meeresstrategie en bf

8/8/2019 Meeresstrategie en Bf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/meeresstrategie-en-bf 1/66



IMPRINT

Published by: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)

E-Mail: [email protected] · Internet: www.bmu.de/englishPublic Relations Division · 11055 Berlin · Germany

First Print: 3,000 copies

Date: September 2008

Printing: Silber Druck, Niestetal

LISUM Voerster (p. 11)31, 51); Archiv Lücken-Design (pp. 9, 17, 23, 30, 41, 49, 52, 53, 59, 61); getty images (pp. 7, 35, 36);48, 62, 63); dpa (pp. 8, 21, 34, 46, 50); Archiv BMU (pp. 26, 54, 55, 56) wikipedia.de (pp. 12, 13, 15,

Photos: vario images (title); Ullstein-Bild (pp. 6, 14, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 38, 43, 44, 47,

Design: Lücken-Design, www.luecken-design.de

in collaboration with: Ulrike Wolpers (freelance journalist)International Law on the Protection of Marine Waters)

Editors: Dagmara Berbalk, Division WA I 5 (Protection of the Marine Environment,



National Strategy for the Sustainable Useand Protection of the SeasApproved by the Federal Cabinet on 1.10.2008

| Environmental Policy Series |



Contents1. Introduction 52. The future of the sea: what are the prospects 62 1 The highest imperative: integration 2 2 Pressure on the seas 2 3 Our goals for the oceans 2 4 What needs to be done to achieve these goals? 102 5 Strength in concerted action 2 5 1 International 2 5 2 European 2 5 3 Regional 2 5 4 National

3. Climate change and its consequences for oceans and coasts 163 1 The current situation 3 2 Assessment 3 3 Goals 3 4 What needs to be done to achieve these goals? 184. Conserving marine biodiversity 224 1 The current situation 4 2 Assessment 4 3 Goals 4 4 What needs to be done to achieve these goals? 265. Uses of the sea and their impact 285 1 Fishing

5 2 Shipping and ports 5 3 Marine mining 5 4 Use of renewable energies 5 5 Tourism 6. Activities on land and their impact on the sea 436 1 Introduction 6 2 Agriculture 6 3 Industry, local authorities and households 486 4 Other activities 6 4 1 Nuclear power 6 4 2 Transport 7. Marine research for the future

7 1 The current situation 7 2 Assessment 7 3 Goals 7 4 What needs to be done to achieve these goals? 568. Principles, concepts and instruments guiding our actions 588 1 The sustainability triangle 8 2 The ecosystem approach 8 3 Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) 598 4 Coastal and marine spatial planning 8 5 Environmental monitoring 8 6 Integrated geodata management 9. The outlook 6310. Glossary 64

4



e Introduction 5

1. IntroductionMarine policy is on the rise!

The adoption of the “National Strategy for the Sustain-able Use and Protection of the Seas” – the “NationalMarine Strategy” for short – has come at a time whenthe seas are attracting particular political and publicattention, a time when the federal government iscalled to action in numerous areas of marine policy.In the current debate on climate change, the spot-light has also increasingly turned to the ocean, calling

the attention of politicians, industry, science and thepublic.

Despite the extensive efforts made in recent years,marine ecosystems continue to be endangered bymassive overshing, classic marine pollution causedby contaminants, excessive input of nutrients and aconstant increase in shipping. The rise in sea levels,which is being accelerated by global warming, andthe acidication of the seas caused by carbon dioxideemissions are further threats to marine ecosystemsand coastal regions throughout the world.

The aim of our concerted efforts is to reconcile theneed to use marine resources with the need to protectthem and to counter the existing fragmentation ofresponsibility and authority. Conserving the ocean’snatural resources is of economic as well as socialvalue. It is vital that we stop treating the sea’s re-sources as if they were limitless and begin to managethem in a way that ensures future generations willalso be able to enjoy healthy oceans and seas and usetheir resources.

Signicant progress has already been achieved – atinternational, national and European level. However,there is a consensus of opinion that it will only be pos-sible to successfully protect the sea in the future if wemanage to better integrate the objectives of marinepolicies into other policy areas. With the NationalMarine Strategy we are presenting a balanced overallconcept that has paid particular attention to identify-ing national interests and responsibilities and den-ing national policy goals, indicates ways of achievingthem and outlines concrete proposals for action and

appropriate time scales.

The European Union (EU) has also recognised thenecessity of a comprehensive and overriding marinepolicy which ensures that the economic use of theseas is compatible with marine ecosystems and at thesame time protects the marine environment.

On the basis of the Green Paper “Towards a FutureMaritime Policy for the Union: A European vision

for the oceans and seas,” the EU Commission’s BluePaper “An Integrated Maritime Policy for the Euro-pean Union,” was endorsed by the European Council,along with an Action Plan in December 2007, and isnow set to be implemented. To achieve this, the EUCommission, in conjunction with the Member States,has developed guidelines for “optimized integratedmaritime policies at all political levels in the MemberStates.“ Integration at EU level is not conceivablewithout integration at national and regional level. Atthe request of the European Council, the EU Com-mission will present an EU strategy for the Baltic Sea

region by June 2009, the primary purpose of which isto help tackle the urgent environmental problems inthe region.

On 15 July 2008, the European Marine StrategyFramework Directive (MSFD), which, in keeping withthe European Council’s conclusions, is intended tobe the environmental pillar of the Blue Paper “Inte-grated Maritime Policy for the European Union” -entered into force. The aim is for the marine environ-ment to achieve good status by 2020. To this end,national strategies shall be developed using theecosystem approach; this requires an integrated,cross-sectoral protection concept designed to ensurecurrent and future generations use our seas sustain-ably.

The National Marine Strategy has been developedby the federal government as an important buildingblock in its future integrated maritime policy.



6 r The future of the sea: what are the prospects?

2. The future of the oceans: what are the prospects?2.1 The highest imperative: integration

The world’s oceans are amongst the Earth’s mostintensively used, yet least protected, habitats.

The marine area around Germany also has to contendwith competing interests relating to its protection,on the one hand, and numerous different uses on theother. These include a constant increase in shipping,shing, exploitation of natural gas and petroleum,

and offshore wind power, which is scheduled to beexpanded in the North Sea and the Baltic.

It is vital to ensure that people can continue to usethe oceans. However, their activities must not beallowed to endanger the natural habitats of the oraand fauna that live in the sea. The challenge for allactors in the eld of politics, business, the scienticcommunity and each individual in society is to nda balance between ecological, economic and socialinterests. They all need long-term orientation abouthow and in what direction our marine policies should

develop. All actors need to have far greater awarenessof the fact that even their activities on land can have anegative impact on the ecosystems of the sea – partic-ularly in coastal waters. Just one example of this is theproblem of diffuse nutrient inputs from agriculture.

As instruments for balancing the different interestsin marine and coastal areas, Germany can makerecourse to Marine Spatial Planning and the informalIntegrated Coastal Zone Management approach.The federal government has committed to a processof integrating conicting interests, to sustainable

development as a fundamental principle underlyingpolitical action, and to an integrative ecosystem ap-proach (see Chapter 8).

Taking a synoptic view of the situation for the rsttime, this National Marine Strategy integrates thediffering demands involved with using and protect-ing our seas and draws together all the key aspects ofGerman maritime policy.

2.2 Pressure on the seas

The world’s oceans cover almost three-quarters of theEarth’s surface and create the largest cohesive ecosys-tems on the planet.

They have enormous signicance for humankind.Germany, for example, owes a major share of its eco-nomic power to the North Sea and the Baltic. Its mari-time sector is a hi-tech sunrise industry with increas-ingly worldwide importance and it offers signicantpotential for growth and job creation. We use theseas as a transport route for goods, for example. But

the seas also provide us with sh, seafood and algae,oil and gas, sand, gravel and mineral salts. Millions ofholidaymakers relax on the North Sea and



r The future of the sea: what are the prospects? 7

the Baltic Sea coasts. Many people enjoy the benetsof the “blue pharmacy” – so-called because of theocean’s healing properties based on its salt contentor the pharmaceutical active ingredients that are ex-tracted from certain marine organisms or producedsynthetically.

But the oceans are even more important for theEarth’s vital functions: they are its lungs, heat pumpand air conditioning system rolled into one and formthe basis for the world’s energy, water, oxygen andcarbon dioxide cycles. Last but not least, they serve assinks for materials that are emitted on land or at sea.

Despite the size of the oceans, their resources arelimited, as is their capacity to absorb the impact of an-thropogenic activities. Thus, for example, the naturalbalance of the earth’s cycles and the ecosystems inthe seas has changed since we human beings have in-creasingly interfered with nature in recent centuries.

One of the effects of climate change is, that the

world’s oceans are warming up and becoming moreacidic and the sea level is rising. Constant pollutionfrom sources on land and at sea is a problem not only

for marine ecosystems but also for the food we harvestfrom the sea. Some sh stocks in the oceans are so

heavily overshed that in certain regions of theworld the shing industry has lost its economic

basis. A loss of biodiversity has also been ob-served, particularly in coastal and marginal

seas.

These changes are a cause of concern andpresent us with challenges for which thereare no easy solutions. But although Ger-man marine research, which is so steeped

in tradition, has advanced our knowl-edge about the oceans, when it comes tounderstanding how the oceans’ sensitive

ecosystems respond to human inuencesboth individually and in their complex inter-

actions, there are still unresolved questions.Often reactions in the oceans occur surprisingly

quickly or after a considerable time lag.

The world’s oceans

The world’s oceans cover 71 per cent of Earth’ssurface and contain 97 per cent of the world’swater. They form the Earth’s largest continu-ous ecosystems and provide 99 per cent of theplanet’s living space. The world’s oceans arethe basis of all life on Earth. It was here thatthe history of evolution began 3.5 billion yearsago. Oceans are indispensable sources of food,energy and raw materials.

PacicOcean

AtlanticOcean

Indian Ocean

Arctic Ocean

Antarctic Ocean

PacicOcean




Good Status as dened in the European Water Framework Directive (WFD)Good Ecological Status

Good Ecological Status means that the composition and abundance of species of fauna and ora in thewater differs only slightly from the natural state that is undisturbed by human activity. It is the secondhighest classication for bodies of water that are still in relatively pristine condition, i.e. have notbeen signicantly altered.

In assessing the condition of a body of water and answering the question whether Good EcologicalStatus has been achieved, a number of different biological elements are investigated, backed up byhydromorphological and chemico-physical elements. On the basis of these elements the water body’sstatus is assigned to one of a series of classications.

Good Chemical StatusA body of water is deemed to have Good Chemical Status if the concentrations of pollutants do notexceed the environmental quality standards currently in force and the pollution caused by substancesintroduced by human activity does not cause signicant damage to surface waters.

2.4 What needs to be done to achieve these goals?If the marine environment is to achieve good statusby 2020, we have to act in the interest of all stakehold-ers to balance the diverse needs – to use the resourcesof the marine environment, on the one hand, whileprotecting it on the other – ensuring that they aretreated equitably.

This means that, on the one hand, we, along withother riparian countries, face the challenge to:

Ensure that procurement and supply of raw materi-als, energy and food is carried out in a way thatconserves resources,Create a sustainable basis for more growth and jobsthrough appropriate economic use of the seas, andEnsure competition and openness on the markets.

On the other hand, we must:

Use the oceans sustainably, in a way that respectsnature and the environment, i.e. in harmony with

their natural productivity and the level of pressuretheir ecosystems can cope with,

Reduce as far as possible the input of hazardousand radioactive substances, nutrients and wastes,Maintain or improve the state of the oceans toensure the high quality the marine environmenteverywhere,Protect and maintain the biodiversity of speciesand habitats, the interactions between them andthe genetic diversity in the marine environment,andExpand our scientic knowledge about the oceansand their ecosystems to better enable us to assessthe consequences of our actions and nd ways ofusing the seas that do not harm the environment.

