OSPAR Regional Action Plan for Prevention and Management of Marine Litter in the North-East Atlantic

Transcription

1 OSPAR Cnventin fr the Prtectin f the Marine Envirnment f the Nrth-East Atlantic OSPAR Reginal Actin Plan fr Preventin and Management f Marine Litter in the Nrth-East Atlantic Summary: OSPAR Ministers had highlighted in 2010 the imprtance f the prblem f marine litter, stating that in many areas f the Nrth-East Atlantic levels f litter were unacceptable. OSPAR s Strategy fr the prtectin f the Marine Envirnment f the Nrth-East Atlantic fr the years , set ut an bjective t t substantially reduce marine litter in the OSPAR maritime area t levels where prperties and quantities d nt cause harm t the marine envirnment. The OSPAR bjective, and the Reginal Actin Plan subsequently adpted in 2014, supprt the marine debris reductin bjectives under Gal 14 f Transfrming Our Wrld: the 2030 Agenda fr Sustainable Develpment. OSPAR s Reginal Actin Plan (RAP) sets ut the plicy cntext fr OSPAR s wrk n marine litter and describes the varius types f actins that OSPAR is wrking n t cmbat the prblem ver the cming years. The Reginal Actin Plan is set ut in fur sectins. Sectin I sets the bjectives, the gegraphical scpe, principles and appraches that shuld frame implementatin. Sectin II presents the actins t be implemented. The actins have been gruped in fur themes: A. the reductin f litter frm sea-based surces and B. the reductin f litter frm land-based surces, C. the remval f existing litter frm the marine envirnment and D. educatin and utreach n the tpic f marine litter. Sectin III describes the necessary mnitring and assessment prcess. Sectin IV utlines hw the plan will be implemented and fllwed up by OSPAR. Annexes t the plan set ut the detail f the individual measure develpment and adptin prcess, as well as reprting frmats fr OSPAR s Cntracting Parties. The Implementatin plan is being updated annually, based upn prgress. Current implementatin activity is als linked t the EU Marine Strategy Framewrk Directive, with alignment f marine litter indicatrs t als supprt reprting under the Directive s requirements fr thse Cntracting Parties wh are EU Member States. See:

2 OSPAR Actin n Marine Litter: The OSPAR Reginal Actin Plan fr Preventin and Management f Marine Litter in the Nrth-East Atlantic. OSPAR Ministers nted in 2010 that quantities f litter in many areas f the Nrth-East Atlantic were unacceptable, and that reductin measures shuld be develped twards reductin targets fr The OSPAR bjective with regard t marine litter, as laid dwn in the Strategy fr the prtectin f the Marine Envirnment f the Nrth-East Atlantic fr the years , is t substantially reduce marine litter in the OSPAR maritime area t levels where prperties and quantities d nt cause harm t the marine envirnment. The OSPAR bjective and the Reginal Actin Plan subsequently adpted in 2014 supprt the Ri+20 glbal cmmitments, UNGA reslutins A/RES/68/70, A/RES/69/245, and nw A/Res/70/1; Gal 14 in Transfrming Our Wrld: the 2030 Agenda fr Sustainable Develpment. OSPAR s Reginal Actin Plan (OSPAR Agreement , (see ) addresses marine litter, defined as any slid material which has been deliberately discarded, r unintentinally lst n beaches and n shres r at sea, including materials transprted int marine envirnment frm land by rivers, drainage r sewage systems r winds. It includes any persistent, manufactured r prcessed slid material riginating frm different sea- and land-based surces. One fcus f the actin is n plastics, given these are the predminant material in marine litter. OSPAR is addressing marine litter nt just as an aesthetic prblem, but ne that incurs sciecnmic csts, threatens human health and safety and impacts n marine rganisms. It is bradly dcumented that entanglement in, r ingestin f, marine litter can have negative cnsequences n the physical cnditin f marine animals and even lead t death. Ingestin f micr plastics is als f cncern as it may prvide a pathway fr transprt f harmful chemicals int the fd web. Additinally, marine litter is knwn t damage and degrade habitats (e.g. in terms f smthering) and t be a pssible vectr fr the transfer f alien species. 9. The Reginal Actin Plan aims t deliver the fllwing elements: a. a fcus n specific surces r items f marine litter that are f mst cncern in each OSPAR regin r the OSPAR maritime area as a whle; b. the develpment f reginal measures, taking int accunt the sciecnmic aspects including cst effectiveness, fr reducing the input f marine litter frm sea-based and landbased surces, and fr remving litter frm the marine envirnment. c. reginally crdinated reductin/peratinal targets, including thse linked t surces, taking int accunt the MSFD targets submitted by EU Member State Cntracting Parties t the Eurpean Cmmissin; d. mnitring and necessary arrangements required t assess prgress twards reaching the targets; e. cperatin with ther relevant reginal and internatinal rganisatins, including Reginal Seas. 13. The OSPAR Reginal Actin Plan has been adpted by OSPAR Cntracting Parties as an OSPAR Other Agreement. It applies t the whle OSPAR maritime area and is designed as a flexible tl prviding a set f actins t address marine litter. The key principles applied are the precautinary principle and the plluter pays principle. The Plan cntains actins requiring cllective activity within the framewrk f the OSPAR Cmmissin thrugh, where applicable, OSPAR measures (i.e. Decisins r Recmmendatins) and/r ther agreements such as guidelines. Other actins are als listed in the Plan fr cnsideratin by Cntracting Parties in their natinal prgrammes f measures, including under the EU s Marine Strategy Framewrk Directive. In this respect the Plan prvides guidance t Cntracting Parties and a framewrk fr

