustainable fishing is possible but governments need to reform the rules to stop destructive overfishing. The low impact fishing that we practice is the future", said Gerry de Ruiter – a Dutch fisherman from LIFE, a new network of Low Impact Fishermen in Europe.

"For the first time ever, Europe and its politicians recognise the importance of artisanal fisheries; and artisanal fishermen support the proposed reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, even if it not a perfect one. If nothing is done to stop overfishing, careers linked to artisanal fisheries will likely disappear, which would be disastrous for our fishing activity and jobs. Artisanal fisheries represent 80% of fisheries and the majority of fishing jobs in Europe", said Christian Decugis, a fisherman from the South of France and a founding member of "MEDARNET", a Mediterranean artisanal fishermens platform.

The European Commission and Parliament, as well as millions of EU citizens, fishermen, businesses and chefs who rely on healthy fisheries, support this reform and want to see an end to the misuse of taxpayers' money and improvements in enforcement and fisheries control.

BirdLife Europe – Caroline Jacobsson - http://europe.birdlife.org

Fish Fight – Adam Scott +44 (0) 774 841 8552 - www.fishfight.net

Greenpeace – Mark Breddy +32 (0) 496 156229 - www.greenpeace.eu

Oceana – Angela Pauly +32 (0) 2 513 22 42 - http://oceana.org

OCEAN2012 – Mike Walker +32 (0) 476 622575 - http://ocean2012.eu

Paintafish – Fernanda Balata +44 (0) 796 905 0524 - www.paintafish.org

WWF – Alexandra Bennett +32 (0) 477 393 400 - www.wwf.eu

Source of the article

EDITORS NOTES

Agenda EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting 13-14 May 2013

Background note EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting 13-14 May 2013

	European Parliament position (6 February 2013)	Council position (26 February 2013)
Stock recovery	Seeks to eliminate overfishing by 2015 to recover fish stocks above levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by 2020 at the latest.	Seeks to eliminate overfishing by 2015 "where possible" and in other cases, allow overfishing to continue until 2020; does not include any stock recovery target.
Fleet capacity	Member States are to: i) report their fishing capacity annually by fleet segment, using Commission guidelines to ensure the quality of reporting is improved; ii) to reduce fleet overcapacity; and iii) subsidy payments are to be suspended if a country has not complied with above.	Member States are to: i) report their fishing capacity annually by fleet segment, but rejects the mandatory use of agreed Commission guidelines; ii) opposes suspensions of subsidies to countries that have not reported or failed to reduce their fishing capacity.
Low-impact fishing	Promotes low-impact fishing methods, including through preferential access to fishing quotas.	Opposes preferential access for fishermen that use low-impact fishing methods.
Discards	Has expressed zero tolerance for discards; wants discard ban to apply to all fish species.	Accepts only a partial discard ban for species governed by a quota or a minimum landing size (which is the case for just 15 per cent of stocks in the Mediterranean) and is pushing for major loopholes, including a maximum discarding rate of 7-9 per cent.

European Parliament position (6 February 2013)

Council position (26 February 2013)

Stock recovery

Seeks to eliminate overfishing by 2015 to recover fish stocks above levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by 2020 at the latest.

Seeks to eliminate overfishing by 2015 "where possible" and in other cases, allow overfishing to continue until 2020; does not include any stock recovery target.

Fleet capacity

Member States are to:

i) report their fishing capacity annually by fleet segment, using Commission guidelines to ensure the quality of reporting is improved;

ii) to reduce fleet overcapacity; and

iii) subsidy payments are to be suspended if a country has not complied with above.

Member States are to:

i) report their fishing capacity annually by fleet segment, but rejects the mandatory use of agreed Commission guidelines;

ii) opposes suspensions of subsidies to countries that have not reported or failed to reduce their fishing capacity.

Low-impact fishing

Promotes low-impact fishing methods, including through preferential access to fishing quotas.

Opposes preferential access for fishermen that use low-impact fishing methods.

Discards

Has expressed zero tolerance for discards; wants discard ban to apply to all fish species.

Accepts only a partial discard ban for species governed by a quota or a minimum landing size (which is the case for just 15 per cent of stocks in the Mediterranean) and is pushing for major loopholes, including a maximum discarding rate of 7-9 per cent.

Fisheries Council: threat of collapse hangs over fisheries reform

2013-05-10

WHAT? EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council
WHEN? Monday 13 & Tuesday 14 May
WHERE? Brussels, Belgium

Fisheries ministers will meet in Brussels next Monday and Tuesday to revise their position on the reform of EU fishing rules. The reluctance of some countries, including France, Spain and Poland, to find common ground with the Parliament on key issues of the reform is threatening to cause the collapse of negotiations on a new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), warned NGOs.

The Parliament's negotiator, MEP Ulrike Rodust, has signalled that she would be prepared to compromise, but that a significant strengthening of the Council's position would be needed to broker a deal [1]. On 6 February, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in support of a comprehensive and ambitious overhaul of the CFP to rebuild fish stocks by 2020, promote low-impact fishing, strengthen fleet management and ban discards [2].

