Executive Director and Vice President of Oceana in Europe. Opinions are my own.https://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3mocps7qys22rGreat start to #OOC11 in Mombasa, Kenya, where Oceana Board member Christina Chemtai Hicks is giving a keynote address to the pre-conference Science & Research Symposium. Diversity of life, of fishing methods, and of fishing communities is essential to sustainability and human nutrition.15 Jun 2026 07:04 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mocps7qys22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3mkpft5g2i22uThe European Commission's much-awaited evaluation of the #CFP is finally out. It couldn't be clearer: 'in most cases, the main challenge is not the CFP's rules themselves, but inconsistent implementation and enforcement across EU Member States.' #CFPreality https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_93830 Apr 2026 10:29 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpft5g2i22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3m32spjmf3k2jI am thrilled to start this new challenge, and honoured to lead @oceana.bsky.social's incredible team in Europe. We’ll keep pushing to make the continent a global leader in #ocean conservation and restoration, leading to abundant fisheries and climate resilient, prosperous communities. [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Oct 2025 08:36 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3m32spjmf3k2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3lqpz3vqbps2n“Ocean with David Attenborough” - beautiful, terrifying, and hopeful. The footage of destructive fishing is a gut punch - and it beggars belief that we still allow ocean bulldozers to destroy our #MPAs. Will #UNOC offer action, or just more hopeful words? #ProtectedMeansProtected03 Jun 2025 19:19 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqpz3vqbps2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3lpqs2wdxge2qCommissioner @CostasKadis stresses that ocean pressures are large, and growing, and that urgent action is needed. He announces that the #EUOceanPact will set ambitious goals and priorities. This would be a welcome and substantial improvement to the draft that was recently leaked22 May 2025 09:21 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpqs2wdxge2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3lpqqomivhh22At the opening of the European Maritime Day on Cork, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin reiterates Ireland’s commitment to protecting 30% of its maritime area by 2030, and the importance of a healthy ocean for people’s wellbeing and for the prosperity of coastal communities22 May 2025 08:56 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpqqomivhh22https://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3ll76le32tp22Great to see that the fair allocation of fishing opportunities to those who provide the most benefits to society is becoming an increasingly discussed topic at EU level. Time to implement the CFP’s provisions and to #MakeFishingFair! #CFPreality #OceanPact25 Mar 2025 11:36 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ll76le32tp22https://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3ljmpi3pvcc2rMonica Verbeek, director of @seasatrisk.bsky.social, highlights the #BlueManifesto call for new legislation to ban destructive activities (such as #bottomtrawling) from #MPAs in one go, with a whole-site approach rather than just looking at piecemeal features in very limited sites. #OceanPact05 Mar 2025 09:53 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljmpi3pvcc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3ljmnqvcevc2rI really appreciated @humbertodrosa.bsky.social's description of sustainability - not as a three-pillar concept, but as a layered concept (similar to a wedding cake 🍰). It reminded me of this graph, which I always found a much more helpful depiction of sustainability than the three-legged stool...05 Mar 2025 09:22 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljmnqvcevc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3ljmniqf3pt2vHumberto Rosa of @EU_ENV heeds MEP Clergeau’s call: let’s be disruptive and implement existing legislation. If the #CFP, Nature Directives etc were heeded, we would be in a much better position. Yet, calls for implementation such as the Marine Action Plan are met with resistance05 Mar 2025 09:17 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljmniqf3pt2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3ljmm4z2pjd2vMEP Christophe Clergeau highlights that the real challenge for the #OceanPact is NOT to reconcile human activities with ocean protection. The challenge is to recognise that ocean health is the pillar upon which a sustainable blue economy is possible. #BlueManifesto05 Mar 2025 08:53 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljmm4z2pjd2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3ljmlagh5rs2nDG @CharlinaVitcheva opens the Fisheries & Ocean dialogue by highlighting the importance of the #ocean for the EU and its citizens, as well as the negative impacts we have on it. Question for today: how will the #OceanPact tackle these pressures in a coherent way? #BlueManifesto05 Mar 2025 08:37 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljmlagh5rs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3lji4a7m64m2zIncreasing enforcement is part of President @vonderLeyen’s political guidelines, and @CostasKadis is meeting with his services to investigate how to do this. And yet, there seems to be little appetite to address #bottomtrawling in #MPAs, 33 YEARS after #HabitatsDirective…03 Mar 2025 13:58 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lji4a7m64m2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/verampcoelho.bsky.social/post/3lji3nf46qt2iMEP @IsabellaLovin reminds the audience that non-legally binding targets have simply not been met. The ocean is in crisis, and people are suffering as a result, despite policy and legislation - and this is very clear in the Baltic. The #OceanPact must deliver a step change03 Mar 2025 13:47 +0000at://did:plc:ddl3bvv5hal2wpepdppo4vgy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lji3nf46qt2i