sou · GRB372d1 · 2004-01-01 00:00:00 — We are far from knowing the true extent of damages caused by over-fishing, eutrophication, emissions of toxic substances and oil. Nevertheless, the Commission on the appointed by the Swedish government, can ascertain that substandard , insufficiently regulated fisheries, hazardous emissions and eutrophication are having and will continue to have such a negative impact on ecosystems that their ability to provide goods and services is dramatically being undermined. In addition, climate change may further impact the conditions for healthy ecosystems. Essentially, the state of the Baltic and the North Sea has not improved over the last 15 years despite the numerous measures implemented. Some examples of successful environmental protec- tion can be found, however. When widespread damage to seals and white-tailed eagles was discovered in the 1960s, the use of PCB and DDT was banned or limited at the beginning of the 1970s. As a result of the measures, the occurrence of these substances in the environment decreased considerably. The white-tailed eagle has now returned to our archipelagoes and the grey seal population is improving. After decades of bathing restrictions, people can again swim in the sea and enjoy the sandy beaches along the coast of Estonia, , , and the former DDR. A large number of point sources have been rectified within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Programme, initiated by the Heads of State and Government in 1990. This programme aims to address the most significant point sources of pollution and is seen as one of the suc- cesses of international environmental protection. But the way in which environment protection currently is being conducted suggests that the state of our seas will either remain unchanged or deteriorate further in the next decade or two. is expanding rapidly in the Baltic Sea. Oil exports from Russian and Baltic ports has risen substantially over the last few years, which increases the risk of accidents. Ships are also increa- sing in size. A serious problem as regards oil transportation is the occurrence of substandard , which, in combination with insufficient maintenance, substantially increases the risk of acci- dents. Accidents often occurr due to a combination of factors, such as a substandard that has a crew lacking the necessary skills or training. Many ports and harbours still lack facilities for forcing to deposit oil and other waste while in port. Up to one tho- usand illegal discharges of oil waste are thought to occur every year when flush out their oil tanks, clean their machinery and empty unfiltered water into the Baltic. Numbers of demersal (bottom-dwelling) fish have radically dec- reased over the last 25 years. For many demersal fish species, the number of sexually mature individuals at the end of the 1990s was only a tenth of what it was at the beginning of the 1970s. For cer- tain species, such as cod, the numbers of sexually mature individu- als have dwindled even more drastically. These severe reductions risk leading to dramatic changes in ecosystems (so-called flips) that can make it impossible for cod stocks to recover which, in turn might lead to the disappearance of bladder wrack over large areas. Furthermore, exploratory fishing data indicate almost a complete disappearance of local cod stocks along the Swedish coast. If these stocks were genetically unique, there is a risk that they will not be replaced, should they die out. The amount of cod landed by Swedish fisheries has decreased sub- stantially since the 1980s, whilst sprat, used to produce animal feed, now constitutes a predominant proportion of the total catch. has benefited from the disappearance of cod and large stocks of sprat hinder cod reproduction by eating up its eggs. Baltic herring and should not be eaten in large quantities since the levels of toxic substances in them are too high. The amount of toxic substances used in todays society is increasing, which may lead to more dietary restrictions. One example is the use of pharmaceuticals in which has risen drastically. The amount of substances in pharmaceuticals sold every year in is the same as the amount of pesticides used in agriculture. Residues of these substances are flushed out in the waste- water of households and hospitals and reach the sea via municipal treatment plants. Eutrophication causes great problems in waters and leads to more extensive algal blooms out at sea. Many bathing areas and beaches along our coast are covered by large amounts of decompo- sing algae. The depth dispersion of bladder wrack is decreasing as the water becomes more and more clouded with plankton. Shallow sandy bottoms are becoming overgrown with fine-threaded algae, which for example prevents plaice from breeding properly. Oxygen deficiency in the deep waters of the Baltic is threatening the repro- duction of cod and the dying seabed extending over large parts of both the Baltic and the North Sea is eradicating demersal species. Large areas covered with fluffy-white hydrogen sulphide bacteria are also a common problem affecting the shallow waters of our archipelagoes in the summer. In addition, climate change will have an impact on our seas. Rising atmospheric temperature leads to warmer seas which in turn will reduce the ice-caps in the and impact populations of grey and ringed seal. Changes in water temperatures and salt con- tent primarily affect the species composition of floral plankton and the risk is that toxin-producing species will become more common if temperatures and precipitation rise. Increased nutrient concen- trations and a higher water temperature also promote fast-growing and fine-threaded algae in shallow sea areas. We are far from achieving our national environmental quality objective for a healthy environment. Our seas and oceans belong to everybody and nobody. At the same time as many people claim the right to use our resources, no-one takes ultimate