Victories
Since 2001, Oceana has achieved hundreds of concrete policy victories for marine life and habitats. From stopping bottom trawling in sensitive habitat areas to protecting sea turtles from commercial fishing gear, our victories represent a new hope for the world's oceans.
Take Action to Protect Our Oceans
The oceans are in trouble, and we need your help to protect and restore them. Join Oceana in advocating for our oceans and working toward new policy wins.
New Laws Protecting Our Oceans
January, 2025
United States’ Coastlines Permanently Protected from New Offshore Drilling
President Biden permanently protected more than 625 million acres of United States federal waters, including the East Coast, West Coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, and areas off Alaska’s Bering Sea, from new offshore oil and gas drilling. U.S. coastlines support billions of dollars of economic activity, generated by industries such as tourism and fishing, which depend on clean, abundant, and healthy oceans. Oceana’s campaigning alongside allies, including coastal communities and businesses, was instrumental in achieving these protections and follows a bipartisan tradition of protecting our coasts. Stopping new offshore drilling will help turn the corner on fossil fuels as we face the climate crisis, secure coastal livelihoods, and ensure healthy oceans for future generations.
December, 2024
Philippines Installs Tracking Systems on 90% of Commercial Fishing Vessels
The Philippines’ Fisheries Bureau has installed vessel monitoring systems on 90% of the country’s commercial fishing vessels. This news follows significant campaigning by Oceana and our allies and a 2023 Presidential memorandum requiring the full implementation of the tracking systems to be installed in the commercial fishing fleet. These devices help prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by tracking the identity, location, and speed of fishing vessels. This decision is especially helpful in deterring commercial fishing vessels from encroaching in municipal waters that are reserved for artisanal fishers, which helps protect their livelihoods.
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.
October, 2024
Amazon Removes Plastic Air Pillows from Delivery Packaging Globally
Amazon announced it has removed all plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging used at its global fulfillment centers as of October 2024. This news follows an earlier announcement in June 2024 that the company planned to eliminate all plastic air pillows from North American deliveries by year-end. Historically, Amazon has used billions of these air pillows every year, which are not curbside recyclable or compostable, unlike paper alternatives. Plastic air pillows are made from the most common form of marine plastic litter in nearshore ocean areas — plastic film — which is also the deadliest type of plastic to large marine animals. Oceana has campaigned since 2020 for Amazon to drastically reduce its plastic use, including releasing reports estimating the company’s plastic packaging footprint, campaigning outside the company’s headquarters, and supporting shareholder resolutions.
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.
September, 2024
U.S. State of California Bans Plastic Bags at Grocery Store Checkouts
The U.S. state of California passed a new law banning all plastic bags at grocery store checkouts, following campaigning by Oceana and its allies. In 2014, the state adopted the first statewide plastic bag ban in the country, but the law did not eliminate thicker plastic film bags. This new law will address that. Plastic bags are one of the deadliest types of plastic to ocean wildlife. Plastic has also been found in our food, air, water, and even our bodies. With this new law, California is safeguarding its coastline, marine life, and communities from all single-use plastic grocery bags.
September, 2024
Chile Approves Management Plan for Juan Fernández Marine Protected Area
Chile approved a management plan for the “Mar de Juan Fernández” multi-use marine protected area, a biodiverse location with many rare marine species found nowhere else in the world. This is the first management plan to be approved under Chile’s new Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service Law. Oceana campaigned alongside members of the local community and other allies to strengthen sustainable development that benefits the community, and ensure the continued responsible fishing of the Juan Fernández lobster, which has supported local livelihoods on the islands for more than 100 years.
July, 2024
The United Kingdom Commits to No New Oil and Gas Drilling
The United Kingdom government was elected on and adopted a new policy of no new oil and gas licensing throughout the country. This victory follows campaigning by Oceana and our allies to stop the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling in U.K. waters and end the chronic oil pollution that wreaks havoc on marine life and the environment.
July, 2024
United States to Eliminate Single-Use Plastics across the Federal Government
Oceana and our allies successfully campaigned to get the United States government to go single-use plastic-free. The Biden administration committed that the federal government will phase out single-use plastics from its food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027 and in other operations by 2035. Plastics are having a devastating impact on the world’s oceans and are one of the greatest contributors to climate change. As the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, the U.S. government’s purchasing decisions can have a global impact. A nationwide poll released by Oceana in 2023 showed that 82% of U.S. voters support reducing the federal government’s use of single-use plastic. Oceana will continue to campaign for the swift implementation of the phase-out and additional policies to reduce the production of single-use plastics.
July, 2024
New England Cod Nursery Protected from Proposed Scallop Dredging
Oceana won protection for an important cod nursery on Georges Bank in New England. With our allies, Oceana beat back an attempt by the U.S. scallop fishery to open this protected area to the dragging of heavy dredges along the seafloor to catch scallops, which would damage habitat and scoop up other non-target marine life. Oceana persuaded the New England Fishery Management Council that this type of fishing is in direct conflict with preserving the area for spawning, growth, and feeding of Atlantic cod, American lobster, and Atlantic herring.