NGOs are calling on the Council to back fish stock recovery by 2020, reduce fishing capacity in accordance with agreed guidelines, support financial penalties for countries that fail to implement the rules and abandon loopholes that weaken the proposed discard ban. A breakdown of negotiations would only satisfy the short-term interest of countries that want to avoid new measures to end overfishing, recover fish stocks and rebuild a sustainable fishing sector, said NGOs.

NGO press invite – Monday photo opportunity:
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ea404aee9c118a31232e854a0&id=d16dfc887f&e=

Fisheries Council agenda:
www.eu2013.ie/media/eupresidency/content/documents/AGRIFISH-Agenda--13-14-May.pdf
www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/agricult/137054.pdf

Contacts:

Greenpeace – Mark Breddy: +32 (0)496 156229 - www.greenpeace.eu
WWF – Alexandra Bennett: +32 (0)477 393 400 - www.wwf.eu
Oceana – Angela Pauly: +32 (0)478 03 84 90 - http://oceana.org
OCEAN2012 – Mike Walker: +32 (0)476 622575 - http://ocean2012.eu
BirdLife Europe – Caroline Jacobsson: +32 (0)478 20 62 84 - https://europe.birdlife.org

Notes:
[1] Rodust writes letter to ministers: Parliament is ready to compromise, http://cfp-reformwatch.eu/2013/05/rodust-writes-letter-to-ministers-parliament-is-ready-to-compromise/
[2] Euro MPs back large-scale fishing reform to save stocks, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21352617

Letter from Tony Long, director, WWF European Policy Office to all 27 EU Fisheries Permanent Representations

2013-04-30

Brussels, 30 April 2013

Concern over threats to block EU fisheries reform

Dear

I am writing you to express WWF concerns about the upcoming COREPER meeting on 2 May to discuss how to reach a final agreement with the Parliament on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

We understand from the statements made during the April Council meeting that a number of countries are resisting efforts to find common ground with the European Parliament on key issues such as fleet management, Multi Annual Plans, and discards. The only issue where the Council is currently showing some willingness to compromise with the Parliament is on the subject of stock recovery to levels that can support the so-called maximum sustainable yield.

Recently, the Parliament overwhelmingly voted for a far-reaching reform that would end four decades of overfishing. The Commission and millions of EU citizens support this reform and want to see an end to the misuse of taxpayers' money and improvements in enforcement and fisheries control. WWF has engaged constructively in the process to remediate many of the past failures of the CFP that have led to a situation in which around two-thirds of European fish stocks are overexploited and almost one-third of fishing jobs have been lost in the last decade alone.

A breakdown of the fisheries reform negotiations under the Irish Presidency would only play into the hands of those countries that want to continue with overfishing and avoid new measures to recover fish stocks and rebuild a sustainable fishing sector. We urge ministers to settle on a compromise that includes a timeline for stock recovery, and implementation of the Multi Annual Plans, targeted measures to eliminate excess fishing capacity while protecting juveniles, and the promotion of low-impact fishing.

We call on the Irish presidency and Member States representatives not to give in to short-sighted positions but instead to re-double efforts to win agreement with all fisheries ministers for an ambitious reform.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Long
Director, WWF European Policy Office

NGOs concerned over threats to block EU fisheries reform

2013-04-30

Today, following a meeting with Irish fisheries minister and chair of the EU fisheries Council, Simon Coveney, European civil society and conservation groups expressed their concern about the threat of delays or the possible collapse of negotiations on EU fisheries reform.

A number of countries, including France, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Greece and Romania, are resisting efforts to find common ground with the European Parliament on key issues such as fleet management and discards. Coveney must not give in to these short-sighted positions but instead re-double his efforts to win agreement with all fisheries ministers for an ambitious reform.

The only issue where the Council is currently showing willingness to compromise with the Parliament is on the subject of stock recovery to levels that can support the so-called maximum sustainable yield.

Recently, the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted for a far-reaching reform that would end four decades of overfishing and set the target to recover fish stocks by 2020. The Commission and millions of EU citizens support this reform and want to see an end to the misuse of taxpayers' money and improvements in enforcement and fisheries control. Decisions taken by the EU fisheries Council are to blame for many of the failures of the Common Fisheries Policy and have led to a situation in which around two-thirds of European fish stocks are overexploited and almost one-third of fishing jobs have been lost in the last decade alone.

A breakdown of the fisheries reform negotiations under the Irish Presidency would only play into the hands of those countries that want to continue overfishing and avoid new measures to recover fish stocks and rebuild a sustainable fishing sector. The NGOs urge ministers to settle on a compromise that includes a timeline for stock recovery, targeted measures to eliminate excess fishing capacity and the promotion of low-impact fishing.

