<p> CONSSO OCT 99/ 2/ NGO</p><p>Committee of North Sea Senior Officials Oslo: 14 – 15 October 1999 ______</p><p>Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) - a precautionary tool to protect the world's sensitive marine ecosystems from shipping impacts</p><p>Presented by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF)</p><p>Background</p><p>- In the light of the Pallas oilspill incident and in relation to ED Annex 3 § 5, WWF submitted a document on navigation and routeing measures to CONSSO NOV 98. In particular, WWF invited CONSSO to take concerted action to ensure that consideration of the IMO Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) guidelines results in adequate measures to protect environmentally sensitive areas which are at risk from shipping. In this context, ED § 46 (2) is also relevant: „The Ministers recognize that in certain circumstances there could be a need to consider protection of environmentally sensitive areas against particular risks from shipping activity and agree to give this special attention at IMO and nationally.“</p><p>- CONSSO 98 took note of the points made by WWF and indicated to return to a discussion of the issue at CONSSO 99. </p><p>- Germany offered to present the official report on the Pallas oilspill incident in the Wadden Sea to CONSSO 99.</p><p>- Accordingly, CONSSO 98 amended the Work Programme on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships by adding: „to co-operate on the revision of guidelines for the designation of particularly sensitive sea areas in IMO“ and „to include the item in the Shipping Group‘s agenda in co-ordination meetings on MEPC to achieve concerted action on PSSAs“.</p><p>Action requested CONSSO is invited to take note of the attached colour publication on PSSAs which has been recently produced by WWF UK’s Living Seas Programme. CONSSO is invited to examine WWF’s recommendations and consider the benefits of PSSAs for certain areas within the North Sea - such as the greater Wadden Sea.</p><p>______1)The attached briefing is based on the report "Pestizidbelastung von Rhein, Elbe, Weser, Ems und der Nordsee - Entwicklung und toxikologische Bewertung" by Dr. Kai Bester, Hamburg, commissioned by WWF Germany 1998. Copies of the full report will be provided at CONSSO NOV 98 (German only).</p>