With regard to industrial and environmental associa-tions, we will:

Support the factual, cross-party educational workof environmental organisations without regard topolitical constellations and independently of acutedisasters, with a view to promoting interest in and

awareness of marine protection issues and callingupon policymakers, the government, industry andthe general public to take ongoing concrete action,




International legislationThe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 regulates the different usesof the seas and areas of responsibility on matters of marine protection, thus setting the framework forall legislation relating to the oceans. Global regulations on shipping come under the jurisdiction of theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO), global sheries agreements are part of the remit of the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO). Questions of whaling and protection of whales are negotiated an-nually by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). A moratorium on whaling has been in force since1986. Other agreements that Germany is party to, such as the globally applicable London Convention onthe Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter and the Global Programme ofAction to Protect the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (United Nations Environment Pro-gramme/Global Programme of Action (UNEP GPA)), reinforce our commitment to protect marine natureand the marine environment at international level.

In Europe, the United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea is regionally implemented by agree-ments that include the Helsinki Convention on theProtection of the Marine Environment of the BalticSea area, the OSPAR Convention for the Protec-tion of the Marine Environment of the North-EastAtlantic, the Barcelona Convention for the Protec-tion of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution,the Bucharest Convention on the Protection of theBlack Sea Against Pollution, the Bonn Agreementfor Cooperation in Dealing with Pollution of the

North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances, aswell as a number of regional sheries agreementsand the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation.

Whales and dolphins have additional protection in Europe under an agreement to protect small ceta-ceans in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) and in the Baltic Seaand North Sea (ASCOBANS).

Pilot whales

2.5.2 European

European marine strategy and the Marine StrategyFramework Directive (MSFD)

In October 2005, as part of its implementation of the6th Environmental Action Programme, the EuropeanCommission put forward a thematic strategy on theprotection and conservation of the marine environ-ment, along with a proposal for a directive estab-lishing a framework for Community action in theeld of marine environmental policy. This Directive,

known as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive(MSFD), entered into force on 15 July 2008 and has

to be transposed into national law within two years.The Directive is intended to both protect and restoreEurope’s seas and enable maritime assets and servicesto be used sustainably. The development of this cross-sectoral policy with an ecosystem-based protectionconcept is intended to outline practical guidelines onhow to achieve Good Environmental Status in the ma-rine environment in Europe’s seas ( Baltic Sea, North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Sea) by 2020.

As management units for implementing the direc-tive, European Marine Regions such as the North-East

Atlantic (including the North Sea) and the Baltic Seawere proposed. The Member States are required to de




velop coordinated national marine strategies for thewaters up to the limit of their EEZ through a process ofactive collaboration and consultation with the otherMember States in these regions and third countries in

order to achieve the environmental targets and theoverall goal of good marine status through appropri-ate programmes of measures. In terms of content, theEuropean marine strategy and the MSFD have beenharmonised with the objectives of the European Wa-ter Framework Directive (WFD), the scope of whichdoes not, however, extend beyond coastal waters. TheMSFD requires an assessment of environmental statusat the outset, a description of Good EnvironmentalStatus and a denition of environmental targets by2012, development and implementation of moni-toring programmes by 2014, the establishment ofprogrammes of measures for achieving/maintainingGood Environmental Status by 2015 and their imple-mentation in practice from 2016 at the latest.

This engagement with marine issues for the rst timeat European level offers the opportunity to take anintegrative and regionally comprehensive view.

One of the key factors on which the future implemen-tation of the MSFD depends is that the integrativeapproach - which has been recognised as essential - is

actually consistently applied in practice. This includestaking into account policy areas that have a major

inuence on marine ecosystems, such as agriculturaland sheries policies. In both these areas decisivepolicymaking takes place at EU level, and to date con-cerns relating to protecting the marine environment

have not been adequately integrated.

Future European maritime policy

At the beginning of June 2006, the European Com-mission published its Green Paper: “Towards a futureMaritime Policy for the Union: a European vision forthe Oceans and Seas.” The Green Paper aims to boostemployment and competitiveness with the help of acomprehensive concept to make full use of the poten-tial for sustainable use of the seas without damagingmarine ecosystems. It seeks to consolidate Europe’spioneering role in maritime policy and take a holisticcross-sectoral view of policy areas that were previous-ly dealt with in isolation, such as shipping, offshorewind power, marine protection and developmentof coastal areas. As a result of its Europe-wide con-sultation process on the Green Paper, the EuropeanCommission published on 10 October 2007 a BluePaper entitled “An Integrated Maritime Policy for theEuropean Union” along with an Action Plan contain-ing a series of detailed proposals aimed to make fulluse of the potential for sea-based economic activity

that is ecologically sustainable.




In its conclusions of 14 December 2007, the EuropeanCouncil welcomed the Blue Paper and the ActionPlan, in which the rst concrete steps towards devel-oping an integrated concept for maritime affairs areoutlined, as well the MSFD that was agreed in Decem-ber as the environmental pillar of the EU’s integratedmaritime policy.

2.5.3 Regional

The integrative policy approach also plays an increas-ingly signicant role in regional collaboration on

marine protection. The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP),adopted by HELCOM in November 2007, is a cata-logue of measures, setting out concrete parametersfor the signatory states in the areas of eutrophication,biodiversity, hazardous substances and maritimeactivities. The MSFD stipulates that the BSAP shouldform the basis for the regional Action Plan for theBaltic Sea region.

As a way into a comprehensive ecosystem approach,OSPAR is trialling a system of ecological quality tar-gets for the North Sea. These targets are concerned

with key elements relating to marine fauna, ora andhabitats. On the basis of an updated Quality StatusReport (QSR 2010) and evaluations of what has beenachieved to date that are currently being undertaken,OSPAR will, not least in order to comply with theMSFD, carry out a comprehensive review and reorien-tation of its marine protection policy in 2010.

Protection from the consequences of accidents atsea is also of central importance for Germany.Sub-regional “neighbourly agreements” such asSWEDENGER, DENGERNETH and the German-PolishAgreement on Cooperation in the Pomeranian Bay,which is based on the Bonn Agreement for Coopera-tion in Dealing with Pollution of the North Sea by Oiland Other Harmful Substances, as well as the HelsinkiConvention must be further developed on the basis ofcommon protection strategies and, above all, practicedrills must be carried out at regular intervals.

2.5.4 National

The federal government will use the strategy under

discussion here as the basis of its national programmeof measures, which will be developed over the next

few years in line with the requirements set out in theMSFD.

Germany’s federal and state governments are work-ing together to maintain a healthy marine environ-ment. The states are responsible for their particularsection of Germany’s territorial waters, whereas thefederal government is responsible for the EEZ.

This federal structure has to be taken into accountwhen it comes to concrete implementation. Thesometimes differing interests and areas of responsi-

bility of the states have to be reconciled with thoseof the federal government. Overall, it is importantto continue to improve collaboration between thefederal and state governments on matters relatingto using and protecting the seas including marinenature conservation.

As well as state authorities, the public, manufactur-ers and consumers, industry and trade unions, thescientic community and industrial and environmen-tal associations are important actors in sustainabledevelopment.

The aim of the endeavours of all concerned must beto achieve a common understanding of the need for ahealthy marine environment, an understanding thataccepts the different responsibilities for protectingour seas, optimises ways of proceeding and leads totangible measures to facilitate sustainable use andprotection of the seas.

The National Marine Strategy is structured in a waythat reects the need to protect and the need to usethe seas, although existing problems are being mademore acute due to the effects of climate change.Marine research helps us to better understand theinterconnections and thus master the challenges ofthe future.



16 t Climate change and its consequences for oceans and coasts

3. Climate change and its consequences for oceans and coasts

3.1 The current situation

Within the International Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), a body consisting of over 1000 internationallyrenowned scientists, there is a consensus of opinionthat global climate change has begun and that hu-man activity is one of the factors that have caused it.This is illustrated by the fact that the average globalair temperature has been rising since the beginning

of the twentieth century at the latest; in recent dec-ades, the temperature increase has been acceleratingeven.

The rise in temperature is caused by the release ofso-called greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide(CO2) and methane (CH 4), produced by burning fossilfuels, landlling untreated waste and land use.

The warming of the global air temperature causesdiverse physical, chemical and biological changes inthe world’s oceans. Even now the sea level is rising by

three millimetres each year, because as the sea waterwarms up it expands and the rivers that run into thesea carry more water as a result of the melting gla-ciers. But the warming also affects the strength anddirection of ocean currents. For example, the “North-Atlantic Drift”, which warms Europe, has lost a thirdof its strength in recent decades. Other physical

effects include the shift in temperature zones in theocean and the change in atmospheric circulation overthe oceans.

Chemically, the excessive input of carbon dioxide(CO2) into the surface layers of the ocean make the seawater more acidic, which is particularly harmful to or-ganisms that produce calcium carbonate. Particularlyaffected here are the reef-forming corals and micro-scopic algae known as calcium carbonate-producing

Rise in average temperatures up to 2050by comparison with 1990

† more than 3° C† 2–3° C † 1–2° C

Prognosis in degrees Celsius; Source: DIW Berlin

Areas up to 2 m above averagesea level

200 km

Coastal areas bordering the North Sea. Marked in red are areas of land that are less than 2 metres above the current average sea level(not taking into account future coastal protection measures). Source: Brools et al., 2006



t Climate change and its consequences for oceans and coasts 17

phytoplankton that normally transport CO 2 natu-rally to the deep sea. We must now assume that theacidication of the sea water has seriously disturbedthe natural CO 2 cycle and that carbon dioxide is nowaccumulating in the atmosphere to an even greaterextent. It is also likely that an overly acidic milieuimpairs the physiological functions of bacteria, phyto-plankton and other organisms at the lowest level ofthe food chain – with detrimental consequences forentire ecosystems.

However, the biology of the oceans is also inuenced

by the rise in water temperatures. Particularly athigher latitudes the distribution of marine organismsis changing due to the rise in water temperatures.Warm water species are expanding their distributionarea polewards and displacing cold water speciesfrom their traditional habitats. In coastal waters, butalso in marine areas that are a long way from thecoast, dangerous blooms of algae are occurring moreoften. In layers of water near the bottom of nutrient-rich areas of the ocean oxygen deciency may occurmore often, causing permanent harm to life on theseabed and impeding colonization by plankton,

benthos and sh.

3.2 Assessment

Combating global climate change and adapting to itseffects are amongst the major challenges of the 21stcentury.

Politicians and industry agree that a precautionaryclimate protection policy must be a central elementof environmental policy and an integral componentof economic and energy policies.

Unless appropriate measures to prevent furtherwarming are taken we must expect the North Sea andthe Baltic Sea region to suffer the long-term effects ofclimate change that include increasing storm dam-age, increased coastal erosion, ooding of coastalareas and increased salinity of estuaries and ground-water in coastal areas.

Communities of species are also centrally affected.For example, effects on ecosystem cycles, distribution

areas, reproduction rates of species and changes inthe invasion potential of non-native species are to be

expected. Established food chains between the differ-ent species will also be affected.

Germany plays a pioneering role in climate protec-tion internationally and has already almost achievedits commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to cut itsgreenhouse gas emissions in the period 2008 to 2012by 21 per cent as compared with the 1990 level, hav-ing achieved a 20-percent reduction in 2007. No otherWestern country can boast such a successful record.

The climate agreement concluded in November 2000between the federal government and numerousindustry associations made a decisive contributionto Germany achieving its climate goals. Despite theeconomic growth that had occurred in the interven-ing years, Germany was able to achieve an absolutereduction in emissions of over 130 million tonnes ofCO2 by comparison with 1990.

Germany’s share in global CO 2 emissions is 3 %, theEU’s share just under 15 %. Over two-thirds of theincrease in global emissions since 1990 is accountedfor by China, the USA and India. This clearly showshow essential it is that the USA above all and otherindustrial countries, along with the major economiesin transition such as China and India, make appropri-ate climate protection commitments for the periodup to 2020. The EU and the German government aretherefore pursuing the goal of incorporating all themajor emitter countries into a comprehensive and ef-fective climate protection agreement that will replacethe Kyoto Protocol that expires at the end of 2012. TheGerman government is seeking to achieve agreement

on an international successor agreement to the KyotoProtocol by 2009.




