Chile Approves Management Plan for Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park
Chile approved a management plan for the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park, one of the most pristine ecosystems on the planet. The new plan establishes rules to effectively protect the area, which will help important depleted fish populations recover. Oceana and our allies, including local artisanal fishers, were key to achieving this plan and the creation of the marine park in 2016 – the largest of its kind in the South Pacific. A previous expedition to the area by Oceana and National Geographic uncovered extraordinary levels of biodiversity and endemic species in the seas surrounding these islands.
Chile approved a management plan for the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park, one of the most pristine ecosystems on the planet. The new plan establishes rules to effectively protect the area, which will help important depleted fish populations recover. Oceana and our allies, including local artisanal fishers, were key to achieving this plan and the creation of the marine park in 2016 – the largest of its kind in the South Pacific. A previous expedition to the area by Oceana and National Geographic uncovered extraordinary levels of biodiversity and endemic species in the seas surrounding these islands.
June, 2025
Nearly One Quarter of NOAA Fisheries Staff in Alaska Departed in 2025
April, 2025
Oceana Condemns Executive Order to Fast-Track Deep-Sea Mining
February, 2025
Mexico Establishes Protected Zone for Caribbean Lobster and Local Fishers
In February 2025, Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries created the El Cuyo Fisheries Refugium to protect the Caribbean spiny lobster fishery in El Cuyo, a small community in Yucatán where nearly half of the population relies on lobster fishing for their livelihoods. The no-take zone will protect the areas where lobsters grow and reproduce, supporting local fishers’ effort to recover the lobster population. This action will directly benefit 691 fishers from El Cuyo. Oceana campaigned for the no-take zone alongside El Cuyo artisanal fishers, providing scientific evidence for the area’s protection and identifying the best location for the no-take zone.
In February 2025, Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries created the El Cuyo Fisheries Refugium to protect the Caribbean spiny lobster fishery in El Cuyo, a small community in Yucatán where nearly half of the population relies on lobster fishing for their livelihoods. The no-take zone will protect the areas where lobsters grow and reproduce, supporting local fishers’ effort to recover the lobster population. This action will directly benefit 691 fishers from El Cuyo. Oceana campaigned for the no-take zone alongside El Cuyo artisanal fishers, providing scientific evidence for the area’s protection and identifying the best location for the no-take zone.
December, 2024
EU Reduces Destructive Bottom Trawling in the Western Mediterranean
Fisheries Ministers in the European Union adopted new fishing measures for 2025, including substantial reductions in bottom trawling in the Western Mediterranean. Fishing days for trawlers will be reduced by 66% in Spanish and French waters (Gulf of Lion), and by 38% in Italian and French waters (Corsica). Oceana has campaigned to reduce fishing pressure in the region, particularly from bottom trawling — a destructive form of fishing that clear-cuts the seafloor — to help recover overexploited fish populations. Additionally, France, Spain, and Italy have adopted, for the first time, remedial measures to protect European hake in the Western Mediterranean.
Fisheries Ministers in the European Union adopted new fishing measures for 2025, including substantial reductions in bottom trawling in the Western Mediterranean. Fishing days for trawlers will be reduced by 66% in Spanish and French waters (Gulf of Lion), and by 38% in Italian and French waters (Corsica). Oceana has campaigned to reduce fishing pressure in the region, particularly from bottom trawling — a destructive form of fishing that clear-cuts the seafloor — to help recover overexploited fish populations. Additionally, France, Spain, and Italy have adopted, for the first time, remedial measures to protect European hake in the Western Mediterranean.
September, 2024
Mexico Creates Southern Gulf of Mexico Reefs National Park, Largest Protected Area in the Gulf of Mexico
Mexico has created the Southern Gulf of Mexico Reefs National Park, now the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Gulf of Mexico. The area spans more than 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of ocean habitat. Located off the coast of the Campeche and Yucatán, its National Park status provides the highest level of conservation protection in Mexico, including against offshore drilling and deep-sea mining. The Southern Gulf of Mexico Reefs National Parks connects the Alacranes Reef National Park and the Bajos del Norte National Park, creating a conservation corridor to safeguard habitat that is home to more than 3,000 marine species. These protected areas will also benefit small-scale fishers by increasing abundance of their catch and by creating a refuge for fish to reproduce and thrive. Oceana’s scientific expeditions to the area, subsequent findings, and collaboration with the federal government and small-scale fishers was instrumental in establishing this new MPA and the Bajos del Norte MPA in January 2024.
Mexico has created the Southern Gulf of Mexico Reefs National Park, now the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Gulf of Mexico. The area spans more than 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of ocean habitat. Located off the coast of the Campeche and Yucatán, its National Park status provides the highest level of conservation protection in Mexico, including against offshore drilling and deep-sea mining. The Southern Gulf of Mexico Reefs National Parks connects the Alacranes Reef National Park and the Bajos del Norte National Park, creating a conservation corridor to safeguard habitat that is home to more than 3,000 marine species. These protected areas will also benefit small-scale fishers by increasing abundance of their catch and by creating a refuge for fish to reproduce and thrive. Oceana’s scientific expeditions to the area, subsequent findings, and collaboration with the federal government and small-scale fishers was instrumental in establishing this new MPA and the Bajos del Norte MPA in January 2024.
August, 2024
Oceana Sues Federal Fishery Managers for Failure to Protect Alaska’s Seafloor Habitats
