EACH YEAR, COMMERCIAL FISHING WORLDWIDE WASTES MORE THAN 16 BILLION POUNDS OF FISH AND KILLS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SEA TURTLES, MARINE MAMMALS AND SEABIRDS. Oceana’s Stop DirtyFishing Campaign is fighting to protect these ocean creatures, which are needlessly caught and discarded, usually dead or dying, by fishing operations around the world. Come inside and take a closer look at this daily waste in our oceans. Learn what Oceana is doing and how you can help to end dirty fishing.
 

Oceana CEO Andrew Sharpless meets with U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab

Cut the Bait: Stop Overfishing Subsidies

Global subsidies are fishing our oceans to death. According to a new report by leading fishery scientist and Oceana board member, Dr. Daniel Pauly, fisheries subsidies amount to at least $30 to $34 billion annually or 40 percent of the value of the world’s fish catch. At least $20 billion of these subsidies drive overcapacity, which promotes overfishing and other destructive fishing practices. These subsidies also appear to be concentrated in relatively few countries, putting other fishing industries, including in the United States, at a disadvantage.
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Discards In U.S. Fisheries: "Wasted Resources: Bycatch and Discards in U.S. Fisheries"

Leading Scientists Andrew Rosenberg, Ransom Myers Reveal Widespread Waste in U.S. Commercial Fishing Operations. Worst Offender: Shrimp Fishery Dumps More Than 1 Billion Pounds Of Fish Each Year.  Each year, U.S. commercial fishing operations throw away more than one million metric tons of fish, an amount equivalent to 28 percent of all commercial landings and more than all of the fish landed on the East and West coasts combined. MORE >>

Save Flipper: Don't Kill the Dolphin Deadline

Each year commercial fishing operations catch and kill more than 300,000 marine mammals worldwide – more than 800 each day. The United States contributes significantly to this problem, needlessly killing thousands of dolphins, whales and other animals each year. MORE>>

Giving sea turtles a voice

Currently all six sea turtle species found in U.S. waters are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Oceana is launching a campaign to protect sea turtles from dirty fishing, one of the greatest threat to their survival. MORE>>

Krill: Keystone Species In Danger

Krill are shrimp-like crustaceans, known as euphasiids, which feed on blooms of phytoplankton and small zooplankton. Krill are often referred to as “keystone” species because they in turn are a critical prey source for a diversity of marine life.  MORE >>

Credit: NOAA

Protecting bluefin tuna spawning grounds

Oceana is urging Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez to protect the spawning grounds of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. MORE>>

Credit: NOAA

Promoting a healthy groundfish population

Oceana has been working to prevent dirty fishing in the Atlantic herring fishery, to help ensure that important groundfish species such as haddock remain healthy for the future, while allowing herring fishermen to continue fishing. MORE>>

Credit: NOAA

Saving northern right whales from extinction

North-Atlantic right whales are critically endangered yet year after year these marine mammals continue to be killed by dirty fishing at alarming rates.  Oceana expressed its concern to the government and is asking that stronger and immediate action be taken before northern right whales become extinct. MORE>>

Dirty Fishing Campaign victory

After intense advocacy by Oceana, Congress voted to more than double funding for 2005 for federal fishery observer programs, a clear victory for our Stop Dirty Fishing Campaign. The funding increase is a significant step toward improved management of America’s fisheries. MORE>>