3.3 Goals

To tackle the roots of climate change and minimizeits negative effects as far as possible, the national andinternational climate protection policy aims to limitthe rise in the global concentration of greenhousegases in the atmosphere in the medium to long termto such an extent that a rise in the global near-surfacetemperature will be limited to a maximum of 2° C bycomparison with its pre-industrial level. This is theonly way to ensure that adaptation to the effects ofclimate change will be at all possible and affordable.

To achieve this goal, global CO2 emissions will have tobe halved by 2050, taking 1990 as the baseline.

Meeting under the German presidency in spring2007, the European Council of Heads of State andGovernment set the course for an integrated Euro-pean climate and energy policy. This includes ambi-tious climate protection as well as targets for theexpansion of renewable energies and increases inenergy efciency.

Germany is also working to counter the negative ef-

fects of climate change on the biodiversity of marineand coastal habitats and supports the EU target ofhalting the decline in species and degradation ofhabitats by 2010.

German research policy is pursuing the goal ofimproving the accuracy of predictions about naturalprocesses and changes in the coastal zone to make itpossible to respond to the effects of climate changewith environmentally sound measures that are welldirected and effective.

3.4 What needs to be doneto achieve these goals?

The federal government’s National Climate Protec-tion Programme of 2005 is a comprehensive and

coordinated package of climate protection measures.They are tailored to the Kyoto Protocol target of cut-ting greenhouse gas emissions in the period from2008 to 2012 to 21 per cent below the 1990 level.

In December 2007, the federal government adoptedan integrated energy and climate programme. It im-plements European policy decisions at national levelthrough a programme of concrete measures made upof 29 elements.

By the end of 2008, the federal government will de-

velop a German climate change adaptation strategy.For the oceans and coastal areas, it is essential thatthe physical, chemical and biological changes causedby climate change are taken into account, particu-larly in terms of coastal protection (dyke building,

for example) and marinebiodiversity.

With regard to the coastaland marine area, we mustalso take action that in-cludes:

Working internation-ally towards ensuring thatthe mining of methanehydrates from the oceanis done only using boringmethods that preclude thepossibility of large quanti-ties of the greenhouse gasmethane being releasedor landslides being caused

by destabilisation of thehydrates.




Effects of climate change on the ecosystems of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

The effects of climate change (rise in sealevel, rising temperatures and decreasingsalinity of the surface water, changes in thefreshwater inow both in terms of time andgeographically, increasing acidication andchanges in conditions in the oceans) are inu-encing the ecosystems of the North Sea andthe Baltic Sea, above all their spatial spread,internal structure and functioning. A decisiveeffect of climate change is the change in thesensitivity of ecosystems to pressures suchas eutrophication and pollutant inputs and thesusceptibility of species of fauna and ora todisease.

The higher sea level in the North Sea regionhas changed its tidal ats. The rising waterrinses ne sediment components out of themud, making the tidal ats more sandy andincreasing erosion. On the open cliff coasts ofthe Baltic Sea, land loss is on the increase. Inthe future, changes to important tidal ats in the North Sea region and the bodden landscapes in the

Baltic Sea region are to be expected.As a result of climate change, the populations and abundance of species of fauna and ora in theNorth Sea and the Baltic Sea have already changed. Since the end of the 1980s, for example, the dis-tribution of planktonic algae, planktonic crustaceans and sh has shifted signicantly. Warm-waterspecies from the subtropical Atlantic have migrated to the North Sea and become rmly established.Cold-water species are beginning to retreat northwards out of the North Sea. The combination oftemperature effects and other inuences, such as shing, for example, is making a particularly no-ticeable impact, as the population trends of cod illustrate. In this context, the time shifts in theoccurrence of planktonic organisms have turned out to have serious effects, inuencing decisively,for example, the availability of food for the larvae of cod and other sh.

The change in temperature conditions is making the North Sea and the Baltic Sea increasingly

attractive for alien species that are introduced from other regions of the world through humanactivities – primarily as a result of ships discharging ballast water taken on board elsewhere andmariculture. These new species can harm native ecosystems and cause considerable economicdamage. Outstanding examples are the Pacic shipworm now found in the Baltic Sea, which isdestroying wooden harbour and coastal protection structures. In the North Sea, the main problemis the Pacic oyster that has invaded the blue mussel beds.

Blue-green algae in the Baltic



22 u Conserving marine biodiversity

4. Conserving marine biodiversity

Plaice


In ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) and the United Nations Convention on the Lawof the Sea (UNCLOS), the German government hascommitted amongst other things to promoting theprotection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.On 7 November 2007, it adopted the National Strat-egy on Biological Diversity. In this the federal govern-

ment has fullled both the commitments made inthe coalition agreement and the requirements of theCBD.

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development(WSSD) held in Johannesburg in 2002, an agreementto establish a representative network of Marine Pro-tected Areas by 2012 was reached. This goal was reaf-rmed in 2004 at the 7th Meeting of the Conferenceof the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diver-sity (COP7) in Kuala Lumpur – a decision being takento work towards creating a worldwide network ofMarine Protected Areas. The United Nations decidedto set up an ad-hoc working group on conservation ofmarine biodiversity.

Furthermore, the Convention on International Tradein Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

(CITES) is also paying increasing attention to marinespecies and supporting marine resources by monitor-ing trade in endangered species.

At the regional level Germany is working for theconservation of biodiversity within the Conven-tions on the Protection of the Marine Environmentof the Baltic Sea Area and the North-East Atlantic.The establishment of a system of Coastal and Marine

Protected Areas throughout the entire Baltic Sea area(Baltic Sea Protected Areas - BSPAs) is receiving activesupport. An effectively managed, coherent network

of protected areas in these seas isscheduled to be set up by 2010. Here,too, the principle of integrating na-ture conservation and environmentalaspects into other policy areas usingan ecosystem approach and the pre-cautionary principle is to be applied.

Marine nature conservation in

Germany has been signicantly im-proved in recent years by the estab-lishment of a continuous ecologicalnetwork Natura 2000. The Europeannetwork of protected areas Natura2000 is an EU-wide network designedto conserve endangered habitats andspecies in the EU; it includes areas onland, as well as marine habitats andspecies. It consists of the Special Pro-tection Areas designated under the

European Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds(Birds Directive) and the Special Areas of Conservationset up under the European Directive on the Conserva-tion of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora(Habitats Directive).

Worthy of particular note is the fact that Germanyhas designated eight Special Areas of Conservation(Habitats Directive) and two Special Protection Areas(Birds Directive) in its EEZ in the North Sea and theBaltic Sea. 31 per cent of the German EEZ is now partof Natura 2000’s system of protected sites. In this, Ger-

many has also made an important contribution to set-ting up a global network of Marine Protected Areas.



u Conserving marine biodiversity 23

North Sea seals

4.2 Assessment

The diversity of marine and coastal habitats, ora andfauna in and along Germany’s seas continues to beunder threat. The area of relatively pristine, undis-turbed marine habitats is steadily decreasing in size.Despite numerous international, regional, Europeanand national agreements and some interim successesin marine nature conservation, a number of commer-cially used or particularly sensitive marine speciesare suffering a signicant drop in populations. This isalso true of the genetic diversity within species in shpopulations and marine mammals.

The endangered types of biotope and species of faunaand ora in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea havebeen recorded on Red Lists and published. The rea-sons they are endangered are many and various andresult from the increasingly intensive use of the seasand their coasts. Currently, there is only one no-usezone in German marine waters with an area of 12,500hectares. The ecological quality of marine biotopeshas deteriorated in recent decades, primarily due toport activities and industrial developments especially

in estuarine areas.

Marine biodiversity is threatened by inputs of con-

taminants and nutrients and by the effects of climatechange. Fisheries and growing sectors of the economysuch as tourism, marine mining, wind power, ship-ping trafc and military activities should be carriedout in such a way that serious endangerment of themarine environment is ruled out as far as possible.The introduction of invasive, non-native species canalso present serious dangers.

4.3 Goals

Conservation of biodiversity is a high priority for thefederal government:

The typical character of marine habitats with theircharacteristic species should be preserved or, ifnecessary, developed with a view to achieving atleast a “good status of the marine environment” by2015 as dened in the WFD or by 2020 as requiredunder the MSFD.A network of well managed Coastal and MarineProtected Areas, in international as well as nationalwaters, that include core zones of natural develop-

ment of an adequate size should be set up. Theirintegration into international networks should becompleted by 2012.




CITES should be further developed with regardto the protection of marine species, taking intoaccount the procedure agreed between CITES andthe FAO in the Memorandum of Understanding.

The federal government aims to preserve, develop,and - where necessary – restore the marine environ-ment, in order to permanently safeguard:

Marine wildlife, its habitats and interactions andgenetic resources,The regeneration and sustainable use of naturalmarine assets,The diversity, uniqueness, and beauty of marine

nature and landscapes.

In the conservation and sustainable use of bio-diversity in mind, the federal government also callsfor greater integration of matters of environmentalprotection and nature conservation into other policyareas, looking for approaches that pay more attentionto the environment and nature. This includes:

Agriculture reducing its input of fertilizers andpesticides into the sea,Fisheries as part of the EU’s Common FisheriesPolicy,Shipping trafc,

Tourism and sport, andIndustry and private consumption becoming moreclimate-conscious.

It is particularly important that:

The ecosystem approach (as required under CBD,HELCOM and OSPAR) be further developed andapplied, observing precautionary principle and thepolluter-pays-principle.Any further loss of biodiversity, i.e. of species andtheir habitats, be halted by 2010,

Fisheries be geared to sustainability and respect forecosystems, i.e. stocks should be managed in sucha way that the danger to sh and shellsh popu-lations is minimized and maximum sustainableyields are guaranteed in the long term. Damageto habitats and other species must be signicantlyreduced by avoiding by-catch and using more envi-ronmentally sound shing practices.The regeneration of overexploited natural re-sources be safeguarded,Near natural coastal and marine areas be con-served or restored where necessary by usingmeasures to protect species and biotopes and bydesignating and carefully managing a network ofprotected areas,A representative network of Marine ProtectedAreas on the high seas be designated, taking intoaccount international law, in particular UNCLOS,andThe introduction of non-native species be avoidedand the release and commercial use of transgenicorganisms be practised only if no threat to marineand coastal ecosystems is posed, special attention

being paid to the specic conditions of these eco-systems.



u Conserving marine biodiversity 25

Implementation using the example of Marine Protected AreasMarine Protected Areas are places of refuge for endangered species, either temporarily during certainlife phases or permanently. Endangered species can breed in these areas, thus establishing stablepopulations again. In Marine Protected Areas, endangered and rare habitats also enjoy protection.

At present, Natura 2000, a European network of protected areas, is beingestablished on the basis of the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive. Germanyis currently playing a pioneering role in Europe in designating Marine ProtectedAreas. At the moment, about 40 per cent of the German North Sea and theBaltic Sea is protected by being designated as National Parks and/or Natura2000 Marine Protected Areas, or has been earmarked for protection.

The German states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Hamburg have designated their areasof the Wadden Sea and adjacent offshore areas as National Parks; the state of Mecklenburg-WesternPomerania has created two National Parks: the “Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft” and “JasmunderKreideküste”. There are also a number of smaller nature reserves in coastal areas.

Under the National Park category ofprotected area, internationally far-reaching criteria have been stipulatedfor these unique natural landscapeareas on the German North Sea and theBaltic Sea coast. They make protec-tion of the biodiversity of the speciesof fauna and ora that live there, theirhabitats and their natural developmentprocesses mandatory. The areas of theWadden Sea belonging to Hamburg,Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holsteinincluding the halligs are recognised asa UNESCO biosphere reserve. Apartfrom protecting natural resources, themain priority is to promote sustainablemanagement methods. The areas ofthe Wadden Sea belonging to Hamburg,Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holsteinare also part of the trilateral WaddenSea cooperation area with Denmarkand the Netherlands.

