Overview of OSPAR assessments 1998 - 2006 Monitoring and Assessment Series Monitoring and 2006 OSPAR Commission 2006: Overview of OSPAR Assessments 1998 – 2006 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the “OSPAR Convention”) was opened for signature at the Ministerial Meeting of the former Oslo and Paris Commissions in Paris on 22 September 1992. The Convention entered into force on 25 March 1998. It has been ratified by Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and approved by the European Community and Spain. La Convention pour la protection du milieu marin de l'Atlantique du Nord-Est, dite Convention OSPAR, a été ouverte à la signature à la réunion ministérielle des anciennes Commissions d'Oslo et de Paris, à Paris le 22 septembre 1992. La Convention est entrée en vigueur le 25 mars 1998. La Convention a été ratifiée par l'Allemagne, la Belgique, le Danemark, la Finlande, la France, l’Irlande, l’Islande, le Luxembourg, la Norvège, les Pays-Bas, le Portugal, le Royaume-Uni de Grande Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord, la Suède et la Suisse et approuvée par la Communauté européenne et l’Espagne. 2 OSPAR Commission 2006: Overview of OSPAR Assessments 1998 – 2006 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Main conclusions ............................................................................................................................5 Conclusions principales..................................................................................................................9 1. Basis for the assessment................................................................................................... 13 1.1 Approach to the overview ........................................................................................ 13 1.2 OSPAR maritime area ............................................................................................. 13 1.3 Assessment of the state of play with regard to implementing OSPAR Strategies .. 14 1.4 Ecosystem approach to the management of human activities ................................ 14 2. Background to assessments: Exogenous driving forces................................................... 15 2.1 Natural driving forces and variability........................................................................ 15 2.2 Climate change ........................................................................................................ 16 2.3 Populations .............................................................................................................. 17 2.4 Urban waste water ................................................................................................... 18 2.5 Changes to industries and their structures .............................................................. 18 2.6 Agriculture................................................................................................................ 19 2.7 Fisheries................................................................................................................... 20 2.8 Shipping ................................................................................................................... 22 2.9 Offshore oil and gas industry ................................................................................... 23 3. Biodiversity......................................................................................................................... 24 3.1 Aims of the Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Strategy...................................... 24 3.2 Species and habitats in need of protection.............................................................. 24 3.2.1 Selection criteria for species and habitats in need of protection ................ 24 contents 3.2.2 Initial OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats . 24 3.2.3 Progress with regard to protection.............................................................. 27 3.3 Non-indigenous species........................................................................................... 28 3.4 Marine protected areas ............................................................................................ 28 3.4.1 Selection criteria ......................................................................................... 28 3.4.2 Status of the OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas in 2006............ 28 4. Hazardous substances ...................................................................................................... 30 4.1 Aims of the Hazardous Substances Strategy .......................................................... 30 4.2 OSPAR List of Chemicals for Priority Action ........................................................... 30 4.3 Emissions, discharges, losses ................................................................................. 32 4.3.1 Reductions in emissions, discharges and losses ....................................... 32 4.3.2 Trends in waterborne and atmospheric inputs............................................ 34 4.4 State of the marine environment with regard to hazardous substances.................. 35 4.4.1 Assessment criteria.......................................................................................................................... 35 4.4.2 Status of concentrations and trends ................................................................................................ 37 5. Eutrophication.................................................................................................................... 40 5.1 Aims of the Eutrophication Strategy......................................................................... 40 5.2 Emissions, discharges, losses ................................................................................. 40 5.3 Eutrophication status ............................................................................................... 43 5.3.1 Assessment criteria..................................................................................... 44 5.3.2 Overview of eutrophication status............................................................... 46 6. Radioactive substances..................................................................................................... 48 6.1 Aims of the Radioactive Substances Strategy......................................................... 48 6.2 Emissions, discharges, losses ................................................................................. 49 3 OSPAR Commission 2006: Overview of OSPAR Assessments 1998 – 2006 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6.2.1 Overview of sources ................................................................................... 49 6.2.2 Assessment criteria..................................................................................... 50 6.2.3 Assessment of discharges .......................................................................... 51 6.3 Status of the marine environment............................................................................ 52 7. Oil and gas industry ........................................................................................................... 53 7.1 Aims of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Strategy................................................ 53 7.2 Emissions, discharges, losses and structures ......................................................... 54 7.2.1 Discharges, spills and emissions from offshore oil and gas installations ... 54 7.2.2 Inventory of offshore installations in the OSPAR maritime area................. 57 7.3 Status and effects in the marine environment ......................................................... 57 7.3.1 Cutting piles ................................................................................................ 57 7.3.2 Injection of cuttings and produced water .................................................... 58 7.3.3 Environmental effects of lead and other heavy metals in mineral weight- materials...................................................................................................... 58 8. Other human activities ....................................................................................................... 60 8.1 Dumping................................................................................................................... 60 8.2 Dredging................................................................................................................... 61 8.3 Dumped ammunition................................................................................................ 62 8.4 Tourism and recreational activities .......................................................................... 63 8.5 Offshore installations ............................................................................................... 64 8.6 Fishing...................................................................................................................... 65 8.7 Shipping ................................................................................................................... 66 8.8 Mineral exploitation .................................................................................................