Products from the EMECO North Sea Observatory: an EU policy perspective

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Products from the EMECO North Sea Observatory
an EU policy perspective
Rodney Forster Centre for Environment, Fisheries
and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Lowestoft, UK
rodney.forster_at_cefas.co.uk
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What does the Directive commit us to?
To put in place measures to achieve Good
Environmental Status in Europes seas by 2020
Good Environmental Status means the
environmental status of marine waters where these
provide ecologically diverse and dynamic oceans
and seas which are clean, healthy and productive
within their intrinsic conditions, and the use
of the marine environment is at a level that is
sustainable, thus safeguarding the potential for
uses and activities by current and future
generations...
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What are the regional requirements?
Member States sharing a marine region...shall
cooperate to ensure that... the measures required
to achieve...this Directive...are coherent and
coordinated across the marine region...
UK keen to use the Oslo and Paris Convention
(OSPAR) as the forum to deliver all key regional
elements of the Directive
OSPAR currently reviewing its priorities to
ensure it supports the delivery of the Directive
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Summary Directives requirements
Programme of measures implemented
Monitoring programme established
Initial assessment of UK seas
2008
2020
2010
2012
2014
2015
2016
GES achieved for UK seas
Directive transposed
GES defined, including targets and indicators
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Determination of Good Environmental Status 2012

• 11 high level descriptors of GES set out in the
  Directive
• Member States to set out how GES will be
  defined for their marine waters by 2012
• Common criteria and standards to underpin GES
  across the EU to be agreed with Commission and
  other Member States by 2010

Concentrations of contaminants are at levels not
giving rise to pollution effects
Populations of all commercially exploited fish
and shellfish are within safe biological limits
Biological diversity is maintained
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Healthy Seas
Desc 1 Biodiversity
Desc 2 Invasive Species
Desc 5 Eutrophication
Clean Seas
Desc 8 Contaminants pollution
Desc 10 Marine Litter
Habitats
Desc 6 Seafloor integrity
Desc 7 Hydrography
Desc 11 Energy
Productive Seas
Desc 3 Sustainable commercial species
Desc 9 Fish / shellfish hygiene
Desc 4 Food webs
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Mapping MSFD descriptors to current observations
in the North Sea
Desc 1 Biodiversity
Desc 2 Invasive Species
Desc 5 Eutrophication
Desc 8 Contaminants pollution
Desc 10 Marine Litter
Desc 6 Seafloor
Desc 6 Seafloor
Desc 7 Hydrography
Desc 11 Energy
Desc 3 Commercial species
Desc 9 Fish shellfish hygiene
Desc 4 Food webs
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The challenge To harmonise our observations of
the North Sea in order to assess the ecological
status Questions Is further RD
required? Is the existing instrumentation
sufficient? How do we communicate with policy
makers in the next 12 months?
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Desc 5 Eutrophication
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Desc 5 Eutrophication
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Desc 5 Eutrophication