NATURA 2000 areas in the Wadden Sea

Special Area of ConservationSize of

the area(ha)

State

Schleswig-Holstein Wadden SeaNational Park and adjacent coastalareas

452,455 Schleswig-Holstein

Hamburg Wadden SeaNational Park 13,750 Hamburg

Lower Saxony Wadden SeaNational Park 276,956 Lower Saxony

North Friesian islands 6,586 Schleswig-Holstein

Coastal areas in Schleswig-Holstein and estuaries(Elbe, Unterweser, and Ems rivers)

58,075Schleswig-Holstein,Lower Saxony

Total 807,822




4.4 What needs to be done

to achieve these goals?Designation and environmentally sound admin-istration and management of the system of pro-tected areas already notied for North Sea and theBaltic Sea from the coast to the high seas as part ofNatura 2000 and the OSPAR and Helsinki Conven-tions. In these areas other uses are permitted onlyif they are in keeping with the protection goalsspecic to each area,Development and implementation of an Inte-grated Coastal Zone Management system (as an

informal approach) as part of the national ICZMstrategy and of a Marine Spatial Planning systemfor the entire North Sea and the Baltic Sea areas,Further development of the trilateral intergovern-mental cooperation between Germany, Denmark andthe Netherlands on the protection of the Wadden Seaecosystem,Further research on marine organisms in theirhabitats,Further development of benchmarks for evaluat-ing interventions,Efforts to step up public relations work to raise

awareness and provide information for users, poli-ticians and government agencies,

Species conservation programmes and re-establishment projects for species such as lobster,sturgeon and grey seals,International clarication or creation of a legalfoundation for establishing Marine Protected Areason the high seas, taking international law, espe-cially UNCLOS, into account, andSupport for an UNCLOS Implementation Agree-ment on the protection and sustainable use ofbiodiversity on the high seas.

How is biodiversity dened under theConvention on Biological Diversity?

Biodiversity encompasses diversity of habitatsand species and genetic diversity. It repre-sents a vital resource for humankind and is thenatural capital that future generations need todevelop. Halting the loss of marine biodiversitythat can currently be observed on a globalscale is a great necessity for environmentalpolicy, but it is also a challenge.

Economic reasons for conserving biodiversity

Sustainable use and protection of biodiversity are mutually dependent. Intact ecosystems with naturalbiodiversity are better able to cope with disturbances than unstable ecosystems, the natural biodiver-sity of which has been lowered. The broader the range of species in an area, the greater the probabil-ity that it includes organisms that are able to adapt to new conditions – caused by climate change orlocal activities, for example.

Many people’s jobs and livelihoods depend directly or indirectly on nature and the countryside. Forexample, the long-term economic power of theshing industry is stronger the more diverse andhealthy the sh populations are. And tourist ap-peal is greater the more intact the countryside is.It is essential that we preserve the genetic diver-sity of all species and the diversity of habitats –even if their functions and benet for humankindare often not yet evident in detail to us today – toensure that future generations have the opportu-nity to develop.



28 i Uses of the sea and their impact

5. Uses of the seas and their impact

In coastal and marine regions there is a concentrationof competing demands connected with protectingand using resources. Fishing, shipping, marine min-ing, and the creation of offshore wind farms competewith the need to protect marine ecosystems. Al-though it has been continually evolving, a sustainablemanagement policy for coastal and marine regionsin the Baltic Sea and North Sea that integrates all theeconomic, social and ecological concerns has not yet

been achieved across the board.

The conicting aims of the individual needs anddemands can be reconciled in future if a holistic ap-proach is taken to evaluating and considering theimpacts of all human activities in coastal and marineareas. The top priority must be to use the sea’s limitedresources sparingly and efciently.

Especially in coastal waters it makes sense to ensurethat planning is consistent and that all legitimateclaims and interests are considered, including inwaters beyond national territory, taking into accountthe results of environmental monitoring and usingthe legal instruments of spatial planning and permit-ting procedures grounded in an international legalframework that must continue to be developed.

5.1 FishingThe current situation

In the German coastal states, shing is a traditionalpart of the economy, society and culture and is alsoimportant for tourism. Although only 4000 peopleare employed in Germany’s sea shing industry – arelatively low gure – another 45,000 work in the



i Uses of the sea and their impact 29

sh industry (the shing industry itself, as well asthe wholesale, retail and catering sectors), mostly incoastal, structurally weak regions. In the long-term,these jobs can only be safeguarded through sustain-able and ecosystem-based sheries management.

The domestic sea-shing industry contributes justunder 20 per cent of the 1.2 million tonnes of shproducts that are consumed each year in Germany.Over 80 per cent are imported.

The federal government is exerting all its politicalinuence within the European Union to push forsustainability and environmentally sound shing andprotection of marine ecosystems to be at the centre ofdecisions taken under the Common Fisheries Policyand other international sheries policies.

Back in 2002, with the reform of the Common Fisher-ies Policy, sustainable management became the over-riding goal of the EU’s policies and action on sheries.

One of the outcomes of the reform was that more ef-fective instruments were introduced to make shingmore environmentally sound, as well as biologicallyand economically sustainable. An important elementof this are management and recovery plans.

Recovery plans are used for sh stocks that have de-

clined drastically and thus need to be carefully builtup again. Management plans are used for stocks that

are overall in a better state, where the aim is to main-tain them at a biologically safe level. As these naturalsystems are in a permanent process of change andsince science and technology are constantly advanc-ing, shery policy measures will need to be continu-ally improved and adapted accordingly.

The German government considers combatingillegal, unregulated and unreported shing (IUUshing), to be extremely important. Illegal catchescounteract the EU’s goal of maintaining or achievingstable sh stocks. Legitimate shing operators will ac-cept the restrictions imposed on them to protect shstocks if attempts to curb illegal shing are successful.Important steps in this direction were undertakenduring the German presidency of the EU Council in2007. During an intensive exploration of the issuesinvolved in combating IUU shing, Fisheries Minis-ters were in agreement that efforts in this directionneeded to be stepped up. The European Council(agriculture/sheries) achieved political consensus onthis in June 2008.

In ensuring that stocks are sustainably managed, thefederal government attaches central importance toreducing the by-catch and discard rate for juvenilesh of both the target and non-target species. TheCommission has proposed a fundamentally newapproach in this area and initiated a consultation

process. The federal government has developed pilotprojects in conjunction with the German shing




industry, the results of which will no doubt acceleratethe decision-making process.

Overshing cannot be dealt with by constantly impos-ing new catch restrictions. It is essential to support de-

mand for products from sustainable shing. Measuresto provide consumers with better information canmake an appropriate contribution here. Eco-certica-tion of shing operations and sh products is a usefulinstrument. In this way, the shing industry, retailersand consumers will be able to boost demand for theproduce of sustainable sheries. Existing certicationschemes should be used here.

One element of sustainable sheries managementcan also be designating areas to which shing opera-tions have no or only limited access, so-called “no-take zones.” Setting up protection zones for sheriesof this kind is useful to achieve management goalssuch as conservation, reestablishment of overshedstocks, or protection of important habitats (such asspawning grounds) and stages of life (juvenile sh,for example). As a sheries management instru-ment, the designation of Marine Protected Areason the grounds of nature conservation can also beconsidered. These areas are used to protect sensi-tive ecosystems such as reefs and sand banks and toprotect species from the destructive impact of shing.

At the same time, these protected areas can also helpto protect stocks of commercially exploited species

of sh, and the export of sh eggs and larvae, alongwith migration effects, makes a contribution to therecovery of the overshed stocks.

Assessment

For some time now, the global catch in the shingindustry have been stagnating at around 90 milliontonnes per year due to the poor stock levels of somecommercially exploited species of sh. An increaseis barely possible. Fishing also often takes place inregions in which sheries management is not geared

to sustainability in a comparable way to the Europeanregulations.

In EU waters, stocks of a number of important shsuch as cod, plaice and sole in the North Sea, and codin the Baltic Sea as well as stocks of European eels arecurrently very low. In addition to heavy shing, thechanges in abiotic and biological conditions are alsoresponsible for declining stocks of some species, butin a way that is difcult to quantify. Particularly wor-thy of mention here is the continuing warming of theworld’s oceans as a result of climate change and also

the uctuating salinity and oxygen levels in the BalticSea, which, amongst other things, plays a decisive rolein the breeding success of cod.

High shing pressure is also having a worldwide ef-fect on habitats and a large number of species that arenot actually the target species of a particular shingoperation. For example, the impact of deep-sea sh-ing using bottom trawl nets means that sensitive eco-systems such as seamounts or reefs of cold water coralare endangered. Fishing that uses non-selective anddestructive practices is also one of the factors causingthe decline or extinction of certain species of marinemammals, sh and turtles on a global scale.

A particular problem in the shing industry contin-ues to be overcapacity in parts of the EU eet, but alsoglobally. Outside the EU, surveillance of shing activi-ties is inadequate and there are also decits in thisarea within the EU. Often it is not only the frequencyof monitoring that is inadequate; there is also a lack ofpolitical will to impose the necessary level of penaltiesfor infringement of regulations. Here – in cases where

EU Member States are at fault - the EU Commission iscalled upon to take the necessary measures.




Selective shing for tunausing bamboo poles

Goals

The federal government has a deep-felt commitmentto the target of the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment (WSSD) 2002 in Johannesburg of main-taining or returning sh stocks to a level that allowsthe maximum sustainable yield by 2015 at the latest.The renement and implementation of the conceptof maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is therefore oneof shery policy’s highest priorities. Particular impor-tance is attached in this context to rening existingmanagement and recovery plans for demersal stocks

and developing new ones.

The federal government vigorously supports the Euro-pean Commission’s goal of achieving a pioneeringrole for the EU in the global battle against IUU shing.For that reason it advocates the Community’s newstrategy for preventing and combating IUU shingand is working towards its prompt implementation.In particular, the federal government welcomes theidea of tackling the problem of IUU shing from themarket side as well. The aim is to prevent any kindof access to European waters, ports and the internalmarket for IUU shing and its products. In parallelwith that the federal government also backs the FAO’sAction Plan on IUU shing and all the measures be-ing taken by regional shing organisations that aimto achieve global cooperation between countries in

preventing the products of IUU catches from reachingthe market.

Furthermore, the federal government is pursuingthe goal of increasing the market share of sheriesproduce with eco-labels. To prevent abuse and distor-tion of competition, the federal government expresslyadvocates the adoption of EU legislation on minimumcriteria for eco-labelling for sheries products.

What needs to be done to achieve these goals?

To achieve a sustainable shing industry based onlong-term respect for the environment and nature:

In the short term, by-catches and discard rates fortarget and non-target species must be signicantlyreduced by developing and introducing selectiveshing practices. In the medium- and long-term,they should be completely avoided, wherever pos-sible, by a change in the system,Valuable habitat structures and biocoenoses on theseabed must be better protected from the effects ofbottom-trawling,Use of the ecosystem approach in sheries man-agement must be advanced,The precautionary principle be consistently

applied,When shing agreements are concluded betweenthe European Community and third countriesgreater attention must be paid to the principles ofsustainable use of sheries resources in the watersof these partner countries,An EU-wide reduction in shing effort is needed toachieve a better t between shing pressure andthe sh stock situation,Effective surveillance of shing is needed in allMember States, combined with penalties that act asa deterrent,Research into the effects of climate change onmarine ecosystems and sheries must be steppedup, taking socio-economic aspects into account.Research into the effect of shing on marine eco-systems is also needed,Individual programmes within structural policiesfor sheries and sheries research must be de-signed to take sustainability goals into account in aspecial way, andThe introduction of an eco-label for sheries andsh products should be advanced. The labelling

system gives consumers the certainty that the shproduce they have bought has been caught and




processed in line with sustainable and ecosystem-based practices.

MSC is an independent non-prot organizationthat was founded in 1997 to provide a solutionto the global problem of overshing. To this end,the MSC worked with scientists, sheries expertsand environmental protection organisations todevelop an environmental standard for assessingand certifying sheries. For further information,please visit www.msc.org.