BirdLife Europe – http://europe.birdlife.org

BirdWatch Ireland – www.birdwatchireland.ie

Greenpeace – www.greenpeace.eu

NEF – the new economics foundation – http://www.neweconomics.org

Oceana – http://oceana.org

Ocean2012 – http://ocean2012.eu

WWF – www.wwf.eu

Press contacts:

Mark Breddy, Greenpeace: +32 (0)496 156229

Mike Walker, OCEAN2012: +353 (0)866 033002

Contradiction in Agri-fish Council as Member States agree to step up speed of negotiations for the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform, but stand their ground on key issues of divergence with the European Parliament

2013-04-22

(Brussels, 22 April 2013) - Following the Council today, the Irish presidency announced plans to step up the speed of the negotiations in the CFP reform, in order to get compromises agreed by the next council on 13-14 May - all Members States agreed with this proposal. The reason behind this move is that the next Lithuanian presidency is not able to take on such a reform in addition to all its other priorities - so to avoid the reform being kicked into 2014 a decision to speed up the decision-making process has been taken.

It was also agreed that some flexibility must be shown towards the European Parliament during the negotiations to ensure compromises are made. However on this point, 'flexibility' was nowhere to be heard during presentations by each Member State, relating to the four most sensitive issues where the Council positions differ most from the European Parliament on: recovery of fish stocks (MSY) landing obligations (discards), regionalisation, and fleet capacity. Only five countries (UK, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Italy) showed some flexibility for MSY, but not in much detail.

Quote from WWF

Tony Long, Director, WWF European Policy Office:

"The conclusions of this Agri-Fish council on EU fisheries reform are a contradiction in terms: on the one hand Member States agreed to step up the pace of the negotiations to reach a good deal by the next Council in May, but on the other hand they remain firmly rooted in their position despite the trilogues. They have not moved closer to the position of the European Parliament regarding the cornerstone issues of this reform package that would guarantee sustainability for fisheries in Europe. The Irish Presidency must absolutely push the Council to be progressive on all fronts, not just in its speed in reaching a final agreement."

WWF ASKS

In particular WWF calls on the Council to support the following Parliament's positions to deliver a sustainable Common Fisheries Policy:

1. Ensure that, by 2015, fishing mortality rates are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield and allow all recovered stocks to be maintained at these levels. (Article 2 in the Commission proposal. Amendment #60 in the EP resolution).

2. Establish multiannual plans by 2017 that follow scientific advice and that include conservation measures to maintain or restore fish stocks above levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield." (Article 9 in the Commission proposal. Amendment #105 in the EP resolution).

3. Enhance cooperation at regional level on sustainable management of fish stocks with Member States cooperating with one another to ensure the adoption of compatible measures (Article 17 in the Commission proposal. Amendment #121 in the EP resolution).

4. Prevent, minimise and as far as possible eliminate the wasteful practice of discarding unwanted fish and ensure the clear timeline to end the harmful practices. (Articles 3 and 15 in the Commission proposal. Amendments #61, 119, 235 in the EP resolution).

5. Limit subsidy payments to sustainable fishing practices by making Union financial assistance to operators conditional upon the compliance with the CFP rules. Financial assistance shall not be granted to an operation that committed infringements in the past or jeopardises the sustainability and conservation of marine biological resources, biodiversity, habitats or ecosystems. (Article 51 in the Commission and EP proposals. Amendment #199 in the EP resolution). Also limit fishing opportunities and suspend payments to the Member State if it fails to adopt appropriate measures to reach sustainability. (Article 16, in the Commission proposal. Amendment #264 in the EP resolution).

6. Ensure ambitious External Dimension Policy. The Union shall act in line with international commitments, obligations and policy objectives and consistently with the objectives set out in Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the CFP (Article 39 in the Commission proposal. Amendment #161 in the EP resolution).

Source of the article

For further information or interview requests:

Alexandra Bennett, Communications Director
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: abennett@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 477 393 400

Tony Long, Director
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: tlong@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 497 293 656

Making a sustainable living from fishing in the Indus Delta

2013-03-19

The Indus Delta, where the Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea, is a 600,000 ha large area with 17 creeks, swamps and extensive mudflats. It is part of a complex creek system inhabited by small, local fishing communities. Historically, agriculture made the delta flourish until large-scale irrigation works caused serious intrusion and erosion of the soil. Many farmers changed their spades for fishing nets and migrated to the small, remote coastal town Keti Bunder. Today 90% of the village depends on fisheries as a source of income. But income varies a lot depending on the season, and is heavily reliant on unsustainable techniques such as illegal drift gillnets that catch non-target fish of poor quality. Working as a fisheries officer at WWF Pakistan, I embarked in a trade-off initiative between 2009 and 2012 to help fishermen turn away from these unsustainable practices. Almost a year later, I returned to the village ...