3 reginal cperatin. A third categry f actins are thse that fall under the cmpetence f ther internatinal rganisatins and cmpetent authrities Objectives and rle 16. The main bjectives f the RAP are t: Prevent and reduce marine litter pllutin in the Nrth-East Atlantic and its impact n marine rganisms, habitats, public health and safety and reduce the sciecnmic csts it causes; Remve litter frm the marine envirnment where practical and feasible; Enhance knwledge and awareness n marine litter; Supprt Cntracting Parties in the develpment, implementatin and crdinatin f their prgrammes fr litter reductin, including thse fr the implementatin f the Marine Strategy Framewrk Directive. Develp management appraches t marine litter that are cnsistent with accepted internatinal appraches 17. The rle f the RAP ML is t: Crdinate wrk t imprve the evidence base n the impacts f litter n the marine envirnment; Establish a range f measures and actins, identifying gaps and pprtunities where OSPAR can add value thrugh its marine fcus; Be a framewrk fr Cntracting Parties t identify added value fr a reginal apprach; Prmte reprting by Cntracting Parties t OSPAR and under the EU s Marine Strategy Framewrk Directive, where relevant. The Reginal Actin Plan n Marine Litter is being implemented in clse cperatin with ther relevant reginal and glbal rganisatins and initiatives, including UNEP and ther Reginal Seas Cnventins, the Internatinal Maritime Organisatin, the Cnventin n Bilgical Diversity, the Eurpean Unin, Fisheries Reginal Advisry Cuncils, Nrth East Atlantic Fisheries Cmmissin and River and River Basin Cmmissins. Partnerships with the private sectr and with nn-gvernmental rganisatins are als a part f the wrking apprach. Themes and Actins The Reginal Actin Plan des nt determine which f the OSPAR actins shuld ultimately take the frm f OSPAR measures (Recmmendatins, Decisins) r ther agreements, including guidelines adpted within the framewrk f the Cnventin. Hwever the Implementatin Plan is being updated n a regular basis t shw prgress delivered by the assigned cuntry leads, fllwing the accepted OSPAR prcedure. OSPAR Cllective Actins 28. Cntracting Parties, acting cllectively within the framewrk f the, are develping and implementing the actins utlined belw. In additin, reginally crdinated SMART reductin/peratinal targets are being develped. Theme A: Actins t cmbat sea-based surces f marine litter Prt receptin facilities Effective Implementatin/Enfrcement f internatinal legislatin/regulatin Incentives fr respnsible behaviur/disincentives fr littering Develp best practice in relatin t fishing industry Fines fr waste dispsal ffences at sea

4 Theme B: Actins t cmbat land-based surces f Marine Litter Imprved waste preventin and management Reductin f sewage and strm water related waste Incentives fr respnsible behaviur/ Disincentives fr littering Eliminatin, change r adaptatin f prducts fr envirnmental benefits Develpment f sustainable packaging Zer pellet lss Theme C: Remval Actin Applicatin f Fishing fr Litter activities Cleaning envirnmental cmpartments and keeping them clean Reductin f abandned, lst and therwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) Theme D: Educatin and utreach Educatin Outreach Cntracting Party Actins Cntracting Parties are cnsidering the fllwing actins: Theme A: Actins t cmbat sea-based surces f marine litter Enfrcement f internatinal legislatin/regulatin regarding all sectrs Incentives fr respnsible behaviur/disincentives fr littering Theme B: Measures t cmbat land-based surces Imprved waste preventin and management Theme C: Remval measures Applicatin f Fishing fr Litter activities Reductin f abandned, lst and therwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) Theme D: Educatin and utreach Educatin Outreach Mnitring and Assessment, Implementatin and Reprting Assessment f the quality f the marine envirnment is central t OSPAR s remit. In ding s OSPAR aim t crdinate mnitring prgrammes where pssible, t adpt cnsistent methdlgies fr data. A beach litter indicatr perates in the OSPAR area with an indicatr fr plastic particles in fulmar stmachs perating fr the Nrth Sea. They allw identificatin f different categries f litter, prviding infrmatin n ptential rigin and an analysis f trends in individual items. In the case f the fulmar, an Eclgical Quality Objective is applied. OSPAR has develped and is develping indicatrs, with a particular fcus n EU MSFD requirements cvering the fllwing issues: beach litter plastic particles in bita seabed litter micr plastics Marine litter will be cnsidered under OSPAR s Jint Assessment and Mnitring Prgramme (JAMP). Any peratinal r reductin targets develped in relatin t specific actins r measures prduced under the framewrk f the RAP will be assessed thrugh the JAMP and based upn the mnitring fr the cmmn indicatrs, where applicable. The next OSPAR Quality Status Reprt shuld assess the effectiveness f the

5 plan in achieving the aims f the Nrth-East Atlantic Envirnment Strategy. OSPAR s upcming Intermediate Assessment in 2017 will als include reprting n indicatrs n marine litter status. The verall OSPAR Reginal Actin Plan n Marine litter is implemented thrugh Agreement Cntracting Parties will use the implementatin reprting prcess t update OSPAR n their natinal prgress in implementing the plan. Hwever, individual actins recmmended abve, particularly thse which have a reginal fcus, may als be implemented thrugh guidelines, recmmendatins r decisins, depending upn their tpic. The OSPAR Reginal Actin Plan is being implemented during the perid , after which time it shall be reviewed and updated in accrdance with the utcmes f the Quality Status Reprt 2021, the new OSPAR Strategy, and assessments under the EU MSFD. Current wrk, prgressing each f the actins in the Plan, is being carried ut under the supervisin f an OSPAR marine litter intersessinal wrking grup, as well as cnsideratin by the main OSPAR Cmmittees and the annual meeting.