5.2 Shipping and ports

The current situation

Shipping is one of the main users of the sea. Interna-tional transport of goods depends on it. About 95 percent of intercontinental ex change of goods is handledby international shipping. Over 70 per cent of theworld’s population lives near the sea and dependsdirectly or indirectly on the maritime industry.

The maritime industry is not just connected withthe coast. Its economic impact extends far beyondcoastal regions, generating economic growth, creat-ing jobs and adding value in many industries andregions throughout Germany. The maritime industryis a dynamic growth sector and is of key importancein Germany’s ability to compete as a location fortechnology, manufacturing and logistics. Germanshipbuilding and its supply industr y rank among theworld market leaders and marine technology busi-nesses that are wholly based in Germany offer rst-

class inte rnational products and services, as do thecountry’s maritime science research institutes.

Over 300,000 people are currently employed in themaritime industry in Germany with a total net outputof about 15 billion euros. Current forecasts expect thegrowth trend to continue until at least 2025.

But sea transport and smoothly functioning sea portsalso play a major role for the importing industry; the

German iron and steel production industry, for exam-ple, is highly dependent on them.

German sea ports are also extremely important forthe regional and national economy, as interfacesbetween land-based and sea tra nsport, as logisticsservice centres and as industrial locations. One of thecentral areas of focus of German port policy is well-




directed and coordinated expansion of access routesto the country’s ports, along with work to link them to

Germany’s major economic centres

Shipping also plays an important role in tourism andrecreation. From the largest luxury cruise ship downto the smallest sailing dinghy, boats and ships makean important contribution to the quality of life ofmany people seeking relaxation and recreation, aswell as contributing to the economy of our ports andcoasts.

Even now marine shipping plays only a relativelyminor part in the pollution of our seas. However,accidents, which are actually quite rare but attract agreat deal of media attention, mean that the publicperceives it as being one of the main culprits. In fact,the majority of contaminants are discharged intothe sea by agriculture, industry or local authorities(approximately 80-90 per cent). However, the air andwater pollution caused by ships using heavy oil is pos-ing an increasing threat to the environment.

To further reduce the level of environmental pol-lution caused by accidents or normal shipping

operations, the safety of the ships themselves and ofshipping trafc is of great importance. Particularly

in recent years, signicant improvements have beenmade in safety and environmental protection in the

sea transport sector – both nationally and interna-tionally. Numerous agreements and regulationshave been adopted on safety and environmentalprotection, internationally through the InternationalMaritime Organization (IMO) and at regional levelwithin HELCOM, OSPAR and the EU. They are beingconstantly developed.

For example, a historic success was achieved in theIMO in April 2008 – not least as a result of Germany’spro-active involvement: its more than 100 MemberStates reached an agreement that from 2020, sea-going vessels will only be allowed to use distillates(low-sulphur fuels). This will come into effect as earlyas 2015 in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

Since the serious oil tanker accidents in Europe, theEU Commission has focused more on improvingregulations on shipping safety and environmentalprotection. For example, after “Erika” ran aground offthe coast of Brittany, two comprehensive packagesof measures were adopted and further measures arescheduled for adoption in the course of 2008. 1)

1) In March 2009 the European Parliament approved a third packageof measures




At a national level, a comprehensive safety plan – theConcept for Shipping Trafc Safety on the GermanCoast – has been developed. It includes regulationsand measures to provide support to shipping and pre-vent accidents as well as plans for handling emergen-cies. The federal government works closely with thecoastal states on this. Agreements with neighbouringcountries on mutual support, information and assist-ance ensure additional safety.The federal government is committed to workingon all political levels to constantly improve environ-mental and safety regulations.

Assessment

The international character of marine shippingmeans that achieving high standards worldwide re-quires internationally uniform, binding regulations.That is the only way to avoid distortion of competi-tion and German or European ships agging out.This places particular importance on coordinationwithin the IMO, which has worldwide responsibilityfor shipping safety, rules of conduct of internationalmaritime trafc and protection of the marine envi-

ronment from harmful effects caused by ships.

With the improvement of numerous existing conven-tions and the adoption of new agreements on pro-tecting the marine environment, the internationalcommunity has proved, particularly in recent years,

that it is able to effectively further worldwide protec-tion of the sea.

Due to the international nature of shipping, it isessential at EU level that Member States coordinatewithin the EU Council their stance on issues dealt withwithin the IMO and thus adopt a concerted position atinternational level. Germany is working towards har-monising the procedures necessary for this in Europeand towards collaborating to achieve improvementswithin the IMO.

All the causes of pollution recognised to date havebeen tackled within these forums and must continueto be dealt with there.

Germany plays a pioneering role in many areas. Atnational level, Germany has achieved a level of safetythat takes a clear leading position in comparisonwith other European countries. The organisation ofmaritime accident prevention and the associatedconcentration of precautionary work within the Cen-tral Command for Maritime Emergencies have beenincorporated into the system of the Maritime Safety

and Security Centre, which began work on 1 January2007. This single approach for all types of accidentmeans that the harmful effects of accidents, particu-larly those that could impact on the environment, canbe recognised in good time and minimized.

Nevertheless, there is still a need for optimisation. Inthe last two years, the focus has been on preventingoil residues occurring on board and preventing harm-ful emissions - especially in coastal waters and ports- caused by using waste oil and heavy oil as fuel. It hasproven difcult to exploit the potential for reduc-ing emissions in the shipping sector by contrast withother modes of transport, partly because of the longservice life of ships’ engines. Since measures to reduceemissions from land-based activities and from othermodes of transport are being implemented with everincreasing rigour, the proportion of emissions ac-counted for by maritime transport has been steadilyincreasing.

The IMO’s decision in April 2008 on a globally bind-ing switch from heavy oil to distillates as marine fuel

was an important step for environmental protectionin marine shipping. This outcome corresponds in




essence to the resolutions adopted in Meseberg inAugust 2007 on Germany’s “Integrated Energy andClimate Programme”.

The growth in the maritime trafc sector means thatan increase in its to date relatively small contribu-tion to greenhouse gas emissions must be expected.International measures to reduce emissions that areneutral in their effect on competition are thereforealso needed in this area.

Measured by transport volume and route, shipping’s

energy consumption is signicantly lower than all

other modes of transport. It is therefore essential totake care when drafting any new measures that theydo not cause a shift in freight transport from shippingto other modes of transport.

Goals

To ensure that shipping remains a particularly cleanmode of transport, the federal government is workingon all political levels towards improving the safety ofmarine shipping trafc and shipping’s environmentalrecord.

To enhance the safety of shipping and shippingtrafc, the federal government is aiming to achievefurther improvements, particularly in the areas of

port state control, marine accident investigations andsurveillance of maritime trafc.


To achieve the desired environmental goals and con-stantly develop them, Germany must continue to beproactive on all political levels.

Germany is collaborating intensively on the adoptionof new agreements, such as a new agreement on shiprecycling, which is scheduled to be adopted in 2009.The agreement should improve conditions in disman-tling yards, both in terms of environmental soundnessand health and safety.

Furthermore, it is crucial that existing agreements bedeveloped and revised at regular intervals. Particu-larly worthy of mention in this connection is the banon discharging waste material and sewage from shipsinto the sea.

The federal government will continue to work to-wards the ratication and transposition into nationallaw in Germany and other countries of agreementsalready adopted to ensure that they are able to enterinto force internationally.

If adopted and ratied agreements are to have the de-sired effect, it is crucial that the necessary conditionsbe created at national level. To that end, responsibil-ity for the individual issues must be assigned to theappropriate authorities and commensurate fundingmade available.

Below are the most important agreements and topics,which are intended to help achieve the above men-tioned goals and which are currently being furtherdeveloped:

Revision of the International Convention for thePrevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL AnnexVI) within the IMO: emissions of pollutants fromships – implementation of regulations on improvedfuel quality,Revision and further development of the otherMARPOL annexes,Development of globally valid targets and practica-ble methods for reducing greenhouse gas emis-sions from shipping,

Tightening up of regulations on handling ship’swaste and sewage (particularly in the Baltic Sea),




Negotiation of an IMO Convention on safe andclean dismantling of sea-going ships in 2008/2009,Further improvement in navigation safety (forexample, the introduction of new trafc separationschemes and review of existing ones, developmentof integrated navigation, alarm management andwatch alarm systems for ships, certication of Gali-leo as a recognised satellite navigation system forshipping),Further improvement to the regulations on safetransport of bunker oil and on questions of liabilityin the event of a shipping accident,

Use of the research port at Rostock with its pilotfacilities SeaGATE (Galileo Test Bed) and ALEGRO(Ground Based Augmentation Systems for GNSS)for high-precision (sub-decimetre range) and reli-able positioning in real time,Development of certied GNSS (GPS, GLONASS,Galileo) and GMES services (wind, waves, sea ice,movements of ships, etc),Further improvement of qualication standardsand working conditions for seafarers,Auditing to ensure better compliance with interna-tional standards by ag states,

Development of practicable solutions for ship-to-shore connections (particularly for energy supply)for ships in port,Better collaboration and harmonisation of surveil-lance and prosecution of infringements of dis-charge bans, andHarmonised solutions for economic incentives toimprove environmental protection in shipping.

5.3 Marine miningThe current situation

Marine mining in the German North Sea and the Bal-tic Sea makes an important contribution to the coun-try’s supply of raw materials from domestic reserves.Its signicance is constantly increasing as a result ofthe need to ensure security of energy supply and as aneconomic factor. Furthermore jobs and apprentice-ships for a broad range of occupations in the miningindustry and its suppliers are maintained or created.

The raw materials that are mined in the North Sea and

the Baltic Sea include stone, sand and gravel as mate-rials for coastal protection or building ports and

roads and also hydrocarbons such as natural gas andpetroleum as sources of energy.

In the German North Sea and Baltic Sea (EEZ andcoastal waters) numerous mining permits have beengranted for the exploration and extraction of hydro-carbons, as well as sand and gravel.

To ensure long-term security of energy supply, ex-ploiting more sources of natural gas and petroleum inthe North Sea and the Baltic Sea will be unavoidable.However, the offshore oil and gas industry is obliged

to use state of the art technology in all the phases of itsoperations (exploration, installation, production andde-installation) and to comply with environmentalprotection stipulations. The knowledge and meth-ods acquired in the process are valuable resourcesin themselves. They are now increasingly being ex-ported and are therefore helping to protect the seain other countries.

Assessment

Marine mining is based on the sustainability princi-

ple. It is developing know-how, production methods




5.4 Use of renewable energies


The federal government has a policy of promoting

the sustainable use of renewable energies. Thisstrengthens Germany in its move away from relianceon fossil sources of energy, which are limited re-sources, while at the same time reducing output ofclimate-damaging carbon dioxide. This representsan important contribution to protecting the climateand the seas and oceans.

We have already surpassed the federal government’starget of increasing renewables’ share of primaryenergy consumption to at least 4.2 per cent by 2010.In 2007, renewable sources of energy accounted fora 6.7 per cent share of primary energy consumptionand 14.2 per cent of gross energy consumption.

Promoting the use of renewable energies is an im-portant part of the National Sustainability Strategyand is based fundamentally on the Renewable EnergySources Act (EEG). The Act makes it mandatory forelectricity grid operators to give priority to renewableenergy sources when purchasing electricity and topay a stipulated price.

Since the Electricity Feed Act was passed in 1990 andthe Renewable Energy Sources Act in 2000, with its

amendment in 2004, land-based wind power hasexpanded rapidly and by as early as 2007 was ableto achieve a 6.4 per cent share in the overall grossenergy consumption in Germany.

In addition to the expansion of land-based wind pow-er, the huge potential at sea is set to be exploited. Thefederal government believes it is feasible to constructoffshore wind farms with a total capacity of 20,000– 25,000 megawatts by 2025/2030. If this happens,15 per cent of Germany’s current electricity demandcould be met by offshore wind turbines alone.The use of other sources of renewable energy incoastal and marine areas, such as harnessing thepower of currents and waves, is currently of second-ary importance compared with the use of windpower. In Germany, power stations of that kind couldonly be used in the North Sea, because the Baltic Sea’stidal currents and waves are not strong enough.

