February 5, 2014

Maryland Introduces Bill to Reduce Seafood Fraud

Annapolis, MD – Today, Maryland Del. Eric Luedtke (D-14) introduced the “Maryland Seafood Authenticity and Enforcement Act,” which would provide... Read More

January 30, 2014

Oceana Applauds Shell’s Decision Not to Drill in Arctic Ocean in 2014

Today, Shell’s new CEO announced that the company will not pursue exploration drilling in the Arctic Ocean in 2014. The... Read More

January 29, 2014

BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES LAUNCHES THE VIBRANT OCEANS INITIATIVE, A $53 MILLION COMMITMENT TO REVERSE DECLINING FISH SUPPLY

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The 30 countries that account for over 90% of fish caught worldwide have exclusive control of the waters where all small-scale fishers and most industrial fishing fleets catch their fish, providing vital opportunities for introducing fisheries reform. Small-scale and industrial fishers catch roughly the same amount of fish for food, so addressing both simultaneously can achieve results more quickly and help reverse the dangerous trend of overfishing at both the local and national levels. 

“The demand for food is expected to rise by at least 70% by the year 2050, but the supply of wild caught fish is declining,” said Andrew Sharpless, Chief Executive Officer of Oceana and author of The Perfect Protein. “National governments have the power to stop destructive industrial fishing within 200 nautical miles of shore, where most fish are caught. It's clear from the data that when governments enact and enforce the right policies, fish populations come back. The support and leadership of Michael R. Bloomberg, through Bloomberg Philanthropies, will allow more people to eat more fish for generations to come.” 

Oceana estimates that improved fisheries management could provide a daily meal to an additional 250 million people by 2050.

“Michael R. Bloomberg is known both for promoting pragmatic local solutions and making big bets,” said Brett Jenks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rare. “With this investment, he’s actually doing both. Over-fishing is a ubiquitous problem, but the solution for local communities is relatively simple – empower local fishers with exclusive access to their fisheries and build their capacity to set-up protected areas within that fishery where fish can reproduce unharmed and populate the surrounding area. The result is more fish in the ocean and more fish for the community. This is a strong incentive for fishers to become better stewards of their marine resources so people and nature thrive.”

Bloomberg Philanthropies brings significant new resources to the field of fisheries management, which also impacts climate change, biodiversity and food availability. "I can think of few philanthropic investments that take on, in a significant manner, three major global challenges facing humanity: reducing future climate emissions from agriculture, protecting us from the loss of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and ensuring a healthy source of protein for the world, forever. Improving the fisheries policies of major fishing nations will do these things," said Dr. Kristian Parker, Chair of Oceana Board of Directors and Trustee of Oak Foundation, which is a major global funder on ocean and climate change issues.

A significant portion of the funding to Oceana and Rare will be used to expand their in-country staff, particularly to build a team of knowledgeable individuals from that country who can operate within the political and social structures there.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ mission is to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Public Health, Environment, Education, Government Innovation and the Arts. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2013, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $452 million was distributed to organizations worldwide. For more information on the philanthropy, please visit bloomberg.org.

About Oceana

Oceana is the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans. Oceana wins policy victories for the oceans using science-based campaigns. Since 2001, Oceana has protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea creatures. More than 600,000 supporters have already joined Oceana. Global in scope, Oceana has offices in North, South and Central America and Europe. To learn more, please visit oceana.org.

About Rare

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. Rare looks for proven conservation solutions and trains local leaders to inspire communities to adopt them and make them their own through its signature Pride campaigns. Pride campaigns use proven marketing techniques to move the hearts and minds of local communities, accelerating the adoption and increasing the sustainability of the solutions. Rare has conducted over 250 Pride campaigns in more than 50 countries, empowering local communities across geographies and cultures to shift from resource users to become natural asset managers. Visit Rare on the web at rare.org.

About EKO Asset Management

EKO is an investment and advisory firm founded in 2007. EKO develops and implements innovative approaches to financing conservation and environmental sustainability designed to deliver attractive returns to investors. The firm was founded by professionals with backgrounds in finance, banking, asset management and environmental conservation.  EKO’s founding shareholders include Wolfensohn & Co. and several other family offices and high net worth investors. EKO works on groundbreaking initiatives related to water, fisheries, carbon, agriculture and natural infrastructure with partners such as The Nature Conservancy, CH2M Hill, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Visit EKO on the web at ekoamp.com .

Contact

Oceana – Jessica Wiseman, jwiseman@oceana.org – (202) 467-1934

Oceana – Michael Gardner, mgardner@oceana.org – (202) 467-1972

[i] Costello, Christopher et al., Status and Solutions for the World’s Unassessed Fisheries. Science, vol. 338, p. 517. October 26, 2012.

“Our results suggest that global fishery recovery would simultaneously create increases in abundance (56%) and fishery yields (8 to 40%).”

January 27, 2014

Kure Beach Residents to Voice Concern about Seismic Airguns

Today, Kure Beach will hold a town council meeting to discuss the proposed use of seismic airguns, which are currently... Read More

January 22, 2014

Decision to Hold Chukchi Lease Sale Once Again Invalidated

Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Department of the Interior (DOI) violated the law in deciding... Read More

January 10, 2014

Congress Holds “Dog and Pony Show” on Seismic Airgun Use in Atlantic

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is holding what Oceana is calling a... Read More

December 19, 2013

Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales off Virginia Coast Threatened by Seismic Airguns, According to New Data

New acoustic data from Cornell University’s Bioacoustics Research Program finds that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales off the Virginia... Read More