oceans

Sea squirts on the Inner Hebrides seamount, Scotland

The threats which face the oceans are many and varied. Left unchecked our seas are rapidly being emptied by a combination of overfishing, climate change and industrial pollution. Vital breathing space is needed if there is to be a genuine chance of recovery from the damage caused by years of human activity - but it needs to happen now.

Over-fishing poses a threat to fish stocks around the world

One of the ironies of the fight to end commercial whaling is that over the past decade whale watching has shown the potential to become far more profitable than whaling ever was. It is already generating a staggering $1.25 billion per year globally.

Whale watching takes advantage of the fact that most whales are migratory, moving around the oceans at different times of the year to breed and feed. Much of this migration takes place in coastal waters, where large whale pods can often be clearly seen, either from small boats or from the shore.

Greenpeace campaign archive. Last updated 2006-10-05  

As the supermarkets have begun to improve the sustainability of the seafood they sell, Greenpeace has been keeping careful track of their progress. Our new league table shows how the supermarkets are now performing and compares their current performance with their position last year.