Assessment

A positive effect of the increased use of renewableenergies is the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions(CO2 emissions). This helps slow down global warm-ing and – because the polar ice and glaciers thereforemelt more slowing – curbs the rise in sea level. Thelower CO 2 input also reduces the acidication of the

oceans.




However, the expansion of offshore wind power canalso have a negative impact on the marine environ-ment. For example, marine mammals, resting, breed-ing and migrating birds, sh and benthic species thatlive on the seabed may be negatively affected, as maytheir habitats.

The expansion of offshore wind power can also usespace that would otherwise have been available forother uses. Thus, areas of the sea are available only toa lesser extent or not at all for conservation purposesor other uses, such as shipping, aviation, military uses,shing, mining, cables and pipelines, tourism andresearch.

The effects on environmental assets in need of protec-tion are reviewed and permits are granted only if the

negative effects to be expected are considered to bewithin the realm of what is acceptable.

Goals

With the climate and energy package it adopted inMeseberg in August 2007, the federal governmentset itself the target of increasing renewable ener-gies’ share in the electricity supply to 25-30 per centby 2020. After 2020, expansion is scheduled to bestepped up continually. This has been implementedby Article 1, paragraph 2 of the amendment to theRenewable Energy Sources Act, which will enter intoforce on 01 January 2009 and which aims to increase

renewable energies’ share in the electricity supply toat least 30% by 2020, after which it will continue to beincreased.

Offshore wind power projects18 offshore wind power projects within the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the NorthSea and three projects in the EEZ in the Baltic Sea with a total of 1497 wind power installationshad been approved by June 2008 by the responsible authority, the Federal Maritime and Hy-drographic Agency (BSH). To gain experience about the impact of wind farms of this kind and beable to counteract any undesirable developments, only projects with a maximum of 80 individualinstallations have been licensed to date. As a rule, offshore wind power projects require an Environ-mental Impact Assessment (EIA); this is mandatory for projects with more than 20 installations.To gain experience with the effects of that kind of installation, the construction and operation isaccompanied by extensive ecological monitoring intended to form the basis for making decisionsabout any further expansion of these projects. BSH’s standard investigation concept is the basisfor exploring and monitoring the impact of wind power installations on the marine environment.

Today two projects have been given approval for coastal waters. Another four projects are in theplanning stage, two of which are trial areas scheduled to operate until the end of 2010.

The policy for promoting offshore wind power includes as an incentive a higher initial payment ratethan for land-based sites. However, in view of the potential effects on nature and the environment,this incentive is limited to sites that are not situated within Marine Protected Areas. The Natura2000 areas in the German EEZ were designated in 2004. The Special Areas of Conservation (Habi-tats Directive) are now ofcially listed by the EU Commission as areas of Community importance;a Regulation was passed in September 2005 to protect the two Special Protection Areas (BirdsDirective). These areas occupy about a third of the total area of the German EEZ. In parallel to this,in December 2005 the BSH earmarked three areas in the EEZ that would be especially suitable foroffshore wind power installations and designated them under Article 3a of the Offshore Installa-tions Regulation. At the beginning of 2005, the federal government also instigated a procedure toprepare a Marine Spatial Plan for the EEZ, which would include carrying out a Strategic Environ-mental Assessment. The areas already earmarked as being particularly suitable are to be incorpo-rated as a priority into the Marine Spatial Plan.




The effects of offshore wind powerinstallations on the marine environmentFor some years now, extensive research projectshave been investigating the effects of offshorewind power installations on the marine environ-ment. A number of countries already have expe-rience with offshore wind farms. Nevertheless,since knowledge is still patchy, it is necessary tocontinue the investigations that have now beenrunning for several years before nal conclu-sions can be drawn.

The principal effects that can be expected, tosome extent based on the ndings of ecologi-cal investigations carried out on wind farms inDenmark, include:

Marine mammals are disturbed and displaced,particularly when the foundations are beingconstructed,

Intermittent detrimental effects to sh andbiocoenoses on the seabed due to sedimentre-suspension and turbidity plumes during theconstruction phase,

Displacement effects for some species of seabird and possible impact on migration due torisk of collision and barrier effects during theoperational phase,

Changes to biocoenoses in the vicinity of theinstallations caused by hard substrates beingintroduced into predominantly sandy habitatsand changes to ow conditions, and

Possible impact on sensitive animals such assharks and ray and on the migratory behav-iour of sh caused by the electromagneticelds of the cables used to connect the off-

shore wind farms to the grid.Fixed structures in the sea increase the accidentrisk for ships and aeronautical equipment withpossible detrimental consequences for the envi-ronment. However, as stipulated in the OffshoreInstallations Regulation, wind farms are onlygranted approval in the EEZ if they do not com-promise the safety and ease of trafc. Further-more, when permits are granted they contain awide range of conditions designed to avoid colli-sions and the possible effects of collisions.

The idea is that renewable energies should becomeeconomical viable as soon as possible so that climateprotection goals can be achieved. Plans includeexpanding the use of wind power in offshore areas ofthe North Sea and the Baltic Sea, because they offergreat potential that is technically capable of beingexploited in the near future.

To ensure that it is possible to achieve the target setout in the European Marine Strategy FrameworkDirective (MSFD) of Good Ecological Status for sea-water by 2020 even with increased use of wind power

in offshore areas, the associated risks for the marineenvironment and for other principal users should beminimized as far as possible.


Apart from the measures described above that thefederal government has already put in place, theprecautions taken as part of the permitting procedureand the comprehensive research projects, the follow-ing measures are also scheduled for the future:

Continued promotion of international cooperationto facilitate an exchange of experience and de-velop recognised harmonised standards,Measures to reduce the risk to shipping and aviation,Cables – particularly if they run through protectedareas – should be laid in a way that does not causeproblems for the marine environment or shipping.As specied in the Energy Industry Act and spatialplanning regulations they should be laid in com-mon trenches,Measures to minimize underwater noise duringthe construction, operation and dismantling ofwind power installations, in order to avoid anynegative impact on marine mammals, andMeasures to minimise the effects on the marineenvironment and migrating birds, above all thecumulative effects that can occur if offshore windpower is expanded on a large scale.




5.5 Tourism


The coastal and marine regions of the North Sea andthe Baltic Sea, particularly the offshore islands, arepopular tourist destinations. Tourist activities includeship-based tourism (mainly cruise ships and pleasurecrafts), and seasonal use of the water and beach byholidaymakers at the seaside. The coastal regions arealso used for nature holidays offering opportunitiesfor walking on the tidal ats, beach or sand dunes.

Tourism is a signicant economic factor in coastalregions. In 2007, Schleswig-Holstein recorded around18.8 million overnight stays in its tourist area on theNorth Sea and the Baltic Sea. Lower Saxony had some13.3 million overnight stays in the same year, distrib-uted between the East Friesian mainland and the EastFriesian islands. The East Friesian islands live almostexclusively from tourism. In Mecklenburg-WesternPomerania, overnight stays at the coast and on theislands of Rügen and Hiddensee totalled around 12.4million. Tourism has developed into one of the few

successful industries in this region.

Tourism relies on nature and the environment beingintact to a greater extent than any other sector of theeconomy. Protection and conservation of naturallandscapes are therefore extremely important. Thetourist industry is also aware of this.

Sustainable tourism can be an incentive to conservenature and protect the natural landscape. For exam-ple, income from tourist activities can help to directlyor indirectly nance protected areas or conservetraditional natural and cultural landscapes andeconomies. But tourism can also have a negative im-pact on nature and the countryside. Flat coasts withsandy beaches, for example, are endangered habitatsthroughout the world, mainly because they havebeen intensively developed for tourism. Generallyspeaking, the intensity and type of tourism decidesto what extent the interests of marine protection andtourism can be reconciled.

Marine and water protection policies can also have an

effect on the well-being of people in coastal regions:tourists and local people alike come into contact in

many different ways with sea water or sea produce– either through swimming in the sea or eating shand seafood. Basically these activities are benecial topeople’s health but under certain conditions pollut-ants, natural toxins and pathogens in the sea watercan also present health risks. It is essential that wecontinue to minimize or avoid these.

Fortunately, in recent years, implementation of theEuropean Urban Waste Water Treatment Directivehas made it possible to signicantly reduce levels ofnutrients and pathogens discharged in wastewater.That in turn has led to a clear improvement in bathing

water quality in European coastal waters with regardto pathogens. This ongoing improvement in bathing




water quality is being maintained as a result of nu-merous clean-up and precautionary measures. Never-theless, nutrients in coastal waters can promote massdevelopment of blue-green algae that produce toxinsand allergens and can cause skin rashes. To preventthese harmful effects on health, bathing waters areregularly monitored in keeping with the provisionsof the EU Bathing Water Directive and – if necessary- temporary bans on bathing can be imposed.

Assessment

In the 2007 bathing season, as in previous years too,almost all the 390 coastal bathing waters in Germanymet the requirements of the European Bathing WaterDirective.

The revised EU Bathing Water Directive will be im-plemented in the 2008 bathing season. It introduces,for example, more stringent limit values for coastalwaters. Pollution sources will also be recorded andinvestigated using bathing water proles. The publicwill also receive even better information about thecondition and protection status of bathing waters.

Pressure on ecosystems on the North Sea coast has de-creased as a result of the control possibilities createdby the establishment of three German National Parks.

For the Baltic Sea coast, the picture is less consistent.By comparison with areas where there has been agreat deal of tourist activity for a long time, thoseregions that did not undergo intense developmentfor tourism until after reunication are showing apotential for conict.

Goals

The federal government’s policy in the eld of envi-ronmental protection and tourism primarily aimsto manage tourism in a way that is sustainable fornature and the environment and to boost domestictourism.

Back in April 2002, a report on the environment andtourism was approved, in which the following goalswere set out:

Promotion of tourism in Germany in a way that issustainable for nature and the environment,Increase the proportion of tourist products that aresustainable for nature and the environment,Boost demand for environmentally sound touristproducts,Boost domestic tourism,Ensure that nature and the environment remainintact as the very basis for successful tourism andInuence the development of tourism that issustainable for nature and the environment indestinations abroad that are popular with German

tourists.


A range of instruments is available at international,national and regional level that can be used to chan-nel tourism along environmentally sustainable lines.This involves the following elements:

Reduce the negative impact of tourism on ecologi-cally sensitive areas,Increase and improve the quality of recreational

areas through nature conservation measures andpreventing or eliminating harmful impacts,Signicantly increase people’s appreciation ofnature and the countryside. This applies to thosevisiting the countryside for recreational purposesor sporting activities as well as tourists,Develop concepts for recreational activities thatare attractive and sustainable for nature in pro-tected areas and implement them by 2010,Increased application of the European Charter forSustainable Tourism in Protected Areas,IIncreased development of environmentallyfriendly products and integration of natureholidays into other tourism products. This shouldinclude working with the tourist industry and itscommitment to environmentally sound tourism,Use Integrated Coastal Zone Management todevelop strategies for exploiting the potential forinteraction between tourism, other activities andnature conservation, andManage bathing waters to actively improve thewater quality, better information for bathers andinvolvement of the public.



o Activities on land and their impact on the sea 43

6. Activities on land and their impact on the sea6.1 Introduction

Most human activities on land have a greater inu-ence on marine ecosystems than many membersof the public realise. The majority of nutrients andpollutants from wastewater treatment plants run bylocal and municipal authorities in Germany and otherEuropean countries, from agriculture and from trafcand industry enter the North Sea and the Baltic Seavia rivers. Some substances travel much further via at-

mospheric pathways and can cause harm even to re-mote seas such as the Arctic Ocean. The nutrients andpollutants accumulate in the sea and cause differentkinds of problem for the health, stability, functioningand productivity of marine ecosystems.

One of the federal government’s major goals is toimplement a policy of sustainable management:resources should be managed and used efcientlyand the economy’s potential for ecological andsocial innovation should be tapped, with ecological,economic and social interests being afforded equal

status. With its policy for protecting the climate andresources, the federal government has already takensignicant steps forward. German industry is alsoinvolved in this process: materials and products thatsave resources and energy-saving production meth-ods give companies a competitive edge and at thesame time contribute to the fact that Germany hasbecome a leading example in achieving environ-mental and climate targets.