responsibility for what is happening to our seas. Industries which utilise the sea have assumed a right to do so but they do not take on sufficient responsibility for protecting ecosystems. There is a lack of comprehensive responsibility both internationally and nationally. Coordination on all levels is found wanting. There is insufficient analysis of the activities of different sectors and their impact on the sea and what analysis there is uncoordinated. The imposition of sector responsibility has not yielded the desired results for the sea; namely a healthy envi- ronment and ecological sustainability. The discord in efforts to improve the environment is further exacerbated by poor dialogue and coordination among the various stakeholders, scientists and authorities. Protecting the envi- ronment is essentially a matter of altering and stimulating human behaviour, which requires considerable changes to current attitu- des. It is not a lack of appropriate proposals and measures that has put our seas in such a serious state. The problem lies in extensive and systematic shortcomings in implementing proposed measures. If all the measures proposed both nationally and internationally had been implemented and if the precautionary principle had been applied, our environment would have been in a considerably better state. The Commission on the concludes that the environmental state of our surrounding seas is that short-term economic interests, in combination with insufficient understanding of the complexity of ecosystems, have been allowed to dic- tate how the sea is managed. The sea is a victim of the tragedy of the commons. The Commission on the believes that cur- rent methods must undergo a fundamental change. Makeshift rep- airs to the current system are not enough. Our way of working and addressing the issues has led us to the end of the road. Our current regulatory frameworks do not protect our seas. Our seas must be decoupled from the regulatory frameworks which currently restrict the efforts. Sustainable management of the sea Ecosystems consist of different components, partly of flora, fauna and other organisms and partly of the surrounding environment. The various organisms in an ecosystem make up a food web, where everything is interconnected and where the different levels influ- ence each other as the result of complex and dynamic relationships. If a critical species decreases in number or disappears, these rela- tionships can break down. The ecosystem can then flip and take on a completely different state. Sustainable management must be based on this perspective and consider the impact of proposed measures in a holistic . The Commission on the bases its new management proposals on an ecosystem approach. The ecosystem approach places more far-reaching demands on protection measures than is the case with the current sectorised method. Management must be more adaptive and instructive with clear links between implemented measures, environmental monito- ring and research. Management must be based more on the obliga- tions of the sectors and less on their rights. The environmental requirements placed on the sectors must be founded on the limita- tions of ecosystems. The aim is to preserve the structure and function of ecosystems and hence maintain their capa- city to provide us with goods and services. management would pioneer environ- mental protection. Such an approach has been a matter of course for air quality work. In comparison with measures within the Convention on tion (CLRTAP), the Commission on the has identified a number of areas within regional conventions that are lacking. The analysis indicates that the work done to pro- tect the environment lacks four essential components: unanimity and collaboration among authorities, the research community, industries and other stakeholders, common effect-based targets for both national and internatio- nal work, the flexibility to implement cost-effective measures within rele- vant sectors and establish legally binding agreements at the na- tional level. Management of the sea within current decision-making structures must change both nationally and internationally. A new form of management must be intersectoral and able to handle complex relationships. Fish and fisheries can for instance not be separated from other environmental issues. International decision- making structures must be changed to allow relevant states the autonomy to decide how the sea is to be protected. If we are to reverse the negative trend in our seas, it is absolutely essential that there is international coordination. The Commission on the therefore proposes a new regional management structure, through a regional pilot initiative in the Baltic Sea (including the ). The Commission sees the Bal- tic Sea as the ideal area for a new management strategy. The work should be evaluated so that experiences gained can be passed on and benefit other areas, e.g. the North Sea (including the ). The aim of using the Baltic Sea (in accordance with the definition of the Convention) as an international pilot initiative is to transpose the ecosystem approach into concrete legal principles. This presupposes a revision of the Convention to bring about sustainable use of the seas. A new form of management sho- uld be based on biological systems, on an ecosystem approach, and implemented by using a modus operandi that is broadly internatio- nal, intersectoral and adaptive. The proposal of the Commission on the means that the Baltic Sea states, as the result of a jointly binding commitment, supported by a strengthened Convention, can generate the necessary force to regionally adapt the common European fisheries policy and the relevant environmental compo- nents of the agricultural policy to the sensitive environment of the Baltic Sea. In order to achieve this the Heads of State need to agree to a jo- int initiative to reverse the negative trend in our seas. The Convention must develop legally