As I arrived at Keti Bunder, a cold breeze was blowing; it was a nice Sunday afternoon. A few fishermen just came back from their trip and were unloading the catch of the day. I boarded the boat as it started to take off slowly, heading towards Bhoori village, my final destination. The waves surged towards the edges of the creeks as it hit the dense mangrove patches and subsided. As we made our way along the channels, a small flock of painted storks flew past. I caught the sight of a brahminy kite feeding on a mullet in the salt shrubs. We crossed the channel, entered a sub-creek through a deeper water zone and, finally, reached Bhoori. I jumped off the boat and walked through the mud towards a group of fishermen who were waiting for me.

According to the village tradition, the fishermen offered me some water to clean my feet and we all set down in a small room, a thatch hut that was made of typha reeds. The seven fishermen whom I had worked with closely over the past years were wearing their traditional shalwar kameez, they looked at me curiously for I had returned after almost one year.

On my right sat Mohammed Amin Jatt, 65 years old, who daily earns 200 – 250 PKR (between 1,5 and 2 euros) and has to feed a family of 10 people. "We used to cultivate red rice, we had enough water in the village from the Indus River flourishing our lands," he said. "Once freshwater supply started to get depleted, I had to adapt fast to be able to continue to support my family, so I turned to fishing." Mohammed explained that the shift from agriculture to fishing was not abrupt. It had taken some time before he had completely abandoned farming. "The first years were tough, combining fishing and farming to make a living. This continued until the mid 80's when fish catches went down drastically. My kids used to go to bed on an empty stomach, because we didn´t have earnings from agriculture anymore and the fishing nets were not meant to use on a boat. So I took a loan, bought a boat and an estuarine set-bag net. I set up my nets in different creeks as there was plenty of fish. We could fish anywhere, the mole holder who helped me purchase the boat bought whatever we caught. However, this got me, my family and the other fishermen sitting in this room into big problems." Mohammed Ismail Jatt, Ali Mohammed and Hamzo nodded their heads in unison. "We just followed the others, thinking it would bring great benefit. We used to hear stories from people living in other creeks that they were much happier, not realizing that this kind of fishing would completely eliminate our chances of survival."

I was astonished to hear how desperate they were to find a way out of the predicament. "We were caught in the loan cycle trap and it seemed impossible for us to get out, we continued to take credits from the mole holder because we did not have earnings or savings to maintain our household. We were desperate because the interest rate was fixed at an exorbitant rate," told Hamzo, aged 42. "When WWF told us they would help us, we thought it was just another formality, that nothing would change. But then we started to have discussions in the village", Ali Mohammed stated. "And when you came back with a set of options, we were pleased to hear from you. It seemed a logical way to get out of the loan, even though we realized that it would be difficult to put into practice. We exchanged our five estuarine set-bag nets for the five nets you offered, your ideas were fully reasonable as you described five individual plans."

"The plan was straightforward, developed to tackle your different problems," I replied. "Amin's loan had to be waved off, along with the provision of insulated plastic containers, new engine and boat repair, whereas Hamzo and Ismail got new boats and new engines along with larger mesh sized nets. But we didn´t just want to give you an incentive, we wanted to provide you with a concrete, sustainable long-term alternative". Amin interrupted me excitedly: "it was an excellent, innovative idea when WWF asked us to make ponds to store crabs, we consider them as our bank, we can obtain cash at anytime. When we have a bad fishing day, we can sell 10 to 12 crabs, earning around 300PKR (about 2,5 euros) per crab, which is great."

After some silence, he concluded: "previously we used to cast nets everywhere and the fish depleted rapidly. Now we fish in a targeted way, our fishing practices have improved. The next challenge is to create a better market for selling our fish. We hope that with the support of WWF, this will soon become another reality."

By Umair Shahid, Fisheries Officer, WWF Pakistan

Maritime Spatial Planning Directive needs strong environmental commitment

2013-03-14

Brussels, 14th March 2013. Environmental NGOs have welcomed the proposal for a Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and Coastal Management as a tool to help achieve sustainable maritime development, but want to ensure that crucial environmental commitments are not traded off against sectoral ones in the process.

The proposed Directive includes Good Environmental Status among its objectives alongside several sectoral objectives from other policy areas, including energy, fisheries and transport.

Seas At Risk, Birdlife International, WWF and the North Sea Foundation welcome the requirements for the coordination between countries, the application of the ecosystem approach and the use of strategic environmental assessment and public consultation.

Monica Verbeek, Executive Director of Seas At Risk said: "With the current intensive use of the coastal zone and the projected Blue Growth, a more coordinated and sustainable approach to how our oceans are used is indeed essential. But maritime spatial planning is not merely about allocating space, making trade-offs and reducing conflicts. It should provide a long term vision that helps guide today's decisions to ensure that our seas are restored to good environmental status in 2020. "

Maritime Spatial Planning should safeguard the environmental goals set by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Habitats and Birds Directives – these should not be diluted by trade-offs with sectoral objectives. Work on the MSP Directive should in particular not further delay the designation and management of ecologically coherent networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Johanna Karhu, Marine and Fisheries Policy Officer at BirdLife Europe said: "Effective maritime planning and coastal management should ensure that the right activities take place in the right places and at the right times, but this will only be achieved if the environment is placed at the centre of these processes. Any EU action in these areas must have the health of the ecosystem, which supports so much economic development, at its heart."

