The North-East Atlantic Fishers Commission (NEAFC, www.neafc.org) has agreed to implement a UN resolution from 2006 that protects cold water corals, sponges, and other deep-sea species in the Northeastern Atlantic.
This resolution will protect the deep-sea ecosystems and lead to more sustainable deep-sea fishing throughout the Northeastern Atlantic. The fisheries that use high seas bottom fishing methods that damages corals, and other species will be subject to environmental impact evaluations, and some areas will be closed to fishing where damage cannot be prevented.
The NEAFC has closed several high-risk areas over the past four years, but this resolution is a huge step in protecting Northeast Atlantic deep-sea species.