binding decisions and estimation models, which make it possible to evaluate propo- sals for action strategies established in relation to various set objectives for ecosystems. Fisheries and agriculture must be an integral part of the Conventions remit. A revised Convention must also incorporate a mechanism for resolving dis- putes. Moreover, a revised Convention should divide the Bal- tic into different zones. Such zoning should consist of a core of areas where no resource extraction is allowed, a large network of areas where some types of resource use is permitted, and other areas where special rules of consideration apply for various activi- ties. This kind of zoning is similar to what has been applied on land for some considerable time. The Commission on the also proposes a temporary, time-limited ban of fishing in the Baltic Sea. In order to effectively manae the over extraction of fish, the common Euro- pean fisheries policy must be implemented within the framework for a revised Convention. A total fishing ban should cover all stocks which, currently are outside biologically safe limits. The ban would be lifted only when stocks are once more within biolo- gical limits. The sooner such a ban is imposed, the greater chance stocks will have of recovery. The longer such a ban is postponed, the greater the risk is of stocks collapsing and disappearing. The Commission on the proposes that measures aimed to combat eutrophication are urgently needed. The measures should be based on effect-based criteria, modelled on European air quality initiatives. The system of environmental sub- sidies which are incorporated in agriculture policy should be adjusted so that the Baltic Sea states are given the opportunity to direct support to areas where the greatest benefits for the environment can be achived. The Commission on the proposes a num- ber of minimum requirements for within the framework of a revised Convention. These requirements must be developed in partnership with the IMO. The proposed require- ments include: only high-quality being allowed to transport hazardous cargo; being classified by a well-reputed classifi- cation society and be subject to black listing from previous har- bour visits; being equipped with control and tracking devi- ces; lanes and traffic regulations being designed so as to protect especially sensitive areas. It should also be possible to con- trol ballast water discharges so as to avoid the input of alien spe- cies. Practical, efficient harbour facilities to dispose of different forms of waste and wastewater should be available. There should be sufficient capacity for coping with and limiting the impact of colli- sions/shipwrecks. The feels that a strengthened legal structure is required to come to reverse the negative trends in the Baltic Sea. The Commission on the also feels that as a nation is in a position to unilaterally implement a number of measures and proposes the of a national strategy. The strategy must overcome the disarray that cur- rently characterises environment efforts. The national envi- ronmental quality objectives for A balanced environment, sustainable areas and archipelagoes, A non-toxic environment and Zero eutrophication should therefore be supplemented and ela- borated further. The proposal from the Commission on the for measures within the framework of a national strategy are: (Swedish EPA) shall be given the overall responsibility for the environment. The Swedish EPA shall be charged with the task of drafting a plan for environment, in partnership with re- levant actors. Use of the sea shall be regulated by zoning with different forms of resource use being allowed in the various zones. The effects of measures taken shall be evaluated and the know- ledge used to employ adaptive management able to suit each catchment area, zone and sea basin. participation and changes in attitude shall be stimulated by information initiatives. According to Commission on the , the measu- res that can be taken immediately pending the implementation of more extensive measures mentioned above are as follows: As a first step to zoning the Commission on the supports the proposal to extend the trawling limit. Pending the availability of complete documentation for a plan- ning scheme, the Commission on the proposes that at least four areas in both the Baltic Sea (exclu- ding the ) and the North Sea (including the and the ), two areas and two deep-sea areas shall be established with fishing bans. All shall be moved south and east of . The Swedish EPA shall develop a first draft for the planning of the environment using existing knowledge. The Commission on the has had the help of four working groups made up of experts within the fields of ship- ping, fisheries, chemicals and eutrophication. Each of these groups has carried out extensive analyses of the situation, reviewed current lists of measures and proposed additional action. Based on their findings, the Commission on the proposes more precise details, interim targets and measures to supplement the initiatives already being implemented to achieve the environ- mental quality objectives. The Commission on the proposes that the following details be added to the environmental quality objective A balanced environment, sustainable areas and archipe- lagoes. 1.No sub-standard operate in our surrounding seas. 2.The most valuable areas shall be protected from the negative impact of . 3.Rescue contingency plans shall be guaranteed. The Commission on the proposes supple- mentary measures for : The charterer should assume greater responsibility for his cho- ice of transport. Measures to facilitate quality shall be taken. All traffic shall be diverted away from the most valu- able areas. Rescue contingency plans shall be strengthened regarding the capability of rescue services to carry out emergency towing, emergency lighterage and fire extinguishing at sea. The Commission on the also proposes natio- nal measures for fisheries. The overarching perspective is that fish should be managed as part of the ecosystem. The precautionary principle shall also be applied. Commission on the proposes a revision of interim targets 4 and 5 of the envi- ronmental quality objective A balanced environment, sustai- nable areas and archipelagoes. 1.Annual by-catches of mammals shall be less than 1 per cent of the population of each species no later than . By- catches of seabirds, unwanted fish species and young fish shall not have a negative impact on populations nor on the ecosy- stem. 2.By 2010, the percentage of fish caught by fisheries shall not exceed what is needed to maintain the natural role of fish in the ecosystem. The proposes the following supplementary measures: The prerequisites for enacting a fish conservation law shall be examined. The proportion of fish stocks caught shall be reduced and ex- traction shall be based on biological grounds. Catch restrictions shall be established for all species and stocks. The size of the catch shall be adapted to the available resource. Selective and considerate fishing methods and gear shall be de- veloped and employed. Consultation groups shall be set up to reduce by-catches. technology shall be established. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) shall be introduced for exploratory fishing and when testing fishing methods the () principle shall be applied. Training initiatives for professional fishermen and research in fish and fish ecology shall be established. and broader scientific advice shall be provided to ICES. An eco-labelling system for fish shall be developed and applied. Amendments to the environmental quality objective A non-toxic environment should also be made. 1.All fish caught in Swedish seas shall be suitable for human con- sumption. 2.The impact of toxic substances on the ecosystem shall be negligible. Necessary measures include: Sources of toxic substances which lead to current dietary re- strictions shall be identified and adressed as far as possible. The input of toxic substances caused by combustion shall be reduced to harmless levels. Environmental monitoring shall be able to predict risks before damage occurs. Environmental monitoring activities shall be linked to the need for measures. The capacity of municipal wastewater treatment plants to treat new substances shall be guaranteed. An information requirement for chemical substances shall be introduced. Eutrophication represents one of the largest problems in Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The Commission on the has ascertained that achieving the environmental quality objective Zero eutrophication will necessitate a reduction in nitrogen emis- sions to the level they were in the 1940s. According to the Com- mission on the calculations, this is equivalent to 40 000 of nitrogen emissions each year. The proposes supplementary measures be added to the Zero eutrophication objective: 1.The cultivation of follow-up crops (catch crops) shall be set at a permanent level of 100 000 hectares. 2.The area of arable land tilled in the spring instead of in the au- tumn shall be set at a permanent level of 100 000 hectares. 3.The supply of nitrogen during cultivation shall not exceed the crops need. 4.The spreading of liquid fertiliser from animals in the autumn for autumn-sown seed shall be reduced. 5.Permanent fallow land shall be introduced. 6.12 000 hectares of wetlands shall be constructed. 7.Farmers shall be required to take part in compulsory environ- mental studies. 8.An inquiry into the geographical distribution of farm animals shall be conducted. 9.Further nitrogen removal shall be implemented in some treat- ment plants. 10.Private wastewater facilities shall be improved. Environmental monitoring must be better coordinated both with research and with the evaluation of various action strategies. skall vara en pådrivande kraft och ett föregångsland för en hållbar utveckling. Detta slogs fast i proposition 1996/97:150 Ett Hållbart . Målet för det miljöpolitiska arbetet är att till nästa generation kunna lämna över ett samhälle där de stora miljöpro- blemen i är lösta. För att definiera det tillstånd som miljö- arbetet skall sikta mot har fastslagit 15 miljökvalitetsmål (prop. 1997/98:145, bet. 1998/99:MJU6, rskr. 1998/99:183). De tre miljökvalitetsmål som närmast berör havsmiljön är Hav i balans samt levande kust och skärgård, Giftfri miljö och Ingen övergödning. Att uppfylla dessa mål är nödvändigt för en långsiktigt hållbar utveckling av de näringar som är helt avhängiga av ett friskt hav. Trenden för våra omgivande hav är negativ. , som är ansvarig för uppföljning och redovisning av utvecklingen gällande miljökvalitetsmålen, har konstaterat att det blir mycket svårt att inom tidsramen nå generationsmålen för Ingen övergödning och För miljökvalitetsmålet Hav i balans samt levande kust och skärgård gör miljömålsrådet bedömningen att det är möjligt att uppnå målet, men att fler åtgärder krävs. Uppfyllelsen av detta mål förutsätter även att miljökvalitetsmålen Ingen övergödning och Giftfri miljö uppnås. Regeringen tillsatte en kommission med uppdraget att sammanfatta kunskapsläget avseende miljötillståndet i Sveriges kust- och havsområden, utforma övergripande strategier samt föreslå åtgärder som kan bryta den pågående negativa utvecklingen i havsmiljön, så att de tre miljökvalitetsmålen kan nås . Av direktivet (Dir 2002:102, se bilaga 1) framgår också att kommissionens arbete skall utgöra ett komple- ment till miljömålsarbetet, att kommissionen skall se över det samlade forskningsbehovet samt vid behov ge förslag till nationella eller internationella initiativ inom ramen för åtaganden. Vidare framgår det av direktivet att utgångspunkten för kommis- sionens arbete skall vara en ekosystemansats. I uppdraget ingick även att analysera de samhällsekonomiska konsekvenserna av för- slagen. På grund av tidsbrist har det inte varit möjligt att samman- ställa de samhällsekonomiska konsekvenserna.