For more information contact:

- Ann Dom, Assistant Director, Seas At Risk, adom@seas-at-risk.org +32 2 893 0965

- Alec Taylor, Marine Policy Officer, RSPB (BirdLife Europe), alec.taylor@rspb.org.uk

- Iwan Ball, Marine Programme Manager (Oceans Governance), WWF UK, iball@wwf.org.uk

- Thomas Rammelt, North Sea Foundation, t.rammelt@noordzee.nl

Notes:

1) Seas At Risk is a European association of non-governmental environmental organisations working to protect and restore to health the marine environment of the European seas and the wider North East Atlantic.

2) BirdLife Europe is the European division of BirdLife International, a global alliance of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.

3) The North Sea Foundation is an environmental NGO in the Netherlands that advocates the protection and sustainable use of the North Sea marine ecosystem. Its activities are focussed on clean shipping, sustainable fisheries, sustainable energy, clean water and marine protected areas.

4) WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

5) Proposal for a Directive establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management

Historic vote protects sharks and manta rays at CITES

2013-03-14

Dr. Carlos Drews, head of WWF's CITES delegation, issued the following statement in reaction to today's historic vote to regulate trade of several species of sharks and manta rays:

"This is a historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans. This decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods."

"These timely decisions to have trade in sharks and manta rays regulated by CITES show that governments can muster the political will to keep our oceans healthy, securing food and other benefits for generations to come – and we hope to see similar action in the future to protect other commercially exploited and threatened marine species, both at the national and international level."

Governments on Thursday reaffirmed the stronger protections for three species of hammerheads, in addition to porbeagles, oceanic whitetips, and two species of manta rays. The sharks and manta rays were listed on CITES' Appendix II, seeking to regulate their international trade to sustainable levels.

Victory! Better protection through #CITES for sharks and manta rays upheld. Big sigh of relief after this historic moment.
— WWF News (@WWFnews) March 14, 2013

Large numbers of threatened reef fish still traded

2013-03-12

The humphead wrasse, a tropical reef fish, is still suffering from illegal and unreported international trade despite being listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Discussions held by governments meeting in Bangkok, Thailand outlined a number of ways to help curb this problem and maintain protection of this threatened fish.

"Regulating the trade throughout Asia aims to protect humphead wrasse from overfishing and encourages sustainable fishing which will ensure a future for this species." said Dr Colman O Criodain, WWF`s Policy Analyst, International Wildlife Trade.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature highlighted during the meeting that wrasse are being traded online and suggested large numbers are being sold this way but are not reported so many more could be being fished illegally.

Another problem is that young humphead wrasse are being taken from the wild and placed in captivity until they are big enough to sell. If this ranching style was done sustainably it could supply the fish to the Asian market without impacting the wild populations but current methods are unsustainable.

Humphead wrasse was listed on Appendix II of the Convention in 2004 to regulate international trade. It is one of the most valuable fish in the live reef fish trade, and its rarity leads to higher demand and prices of up to UD$250-300/kg in China.

Although centred in Hong Kong, this trade has spread to southern China and other consumer regions, including Singapore. Of particular concern is that rapid economic growth in mainland China may further intensify the demand for humphead wrasse throughout the country.

Fisheries Ministers remain unambitious on fisheries

2013-02-27

Brussels, 27 February 2013 - Early this morning Fisheries Ministers adopted their position on the draft basic regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform.

Commenting on the Council outcomes, Roberto Ferrigno, Common Fisheries Policy project coordinator at WWF's European Policy Office said: "Today Fisheries Ministers agreed to keep an unambitious position on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy. Strong demand to end overfishing and achieve fish stock recovery made by the European Parliament only few weeks ago has fallen on deaf ears, with much work still needing to be achieved during the trialogue negotiations".

Next steps

Following this council, the Irish presidency will receive a mandate to commence the trialogue negotiations together with the European Parliament and Commission.

The basic regulation, however, is only one of three files in the fisheries reform. Already next week trialogues will start on the Common Market Organisation. The third file, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, has not yet been voted by the Parliament.

For further information: www.wwf.eu/fisheries

For interview requests:
ALEXANDRA BENNETT, Communications Director
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: abennett@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 477 393 400

ROBERTO FERRIGNO, Common Fisheries Policy Project Coordinator,
WWF European Policy Office
E-Mail: rferrigno@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 497 433 688

Victory as European Parliament votes for sustainable fisheries!

2013-02-06

Strasbourg, France, 6 February 2013 - After a Committee vote in December that was praised by WWF as a milestone vote for sustainable fisheries, today all members of the European Parliament voted 502 to 137 in favour again of the draft report by Ulrike Rodust (S&D, DE) on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Basic Regulation, the cornerstone of the CFP reform package.