Inputs of nutrients and pollutants from clearly iden-tiable sources such as wastewater from local au-thorities and industry have been reduced with greatsuccess in recent years as a result of new wastewatertreatment plants being built and existing ones up-graded. Thus 95 per cent of households in Germanyare now connected to wastewater treatment plants.The switch to phosphate-free detergents has also hada very positive effect.

Air quality and the quality of standing and owingbodies of water have also been signicantly improvedthroughout Germany in recent years. This involvedbuilding efcient wastewater treatment plants,preventing or reducing emissions from the manu-facturing industry, shutting down installations thatcould not be brought up to standard, and introducingtransport-related measures such as the use of catalyticconverters.

Higher concentrations of nutrients in the sea and the consequences

The higher concentrations of nutrients in our rivers and coastal waters as a result of the signicantrise in inputs of nitrogen and phosphorous compounds have over-fertilised the seas. Eutrophicationphenomena have been observed since the 1980s in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea in the form ofmass developments of single-celled planktonic algae – known as “algae blooms“ - and the develop-ment of mats of blue-green algae in the Wadden Sea.

When large algae blooms die and sink to the seabed, the bacteria that aid their decompositionconsume the oxygen, causing organisms on and in the seabed to die. Eutrophication can also causeincreased occurrence of toxic algae and bacteria.

Nutrients have been found to be present in large quantities in marine ecosystems.



44 o Activities on land and their impact on the sea

Higher concentrations of pollutants in the sea and the consequencesPollutants have now been detected in large quantities in marine ecosystems.

Generally speaking, pollutants are substances or groups of substances that are harmful to humans,animals and plants. Their negative effects can also be compounded due to their persistence and abilityto accumulate in organisms. Substances of this kind include heavy metals such as cadmium, mercuryand lead, but also toxic organic compounds such as organotin compounds, DDT and polychlorinatedbiphenyls. Their toxic properties include chronic effects, such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, tera-togenicity and endocrine-disrupting effects.

Years of using these toxic organic substances has meant, for example, that certain compounds of thiskind have accumulated in sh and other marine animals. Brominated ame retardants from the plasticcasing of electrical appliances have been detected in sh and plasticizers from PVC products andooring have been found in molluscs, sh and marine mammals and can damage their reproductivesystem.

Sewage treatment plant, primary settling basin

Despite our considerable success in the past andongoing achievements, nutrient and pollutant inputsto the sea are still too high and further efforts must bemade to reduce them. Particularly inputs from largeareas and diffuse sources such as agriculture andtrafc, which are difcult to pin down to a speciclocation, must be further reduced.

Goals

OSPAR’s strategy for combating eutrophication envis-ages reducing nutrient inputs to such an extent thatthe phenomenon will no longer occur after 2010.

Furthermore, in 1995, the North Sea and the BalticSea riparian states set themselves the goal of phasing

out all discharges, emissions and diffuse losses of haz-ardous substances within a generation – by 2020. Thisis a reection of the realisation that only by keepingpriority hazardous substances out of all river basins

and applying Europe-wide regulations would it bepossible to achieve the goal of so-called “zero emis-sions” into the sea. Generation targets with staggereddates for achieving them were adopted in the yearsthat followed by OSPAR, HELCOM and the WFD.

The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) adopted in Novem-ber 2007 by HELCOM specically mentions eutrophi-cation and hazardous substances as two of the fourmajor threats to the Baltic Sea. The BSAP has thelong-term goal of restoring nutrient concentrationsto a virtually natural level. In the BSAP the proposedmeasures on eutrophication therefore apply prin-cipally to agriculture, wastewater treatment andreplacing phosphate in detergents. The specicationin BSAP stipulating maximum allowable nutrient in-puts and - based on them - nutrient reduction targetsspecic to each of the Baltic Sea riparian states, alongwith similar regulations, aim to fairly distribute theburden.

Beyond the generation target already set withinHELCOM of achieving zero emissions of all hazardous

substances in the entire Baltic Sea catchment area,the BSAP also makes specic stipulations on:




Reduction in inputs of phosphorous and nitrogen into surface waters within the German Baltic

and North Sea catchment areas

Introducing national programmes onhazardous substances,Reducing the use of selected hazardoussubstances, andSupporting efforts to replace these substances by

less hazardous ones in industry and other areassuch as science.

The WFD seeks to achieve Good Ecological Status by2015 within the rst nautical mile of territorial watersand Good Chemical Status from there to the limit ofterritorial waters. The MSFD backs and expands onthis goal, stipulating that by 2020 good status of themarine environment should be achieved in territorialwaters and the adjacent EEZ.

By 2020, compliance with maximum pollution levelsfor acidication, heavy metal and nutrient inputsand ozone must be achieved to ensure that sensitiveecosystems are protected. This is in keeping with thestipulations of the European NEC Directive (NationalEmissions Ceilings) for certain atmospheric pollut-ants and with the Protocol to Abate Acidication,Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone to the UnitedNations’ Convention on Long-range TransboundaryAir Pollution.

Similarly by 2020, trade in and use of persistent or-

ganic pollutants – known as POPs – is to be phased outas far as possible. They are to be replaced by less per

sistent, less toxic substances with lower bioaccumu-lation potential, with the aim of reducing pollutantinputs to the marine environment to the backgroundconcentrations that occur naturally and, in the case ofsynthetic substances, to close to zero. This was agreed

in 1995 at the Fourth International North Sea Confer-ence and incorporated into the corresponding strate-gies of OSPAR, HELCOM and the EU. The StockholmConvention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPsConvention) and the POPs Protocol to the UnitedNations’ Convention on Long-range TransboundaryAir Pollution contain regulations on preventing andreducing persistent organic pollutants.

From 2020, there should be no accumulation of pol-lutants in soil used for agricultural purposes.

6.2 AgricultureThe current situation

The aim of the federal government’s agriculturepolicy is to achieve sustainable farmland manage-ment and careful use of natural resources, includingthe sea.

In this the German agriculture policy supports marineprotection, which is not possible unless inland waters

are effectively protected and agricultural land sus-tainably managed. The standards for this are




negotiated primarily in the EU and in internationalagreements.

With its support for the EU’s Blue Paper “An Integra-ted Maritime Policy for the European Union”, includ-ing the related action plan, and its environmentalpillar, the European Marine Strategy FrameworkDirective (MSFD), the federal government is workingtowards achieving a sustainable agricultural, forestryand shing industry and for the protection of the seaas a shared resource on which humankind depends. As part of “Improving agricultural structure andcoastal protection,” which is classed as a joint fed-eral/state responsibility, the federal government ispromoting initiatives such as extensive productionmethods, the conversion of arable land to grasslandfor extensive use, organic farming, and voluntary set-aside lasting several years.

The EU’s Common Agriculture Policy also aims toproduce food and renewable materials throughsustainable farming. This means that there is a moveto protect the soil, water and air throughout Europe.Soil fertility and biodiversity are to be preserved and

– wherever possible - increased even. Fertilizers andplant protection products must be used appropriately

and efciently. Harmful emissions to the atmosphere,particularly from ammonia and climate gases are to

be avoided or, in cases where this is not possible, re-duced to the greatest possible extent. This also appliesto input of pollutants to the soil and nutrient inputs towater bodies.

Clear progress towards sustainable farming is ex-pected as a result of the cross compliance regulationthat has been implemented since the beginningof 2005. Under this regulation, farming subsidiesare granted only if legal minimum environmentalstandards are complied with. If followed consistently,this kind of management practice in farming has apositive impact on nature and the environment.

Assessment

The efforts to prevent and reduce excessive levels ofnutrients on farmland are showing signs of success.For example, the nitrogen surplus dropped from ap-proximately 150 kilograms per hectare in 1990 to 110kilograms per hectare in 2000 and is currently at 100kilograms per hectare. A number of measures, suchas developments in agricultural law, contributed to

this success. The amended Fertilizer Regulation is ofparticular relevance in protecting water bodies.




Despite all the successes, farming still – sometimes

inevitably – causes inputs of substances such as nutri-ents, active ingredients in plant protection productsand pharmaceuticals to the environment includingthe sea. Particularly in coastal regions, this can causeeutrophication or other forms of pollution. It is there-fore essential that the interests of marine protectioncontinue to be consistently taken into account infuture agricultural policy.

Today, it is already clear that it will not be possible toachieve the target set by the OSPAR strategy for end-ing eutrophication by 2010.

Goals

The federal government’s aim is to develop anintegrated concept of sustainable farming, of whichthe principal characteristics will be optimisation ofintensity and improvement of efciency in land man-agement, combined with reduced stocking densitiesfor livestock. Pollutant inputs to the environment viaall routes should be reduced to a level at which nounacceptable levels of pollutants occur in the soil, air

or water bodies.

The relevant targets adopted at international,

regional, and EU level are outlined in detail in theintroduction to Chapter 6.

With regard to the minimisation of nutrient input,the federal government is working towards a goalof reducing nitrogen surpluses to 80 kilograms perhectare nationally by 2010.


The goals connected with marine protection makeit crucial that the methods we have started to use tolower pressure on the environment must be rigor-ously continued and intensied. Specically, thismeans:

Committed implementation of the new Europeanagricultural policy that was fundamentally re-formed in June 2003,Providing more advice on protection of waterbodies, particularly in regions where water is asensitive issue,Consistent implementation and application of

the EU directives on protection of water bodies, inparticularly the Nitrates Directive and the WaterFramework Directive,




Using appropriate management practices to pre-vent or reduce emissions and undesirable inputsof substances to soil, water and the atmosphere, aswell as other harmful effects,Consistent application of the Fertilizer Regulationto further reduce inputs of nutrients such as phos-phorous and nitrogen to water bodies,Better consideration of marine protection in licens-ing procedures for plant protection products andin this connection comparing EU criteria againstregional agreements on marine protection,Implementing the National Action Plan on the sus-

tainable use of plant protection products to ensurethat use of plant protection products is limited towhat is absolutely necessary. It is promotes protec-tion of water bodies by, for example:• Increasing the criteria for good practice,• Enhancing controls on plant protection,

• Setting up a “hot-spot” management scheme, • Better application of the principles of integrated

plant protection, • Stepping up the introduction of new equipment

for use with plant protection products, • Promoting research and development of

innovations, • Providing funding for projects to support the Ac-

tion Plan, for example in the area of innovationsin plant protection, and

• Continued promotion of agri-environmentalmeasures and organic farms as part of the “Im-provement of agricultural structure and coastalprotection,” which is classed as a joint federal/state responsibility.

Consistent implementation of the federal govern-ment’s ammonia reduction programme,Improving the efciency of nature conservation,using, for example, schemes that award contractsto carry out conservation measures, and by con-tinuing agri-environmental programmes,Using the instrument of voluntary, ecologicalset-aside to create buffer strips adjacent to surfacewater to reduce input of substances,Reducing input to the environment of pharmaceu-ticals, hormone disruptors and other xenobiotics,Providing advisory services, information and train-ing schemes for farmers, particularly on water andsoil protection, and

Better collaboration with the water industry,through voluntary cooperation agreements, forexample.

6.3 Industry, local authoritiesand households


Many substances that people make or excrete – bethey nutrients, pollutants or pharmaceuticals – aresooner or later found in the marine environment,where they usually have undesirable negative effects.While some substances decompose over time, othersaccumulate in the seawater, in marine organisms orin the sediments on the seabed. In particular, persis-tent pollutants can have a negative impact or damagemarine organisms in different ways. They reach hu-mans again through the food chain. Even substancesthat have become incorporated into the sedimentare still potentially dangerous, because they can beremobilized.

Assessment

Inputs and emissions of nutrients and pollutants fromindustry, local authorities and private households inGermany have been signicantly reduced in the past.This was primarily achieved by the development of

improved technology for treating ue gas and waste-water since the 1980s. 94 per cent of wastewater




in Germany is treated in compliance with the highestEU standard.

