HELCOM: environmental protection focal point in the Baltic Sea Area

Transcription

1 HELCOM: environmental protection focal point in the Baltic Sea Area IMO/HELCOM Regional Workshop Promotion of the London Protocol and the Helsinki Convention Tallinn, Estonia, 6-8 April 2011

2 What s in the Baltic Sea for us? Area: 415,000 km2 9 Coastal States Catchment area: 4 times sea itself 14 countries 85 million people Natural specifics: low temperature low water exchange rate brackish water sensitive to human pressures Baltic Sea value: >5 Billion Euro/year? Source: What s in the Sea for me? Swedish EPA, 2009

3 The poor state of the Baltic Sea Eutrophication: decreases water quality, enhances toxic blooms, changes underwater habitats, and has impacts on fisheries High levels of toxins: Toxins accumulate in food web resulting in marine mammals and fish suffer from reproductive and immunological disorders. Some Baltic fish are unsafe for human consumption Intentional and accidental oil spills: polluting beaches, killing marine birds and mammals

4 HELCOM intergovernmental organisation nine coastal countries and the EU protection the marine environment pollution prevention, nature conservation, safety of navigation watershed approach 14 countries 85 million people voluntary commitment and legal obligation Helsinki Commission

5 HELCOM Governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (signed in 1974, updated in 1992) Major body of the international environmental cooperation in the Baltic region For the past 30 years has served as the main environmental policy-maker for the Baltic Sea area, developing common objectives and actions

6 The Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992, entered into force on 17 January Geographic limitation PPP, Precautionary principle, BAT and BEP, scientific soundness Rely on sovereign governments Prevention of pollution from land and maritime sources Harmful substances Prevention of dumping Notification Cooperation in response Information to the public

7 Main priority areas in HELCOM work Combating eutrophication caused by excessive nutrient loads Preventing pollution by hazardous substances Improving navigational safety and accident response capacity Protecting and conserving marine and coastal biodiversity

8 Addressing priority issues Holistic assessments Thematic reports Scientific reports & Modelling Indicator reports Monitoring and Data Coordinated monitoring Monitoring results are used to produce reports and assessments Assessments provide recommendations for future measures (at a political level)

9 How do we work? The Commission unanimously adopts Recommendations for the protection of the marine environment, which the governments of the must act on in their respective national programmes and legislation. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the Helsinki Commission has been working to improve the Baltic marine environment, largely through some 200 HELCOM Recommendations.

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11 Achievements (since the 1980s) ~ 40% reduction in loads of nitrogen and phosphorus 50% reduction in discharges of 46 hazardous substances 79 of the designated 162 major pollution Hot Spots/sub-Hot Spots have been recovered Up to 90 Baltic Sea Protected Areas have been established, which serve to protect and restore sensitive eco-systems and fauna and flora. Populations of seal, white-tailed eagle have been recovered, as well as wild salmon populations restored, etc. Improved safety of navigation and accident response capacity

12 Still a clear need for further actions Long time until the effects of measures taken are seen in the environment Limited legislative power by the Contracting Parties and HELCOM in some sectors of major importance e.g. agriculture (EU Common Agriculture Policy) fisheries (EU Common Fisheries Policy) maritime transport (IMO) Not perfect implementation of agreed measures in the Contracting Parties Soft law nature of the Convention Harmonisation of EU Law and HELCOM requirements Russia as the only non-eu Contracting Party

13 HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan Nutrients on natural levels Natural levels of oxygen and algal blooms Viable populations of species Thriving and balanced communities Natural distribution of fauna and flora EUTROPHICATION BIODIVERSITY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES MARITIME TRAFFIC Hazardous substances on natural levels No alien species Minimum sewage and air pollution Natural marine and coastal landscapes No illegal or accidental discharges Healthy wildlife All fish healthy to eat

14 HELCOM BSAP, Hazardous substances Aims at: Concentrations of hazardous substances close to natural levels, All fish safe to eat Healthy wildlife, Radioactivity at pre-chernobyl level Special focus on 11 priority substances Shall be backed up by thematic assessment Substances or substance groups of specific concern to the Baltic Sea 1. DIOXINS (PCDD), FURANS (PCDF) & DIOXIN-LIKE PCBS 2A. TRIBUTYLTIN COMPOUNDS (TBT) 2B. TRIPHENYLTIN COMPOUNDS (TPhT) 3A. PENTABROMODIPHENYL ETHER (pentabde) 3B. OCTABROMODIPHENYL ETHER (octabde) 3C. DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER (decabde) 4A. PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONATE (PFOS) 4B. PERFLUOROOCTANOIC ACID (PFOA) 5. HEXABROMOCYCLODODECANE (HBCDD) 6A. NONYLPHENOLS (NP) 6B. NONYLPHENOL ETHOXYLATES (NPE) 7A. OCTYLPHENOLS (OP) 7B. OCTYLPHENOL ETHOXYLATES (OPE) 8A. SHORT-CHAIN CHLORINATED PARAFFINS (SCCP) 8B. MEDIUM-CHAIN CHLORINATED PARAFFINS (MCCP) 9. ENDOSULFAN 10. MERCURY 11. CADMIUM

15 HELCOM BSAP: Actions for hazardous substances Introduction of restrictions for the selected substances bans and substitutions for relevant uses application of BAT and BEP Development of national programmes of measures Development/use of product registers, e.g. REACH Application of Whole Effluent Assessment (WEA) Awareness raising and capacity building Influence work in other forums

16 Coherent implementation Source: What s in the Sea for me? Swedish EPA, 2009 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, 20 May 2010, Moscow Ecosystem health of the Baltic Sea National and overall implementation of the BSAP Joint platform for implementation of EU MSFD in BSR HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, 2013, Denmark Assess the effectiveness of measures, correct actions in needed

17 What is the status? Eutrophication, hazardous substances and biodiversity Eutrophication - HEAT Hazardous substances CHASE Biodiversity - BEAT Thematic assessments have been produced using HEAT, CHASE and BEAT tools and they are each complemented with a confidence assessment.

18 An integrated thematic assessment of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea The entire Baltic Sea was an area with a high contamination level Waters near larger cities tendency for moderate or poor status Pb, Cd, Hg, PCBs, DDE, TBT, PCDD, BDEs have highest concentrations in relation to the threshold PFAS, Bisphenol A, pharmaceuticals No easy solutions

19 Moscow Ministerial Declaration, 2010 Dredging and dumping activities as factor of physical disturbances affecting biodiversity; Dumping as a source of inputs of hazardous substances to marine environment Stricter control through revision of the HELCOM Guidelines for disposal of dredged Map of dredging activities in the Baltic Sea spoils

20 Thank you! For more information please contact: Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Katajanokanlaituri 6 B FI Helsinki Finland