WWF are particularly happy that all of WWF's key political asks were carried.

Quote from Roberto Ferrigno, Common Fisheries Policy Project Coordinator, WWF European Policy Office:
"Today something truly exceptional has happened – the European Parliament voted for a strong fisheries reform to let our oceans recover and ensure the sustainability of fisheries in the EU. This is a triumph especially in these times of crisis and despite strong opposition from certain politicians with unsustainable industry interests".

"Everyone wants a strong reform: citizens, industry and fishermen. Members of the European Parliament listened to their constituents and used their newly acquired powers to act and make a difference. Now it's clear after this vote that it is a political priority to shape up EU fisheries and provide long-term stability to fishing communities, fishermen and businesses and the marine environment they depend on".

"The oceans, fish and those who fish sustainably have won one half of the battle today. Next it is up to fisheries ministers to vote their position on this basic regulation. It will be a tough battle but we hope national governments will listen to the strong message issued by the Parliament, and will sweep away vested interests to ensure a long term sustainable future for our oceans and Europe's fisheries economy".

For further information or interview requests:

Alexandra Bennett, Communications Director
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: abennett@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 477 393 400

Roberto Ferrigno, Common Fisheries Policy Project Coordinator
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: rferrigno@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 497 433 688

Stop bankrupting our oceans: citizens, fishermen and industry call on Europe to make the right decision for the future of fish

2013-02-05

Strasbourg, France: Citizens, fishermen, industry leaders and WWF urge Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to end 30 years of ocean mismanagement and overfishing and endorse ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

For the first time MEPs have a say in CFP reform. In December last year the Parliament's Fisheries Committee voted 13 to 10 in favour of a draft report on the CFP Basic Regulation, the cornerstone of the reform package, that would allow fish stocks to recover and create the basis for sustainable fisheries in the European Union (EU). The whole Parliament will now vote on this report on 6 February.

"For 30 years fisheries have been pushed to the edge of bankruptcy by Fisheries Ministers who have sanctioned overfishing and listened to scientific advice and limits only 13% of the time in the past decade. Now the European Parliament has a historic opportunity to put this right and succeed where Ministers have failed", said Tony Long, Director of WWF's European Policy Office.

The Alliance for Common Fisheries Policy Reform, a consortium of industry leaders involved in the fisheries sector, have welcomed the Fisheries Committee proposals for strong CFP reform. They have written to all MEPs asking them to endorse these, and use their new powers to transform the way EU fisheries are managed.

The day before the vote, fishermen from MedArtNet, the association for artisanal fishermen in the Mediterranean, and other artisanal fisheries associations, joined WWF in Strasbourg to meet MEPs and explain why ambitious reform is necessary.

"It is of vital importance that the EU fisheries reform is a strong one, because we don't have much time. Fishery resources and the marine environment itself are in a bad state. With the previous fisheries policy being a complete failure, it is important to introduce a new model of management for fisheries, if not, the future of fishing in the short term looks uncertain", says Mauricio Pulido, Spanish fisherman, MedArtNet representative in Spain.

Citizens also want a change in fisheries. A WWF poll indicated over 80 per cent of EU citizens wanted to be able to buy fish from sustainable sources and over 20,000 of EU citizens have asked MEPs to stop bankrupting their oceans through the 'Paint a Fish' campaign.

Without a strong reform fishing communities will suffer, along with fishing jobs and businesses linked to the sector, as fish stocks continue to decline. "People want this reform, industry wants this reform, fishermen want this reform. Without it, the future for the seafood industry and fishing communities across Europe looks bleak", concludes Tony Long

For further information or interview requests:

Alexandra Bennett, Communications Director
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: abennett@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 477 393 400

Tony Long, Director
WWF European Policy Office
E-mail: tlong@wwf.eu
Mobile: +32 497 293 656

Help save the world's smallest, rarest porpoise

2013-02-04

In the upper part of Mexico's Gulf of California lives the world's smallest porpoise, the vaquita. Rare and elusive, scientists believe that there are likely less than 200 remaining.

This endangered species—whose name means "little cow" in Spanish— has been in decline for years and is on the brink of extinction. Without new protections, it may be lost forever.

The porpoises become caught in fishing gear (gillnets intended for shrimp and fish) and drown. That's why WWF is rallying supporters to urge the Mexican government to ban deadly gillnets in the porpoise's habitat as soon as possible. Without it, the vaquita will most likely become extinct.

Environmental leaders from around the world have encouraged Mexico to protect the vaquita. Others can lend their voices to this effort as well by sending a letter of support to the Mexican president.

TAKE ACTION NOW TO HELP SAVE THE VAQUITA!

Great Barrier Reef Scorecard Highlights Risk to World Heritage Status

2013-01-31

Sydney, Australia - As part of their joint Fight for the Reef campaign, WWF-Australia and the Australian Marine Conservation Society today released a scorecard assessing the performance of both the Queensland and Australian Governments' management of the Great Barrier Reef.

