From: tgray@igc.apc.org (Tom Gray)
Newsgroups: sci.environment
Subject: IPS: Med Pollution Problems
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:34:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1466601916:000:4192
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!tgray    Nov 18 09:34:00 1992


/* Written 12:08 am  Nov  8, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ENVIRONMENT: MEDITERRANEAN SEA NEEDS RAPID RESCUE ACTION


an inter press service feature

by baher kamal

tunis, nov 5 (ips) -- rapid and efficient action is needed to
save the mediterranean sea, which receives 2.4 million cubic
metres of untreated liquid waste each year along its 46,000 sq.
km. coastline, participants in an international symposium here
warned.

in addition to the polluted liquids, 100,000 tonnes of solid
waste are dumped into the intercontinental waterway, tunisia's
environment minister, mohamed mlika, told officials and experts
from mediterranean countries at the nov. 4-5 symposium.

the symposium analysed the most pressing problems of the
mediterranean region, such as security, stability, development,
immigration and the environment.

mlika said the environmental situation threatened the
mediterranean basin's 400 million people, half of whom live in
southern europe and the remainder in north africa. their number
could rise to 540 million by 2025 due to the rapid population
increase in north africa.

he urged the mediterranean countries to adopt a common policy
and mobilize advanced technology to confront the problems of
pollution as well as the strong demographic pressure on coastal
areas.

the region's environmental problems are aggravated by the
slowness with which the waters of the mediterranean are renewed
through its communication with the atlantic ocean, the director
of the italian centre for mediterranean studies, agostine
spataro, warned.

this cycle takes at least 80 years, said spataro, who called
for the adoption of an ''ecological cooperation'' policy, which,
he recommended, should be financed mainly by the more developed
mediterranean countries -- the southern european nations.

much of the danger to the mediterranean sea comes from the
industries installed on its shores. the region's countries
account for 16 percent of the world's industrial production.

eighty-seven percent of mediterranean basin industries are
concentrated in three countries: france, italy and spain. they
account for 80 percent of the industrial waste pumped into the
waterway each year.

in addition to this, the mediterranean is an important civil
and military shipping route. every hour, an estimated 200 ships
pass through the straits of gibraltar alone, mlika indicated.
(more)
----


moreover, some 350 million tonnes of petroleum, almost a third
of the international maritime traffic in crude oil, are ferried
through the mediterranean, which represents a mere 0.6 percent of
the total area of the planet's oceans and seas.

the petroleum passes through 58 major oil ports, 60 refineries
and 100 big electrical and thermic plants which use oil products.

oil spills caused by incidents involving tankers are a major
source of pollution in the waterway. between 1977 and 1987, 94
such ecological disasters were registered, spataro said.

the u.n. environment programme (unep) estimates that at least
635,000 tonnes of oil are spilled in mediterranean waters each
year.

one tonne of spilled crude can cover 1,000 hectares of sea and
contaminate one kilometre of beaches, in addition to finding its
way into the food chain and accumulating in the liver of fishes.

the millions of tourists, both national and foreign, who flock
to mediterranean beaches for almost six months each year are
another factor of pollution, spataro said.

in 1990, 150 million tourists visited the mediterranean, and
experts forecast that this number could reach 550 million by
2025. (end/ips/trd/so/bk-cs/kb/92)
----


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* The above news story is copied from the IGC Networks, home of   *
* the nonprofit networks EcoNet, PeaceNet, ConflictNet, LaborNet, *
* and HomeoNet.  For more information on IGC Networks news        *
* services, write to support@igc.apc.org  .                       *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *