OSPAR Quality Status Report 2000 - Key Findings


Fisheries

- Two-thirds of commercial fish stocks (40 stocks out of 60) are exploited unsustainably
- Assessments of the state of stocks for other species are inconclusive
- More fish are discarded, weight for weight, than are landed.
- Harbour porpoises, dolphins and seals are the most common mammals entangled in fishing gear. Harbour porpoises are particularly vulnerable to bottom-set gillnets. Dolphins are vulnerable to drift-nets.
- Damage to deepwater coral formations due to trawling off the coast of Norway is extensive.
- In the North Sea there has been a shift in the diversity and composition of bottom living creatures to smaller more opportunistic species.
- There is over-capacity of some European fishing fleets
- Management of fishing activity has had limited effectiveness in supporting sustainable levels.
- Total Allowable Catches have been set above scientifically recommended limits.

Mariculture

- The effect of escaped salmon on the genetic composition of wild salmon stocks is unknown
- The risk of spread of diseases from mariculture to wild stocks and vice versa is unknown.
- Links between nutrient pollution form agriculture and sewage sources and the occurrence of toxin-producing algal blooms are suspected.

Land and Sea Use

- In the North Sea, bird-breeding areas on sandy beaches have been almost completely lost because of recreational activities.
- In the Arctic, wider Atlantic and in Irish waters, offshore exploration is anticipated to expand
- Offshore oil and gas activities can cause damage to the marine environment at all stages of exploration, development and operation.

Mineral Exploitation

- The exploitation of marine aggregates has negative impacts on the marine environment, including loss of bottom swelling creatures and damage to fish spawning areas.
- Maerl banks which support fragile ecosystems and shell sands are exploited mainly along the Brittany coast.
- Mineral exploitation is increasing. Between 1989 and 1996 extraction increased from 34 to 40 million m3.
- There is almost no information on the effects of mineral exploitation on marine species.

Dumping

- Dumping has ceased with the exception of dredged material and fish waste.

Litter

- Sources of marine litter are mainly related to waste generated from shipping. Impacts on marine life include the drowning of birds entangled in plastic sheeting, the death of birds, turtles and cetaceans caused by ingested plastic objects. The problem with litter is expected to increase due to tourism, urban development and industrial pressure.

Shipping

- There are still many ships cleaning tanks or discharging bilge water with a high oil content at sea, resulting in oiling of seabirds, shellfish and other wildlife. Pollution from such activities remains at an unacceptably high level so far without a downward trend.

- Over 100 non-indigenous species have been recorded in the OSPAR maritime area, mainly brought in by shipping.

- No effective measures to control introductions of these alien species are in place

Hazardous Substances

- Heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury and lead are found in lower levels than before

- TBT, a chemical found in anti-fouling paint for ships, produces endocrine disrupting responses in many organisms including shell thickening in Pacific oysters and sex change in gastropods. Vessels with a length of more than 25 metres are the main source of TBT pollution.

- PCB pollution is still a serious problem and levels are no longer de-creasing, despite a ban on their production. High concentrations have been found in birds, marine mammals and mussels

- There is evidence of liver tumours in North Sea flatfish as a result of contaminants.

- The presence of high concentrations of metals and man-made substances in marine seafood could pose a problem to the human consumer.

Radioactive Substances

- Majority of radioactive inputs have been drastically reduced. Major releases are mainly coming from nuclear reprocessing plants.

- Low concentrations of man-made radiation are found in seaweeds, shellfish and wildlife far from the sources

- Investigations of the significance of possible leakages from a sunken nuclear submarine and from old dump sites need to be continued.

Offshore Oil and Gas

- Oil pollution from offshore installations has increased.

- Oil and Gas installations lead to a reduction in the amount of marine species in the immediate area up to 3km away.

- Offshore oil and gas activities are expanding into deeper waters and into environments seasonally covered by ice. The risk of accidental releases of oil will increase because of the depth of operations.

For details, see QSR section on OSPAR Commission's website at http://www.ospar.org