Last year, UNESCO gave Australia a deadline to outline how it would better manage the Reef, noting that a failure to make 'substantial progress' would jeopardise its world heritage status. That deadline expires today.

WWF's Campaign Director, Richard Leck said each government was judged on a set of criteria based on the World Heritage Committee's list of recommendations.

"These dismal scores highlight our grave concerns that UNESCO is going to have no option but to recommend the Reef be put on its unenviable 'List of World Heritage in Danger' – the list of shame," Mr Leck said.
"There's a very real risk the Great Barrier Reef could lose its World Heritage status.

"The impact of that would be felt right throughout Queensland's economy, especially its $6 billion reef tourism industry. Australia's reputation is on the line."

The scorecard shows the Queensland Government's recent push to fast-track port development and weaken coastal protection laws are of major concern.

"The sheer size and speed of port and associated development along the Reef coast is unprecedented. There's more dredging, more ships and more turtles and coral dying," Mr Leck said.

"We also have significant concerns that instead of strengthening legislation to protect the Reef, the Queensland Government has moved to weaken legislation, which flies in the face of the World Heritage Committee's recommendations."

WWF and AMCS are calling on both governments to immediately implement a moratorium on approvals for all new major development until there is a sustainable and well-funded plan for the Reef's future. The groups are also calling on the Australian Government to commit $500 million to reduce Reef pollution.

For information contact:

WWF Australia: Sarah Best, Senior Media Officer, +61 (0) 421 897 087, sbest@wwf.org.au

WWF International (China / Singapore): Chris Chaplin, Media Relations Manager, +86 139 1174 7472, cchaplin@wwf.sg

WWF calls on US Government to protect and restore pristine Philippine coral reef following navy ship grounding

2013-01-25

Washington, DC -- On January 17, a US Navy minesweeping vessel became grounded on Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best protected Marine Protected Areas in the world.

Tubbataha plays host to about 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 14 species of sharks, 12 species of dolphins and whales plus nesting populations of seabirds and marine turtles. It is a food factory for the Sulu Sea -- continuously seeding the rich waters of Palawan and the West Visayan isles with fish and invertebrate spawn. For these reasons, Tubbataha is a priority conservation area of WWF and is one of the Coral Triangle region's most important marine areas.

While no oil has yet been spilled, that threat remains and large areas of pristine coral reefs have been destroyed while monsoon winds have aggravated efforts to dislodge the ship. The wood-hulled vessel remains stuck and is taking on water, posing immense hazards to the area's fragile undersea ecosystems.

WWF calls on the US Navy to coordinate closely with the Philippine government's Tubbataha Management Office on the extrication of the ship. The extent of damage to the reef must also be determined. Furthermore, the swift, safe and proper removal of the vessel should cause no further damage to the Park.

Following the removal of the vessel, the US Navy, in partnership other US government agencies, should work with Philippine authorities to undertake a rapid damage assessment, as well as an economic valuation and then help restore the damaged parts of the reef.

Throughout its 25-year conservation history, Tubbataha has been resilient to many challenges: invasive species outbreaks, illegal fishing and seaweed farming operations, marine pollution, plus the widespread coral bleaching due to the 1998 El Niño phenomenon. This resilience gives us hope that with the proper response to this incident, Tubbataha – the crown jewel of Philippine seas – will ride out the challenge it is facing today.

For the long term, we ask the US Government to re-commit its efforts to protect this crown jewel of the Coral Triangle, which the US government has supported for many years with financial and technical assistance.

For more information contact:

Lee Poston, WWF US, +1 (202) 495-4536, lee.poston@wwfus.org

Gregg Yan, WWF Philippines, +63 2 822 2568, gyan@wwf.org.ph

Fishing for their future

2012-12-20

In the face of large-scale commercial fishing and depleted stocks, the handline tuna fishermen of Lagonoy Bay in the Philippines can still dream of a better life, thanks to institutionalized support for their traditional ways.

It wasn't always so difficult to be a fisherman, recalls Loreto Bollosa, 54, a tuna fisherman from Barangay (village) Fatima in Tabaco, Albay in the Philippines' southern Bicol province.

He has been fishing in the waters of Bicol's Lagonoy Gulf since he was seven years old, Bollosa says, inheriting the livelihood from his father. "This is the life into which I was born," he says in Pilipino, the national language. The difference, however, is that Bollosa is not passing on the fisherman's life to any of the five sons among his nine children. "It's a hard life, especially now. That's why I worked to be able to send them to school, so they don't have to endure what I did."

The tuna has always been there, and time was when the catch was abundant, he says. Then the catch declined, for several reasons, first and foremost being the rampant illegal fishing in the area, including dynamite, cyanide, and compressor fishing. Then, the big commercial fishing boats began showing up in the '90s, and would often violate ordinances banning them from the locality's municipal waters, providing artisanal handline fishermen like Bollosa with stiff competition. "Sometimes, just going out to fish, you're already losing money," he recalls. "You're not sure if you'll catch anything, and you're already spending for gasoline. I would worry about that all the time."

Now, Bollosa can worry a little less, not just because his children are almost done with their schooling, but because support has come in the form of a partnership among the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), local government, and private funders who are investing in Lagonoy Gulf's fisheries to develop a new source of tuna, a globally prized marine resource. In the process, handline fishermen are getting a boost to their livelihood, as well as institutionalized encouragement to carry on with their traditional sustainable ways.

Tabaco City and the neighboring municipality of Tiwi are project sites for the Partnership Programme Towards Sustainable Tuna (PPTST), a collaboration established in 2011 among WWF and private partners under the WWF Coral Triangle Programme and focusing on tuna fishery improvement in the Lagonoy Gulf, which covers Tiwi's coastal waters. The project is funded by the German Investment and Development Agency (DEG), with support from Bell Seafood, Coop Switzerland, and Sea Fresh.

"This is a market-driven approach to fisheries management, looking at it from the perspective of the supply chain," says Coral Triangle Programme Tuna Strategy Leader Jose "Jingles" Ingles. "We're not just looking at the governance of fisheries on the ground and in the water, but we also solicit complementary help from the market forces to drive fisheries to become sustainable."

Ever since WWF came with their information and education campaigns, Bollosa says, "They were able to focus on us and train us to preserve the fish and keep its quality longer. Before, it was a matter of catching as much as you can, and not caring about other fishermen. It was like a competition. We should help each other, and look at what's best for everyone."

At the peak of the fishing season, the fishers of Tabaco and Tiwi can earn as much as 20,000 pesos (about US$480) a week, which they must manage prudently until the next abundant season. Fishermen like Andres Dacullo of Barangay Putsan in Tiwi take on other jobs to tide them over, like construction work. Ruben Botalon of Barangay San Roque in Tabaco plows the extra money he and his son Rico make from tuna fishing into the family's small sari-sari (sundries) store, stocked with basics like rice, canned goods, and even nylon string for handlines and bait for fishermen's hooks.

With his earnings, Bollosa built a small concrete house for his family, and established a small piggery in his backyard, managed by his wife Leonilda. Any extra money goes to buying pigs, which can sell at a hundred pesos a kilo; when a pig grows to 80 kg after about three months of care, the couple can sell it for 8,000 pesos. With only two children left without college educations, the Bollosas can breathe a little easier. "Now, when we're short, it's our kids working in Manila who send us money," Leonilda says.

Bollosa says that constant vigilance by the local Bantay Dagat (sea patrol) is essential to keep commercial fishermen out of Tabaco's waters. That's the job of Jose Condat, known as Manoy Joe (older brother Joe), 64, a fisherman from Barangay Putsan in Tiwi, Albay who works as a volunteer with the local Bantay Dagat.

A fisherman since 1963, Condat has seen first-hand how the entry of commercial fleets and the rise of illegal fishing have jeopardized local fishermen's livelihoods. "Before commercial fishing, there was a lot to catch," he recounts. "Then when they came, using cyanide and dynamite, the fish started dying. We couldn't do anything because we were not organized."

That's why Condat, who has seven children, and has also sent some of them to school in Manila with his earnings from tuna fishing, became active in such groups as the Lagonoy Gulf Small Fishermen Federation and the Small Fishermen's Association of Putsan, while serving as vice chairman of the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC) organized by the local government. It's the Bantay Dagat's job to make sure unregistered fishermen and unlicensed boats stay out of Tiwi's waters.

He's doing all this mainly for his grandchildren, Manoy Joe says. "For now, at my age, I pray that I can stay strong longer so I can help more people and help improve fishermen's lives. That's why we work in the Bantay Dagat, even without a salary—so we can safeguard the sea's resources for the next generation."

Text by Alya Honasan

WWF -

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For photos from the "All aboard!" live action in Brussels go to: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjF4vYfK"All aboard!" online action - Tweet your Fish Minister: http://allaboard.panda.org/

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Source of the article

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Maritime Spatial Planning Directive needs strong environmental commitment

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Fisheries Ministers remain unambitious on fisheries

Brussels, 27 February 2013 - Early this morning Fisheries Ministers adopted their position on the draft basic regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform.

Victory as European Parliament votes for sustainable fisheries!

Stop bankrupting our oceans: citizens, fishermen and industry call on Europe to make the right decision for the future of fish

Help save the world's smallest, rarest porpoise

Great Barrier Reef Scorecard Highlights Risk to World Heritage Status

WWF calls on US Government to protect and restore pristine Philippine coral reef following navy ship grounding

Fishing for their future

For photos from the "All aboard!" live action in Brussels go to: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjF4vYfK

"All aboard!" online action - Tweet your Fish Minister: http://allaboard.panda.org/