The main developments that have contributed tothese positive results are lter systems to trap contam-inated particulates, the widespread use of biologicaltreatment stages and the targeted removal of phos-phorous and nitrogen compounds and other organicand inorganic pollutants from wastewater in localauthority and industrial wastewater treatment plants.

Nevertheless, the eutrophication of the North Sea and

The Baltic Sea and the detection of over 250 organicand 50 inorganic substances in marine mammalssuch as seals and whales clearly indicate that a fur-ther signicant reduction in the levels of nutrientsand pollutants input to the marine environment isnecessary.

Goals

The targets to achieve this, which have been adoptedat international, regional, and EU level, are outlinedin detail in the introduction to Chapter 6, under

section 6.1.


It is already clear today that it will not be possible toachieve the OSPAR strategy’s goal of ending eutrophi-cation by 2010. This makes it all the more importantthat we work towards our goals by consistently imple-menting the following packages of measures. Whenimplementing all measures, attention must be paid totheir effect on the level of charges.

Measures to implement the European WaterFramework Directive (WFD)

For priority substances, the WFD envisages a gradualreduction over 20 years and for priority hazardoussubstances a gradual phase-out and ban on dis-charges, emissions and losses. For priority hazardoussubstances the ultimate aim for naturally occurringsubstances is to achieve concentrations in the marineenvironment close to background levels and for man-made synthetic substances concentrations close to

zero.

To implement these requirements, the EU is adoptinga directive on environmental quality standards in theeld of water policy, which is due to be passed beforethe end of 2008. 2) The EU Commission will issue im-plementation guidance as soon as possible after theDirective enters into force.

Measures to reduce pollutants in wastewater

Measures to ensure that rainwater with low pol-lution levels seeps away close to where it falls,because otherwise after heavy rainfall there canbe an overow of mixed water (mainly domesticwastewater and rainwater) in which the level ofpollutants input to watercourses can be higherthan that from communal and industrial waste-water treatment plants,

2) The Directive entered into force in 2009




Aerial view of the Sellaeld plant

Elimination and recovery of phosphorous fromwastewater

Phosphorous contributes to eutrophication of waterbodies and is removed from wastewater before it isdischarged into water bodies using state of the arttechnology. At the same time, phosphorous is anirreplaceable raw material and as such should berecovered for reuse. In cases in which phosphorousis a signicant component of wastewater, specicmeasures for recovering it should be used. Methodsby which phosphorous is removed and processed into

a form that plants cannot absorb (classical precipita-tion methods) should be avoided as far as possible.

6.4 Other activities

6.4.1 Nuclear power


The North Sea and the Baltic Sea - like all the seas andoceans of the world - contain anthropogenic radio-activity, particularly in their sediments. This articial

radioactivity originates from nuclear reprocessingplants in Sellaeld on the Irish Sea and The Hague onthe English Channel, which have been dischargingradioactive wastewater since the beginning of the1970s. Other sources are the fallout of atmosphericnuclear weapons tests in the fties and sixties and thereactor accident at Chernobyl in April 1986.

Transporting irradiated fuel rods from Germannuclear power stations to reprocessing plants suchas Sellaeld and The Hague has been illegal since1 July 2005. They are now disposed of directly in nalstorage facilities in deep geological formations. Inthis way, Germany is contributing to implement-ing the OSPAR strategy for radioactive substances of1998/2003 adopted at ministerial level by Germany.Any discharges, emissions and losses of radioactivesubstances from German waste material will fall tozero once the spent fuel rods from German nuclearpower stations still present in Sellaeld and TheHague have been reprocessed.

Assessment

Compared with the concentration of natural radionu-clides in the sea, the concentration of anthropogenic

radionuclides is very low, so that there is no cause forconcern that fauna or ora might be endangered northat public health could suffer as a result of consum-ing sh or other sea produce.

Goals

Germany will “prevent pollution of the maritime areafrom ionising radiation through progressive and sub-stantial reductions of discharges, emissions and lossesof radioactive substances with the ultimate aim ofconcentrations in the environment near backgroundvalues for naturally occurring radioactive substancesand close to zero for articial radioactive substances.“This corresponds to the wording of the OSPAR strat-egy for radioactive substances.


By 2020, inputs of radioactive substances should bereduced to a level that any increases in concentrationabove those already present (with the period 1995 to2001 as the baseline) should be close to zero.




6.4.2 Transport


Emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide andparticulates from trafc are transported to the sea,primarily via atmospheric pathways. There they canhave a negative impact on ecosystems and compro-mise their long-term use potential.

A range of transport policy measures were successfulin reducing the total output of the following atmos-pheric pollutants in Germany from 1990 to 2005:

Carbon monoxide by about 67 per cent,Nitrogen oxides by about 50 per cent, andHydrocarbons by about 65 per cent, by comparisonwith 1990.

In particular, there has been a reduction in carbondioxide output from trafc since 1999 – largely as aresult of lower fuel consumption, rising fuel prices, a

sudden rise in the proportion of new registrations ofdiesel vehicles and, last but not least, Germany’s eco-logical tax reform. However, emissions of carbon di-oxide from transport are still higher than they were in1990, since improvements in specic efciency havebeen outweighed by the increase in trafc volume.

The output of atmospheric pollutants will continue todrop over the next ten years, as low-pollution vehiclesbecome more established in the vehicle eet and themore stringent exhaust gas regulations for passengercars (EURO 5/6) and for heavy goods vehicles (EURO

VI) are introduced and become mandatory.

Assessment

Transport-related nitrogen inputs via atmosphericpathways are still a major cause of eutrophication inthe North Sea and the Baltic Sea. For example, in 2000,transport accounted for a 55 per cent share in totalemissions of nitrogen oxides; since 2003 it has begunto fall to below 50 per cent for the rst time.

Trafc is also a major contributory factor in emissionsof the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and its negativeeffects such as global warming, rise in sea level andacidication of the sea.

Goals

Nitrogen inputs and CO2 emissions from transportwill continue to be reduced.

From 2010, no more than 1.051 million tonnes of ni-trogen oxides will be emitted. This is in keeping with

the European NEC Directive’s stipulation concerningnational emission ceilings for specic atmosphericpollutants.





The European Air Quality Framework Directive,which, in conjunction with a daughter directive, setslimit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,particulates and lead in ambient air, will be imple-mented without delay, as will the NEC Directive.

The federal government is pushing within the IMO forfurther reductions in emissions from sea-going ships.

In the eld of inland navigation, the Central Com-mission for Navigation on the Rhine and the EU, afterconsultation with trade and industry, are working onfurther developing regulations. Germany is one ofthe key driving forces behind this initiative. Further-more, Germany has set up subsidy programmes forpurchases of new lower emission diesel engines andfor retrotting older engines, in an attempt to createnancial incentives to speed up the modernisationprocess in inland navigation.

The federal government is working for an EU-widereduction in transport emissions, particularly of par-ticulates and nitrogen oxides. Now that Regulation(EC) No. 715/2007 of the European Parliament and ofthe Council of 20 June 2007 on Type Approval of Mo-tor Vehicles with respect to Emissions from Light Pas-senger and Commercial Vehicles (Euro 5 And Euro 6)and on Access to Vehicle Repair and Maintenance In-formation has been adopted, the rst Euro 5 vehicleswill be on the market from the 3rd quarter of 2008. Aproposal of the EU Commission for EURO VI for heavygoods vehicles has already been put forward and iscurrently under discussion in the EU.

Appropriate and coordinated measures must be putin place to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, to ensurethat the necessary reductions can be achieved in thisarea too.



54 p The current situation

7. Marine research for the future


Germany has highly efcient marine research capac-ity, equipped to answer a broad range of questionsconnected with the sea. Marine science research iscarried out in centres and institutes within the majorresearch organisations – in particular the HelmholtzAssociation, Leibniz Association and Max PlanckSociety – as part of activities commissioned by federal

government departments, specialised institutes atstate level and a number of universities. It is con-ducted at the highest international level and enjoysinternational recognition.

Focusing the research capacities of university andnon-university institutions on issues of commonconcern is one of the responsibilities of the FederalMinistry for Education and Research (BMBF) workingin conjunction with the states. This integrative ap-proach is illustrated by the new clusters of excellence:The Future Ocean in Kiel, The Ocean in the EarthSystem” in Bremen and Integrated Climate SystemAnalysis and Prediction (CliSAP) in Hamburg and in

the establishment of new interdisciplinary facultiessuch as the Maritime Systems Department at RostockUniversity.

Marine research policy also involves collaboratingwith partners to organise things such as joint use ofexisting large-scale equipment – ships or researchstations, for example – and making the case withinthe political arena for the need for replacement orexpansion of infrastructure of this kind.

On their own initiative, leading German research insti-

tutes and universities founded the German MarineResearch Consortium (Konsortium Deutsche Meeres-forschung - KDM) which works to advance collabora-tion in the eld of marine research, including devel-oping joint research programmes. German coastaland marine research is also closely involved in Euro-pean and international programmes and cooperativeactivities. For example, the Deutsche Wissenschaftli-che Kommission für Meeresforschung or GermanScientic Commission for Marine Research (DWK)coordinates the work of various national institutions



p The current situation 55

in the eld of sheries research for the InternationalCouncil for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

An element linking different areas of German marineresearch is the Federal Ministry for Education and Re-search’s concept of “Earth as a habitat.” It aims to pro-mote a holistic understanding of the processes thattake place in the Earth’s crust, the oceans, marginalseas, polar ice caps and the atmosphere. These activi-ties, which focus predominantly on basic research,are complemented by application-oriented concepts,such as those funded under the federal government’s

“High-tech strategy for climate protection”.

Another important element of research activities isenvironmental monitoring, an example of whichis the German Marine Monitoring Programme forthe North Sea and the Baltic Sea (BLMP). The state isdirectly responsible for the programme and involvesmarine research establishments to carry it out.

To improve our understanding of the key role of theoceans in our climate system and to record as earlyas possible any changes caused by climate change,

investigations of the physical and chemical propertiesof seawater (oceanography) and the structure of theseabed are necessary.

However, the climate is also decisively inuenced bymicroorganisms and planktonic organisms in the sea.They affect the nutrient levels in the water and havean impact on atmospheric components. Researchon the marine environment therefore investigatesbiogeochemical cycles, the role of individual speciesand biodiversity.

Marine geosciences explore the role of the continen-tal margins in the occurrence of volcanic activityand tsunamis and provide the basis knowledge fordeveloping early warning systems needed to protecthuman life and the environment.

German marine research is making increasing useof mathematical modelling. This means that data iscollected on a more systematic basis, a clearer pictureis being gained of developments within the marineenvironment and it is becoming possible to make

forecasts for the future.

Applied marine research that has commercial value isalso gaining signicance. Organisms in the sea haveadapted to their specic environmental conditionswith a broad spectrum of characteristics on which wecan model biotechnological solutions (biomimetics,nanotechnology), products (natural substances) andmethods (biodiagnostics). Applications for this canbe found in many areas such as medicine, cosmetics,and food production. Marine geosciences also play arole in prospecting for reserves of energy and mineralresources.

Fisheries science contributes to recording populationlevels and the ecology of commercial sh species, andthus to conserving or re-establishing an importantbasic food. Research on marine aquaculture aims tond new ways of developing conditions for rearingsea produce that does not harm the environment andcan counteract the overexploitation of the sea.

Funding for application-focused research projectsin the eld of coastal protection is available from theFederal Ministry for Education and Research via theKuratorium für Forschung im Küsteningenieurwesen

or German Coastal Engineering Research Council(KFKI). This organisation is an association of depart-ments working in this eld at central governmentlevel and within Germany’s coastal states.

Any attempt to reconcile use of the sea with its protec-tion requires a profound understanding of all thechemical, physical, geological and biological proc-esses that occur in the sea and the seabed. This is not



56 p The current situation

possible without highly sophisticated monitoringequipment. Despite having to stand up to heavy use,this equipment also has to be low-maintenance, reli-able and extremely accurate. Sea-based monitoringsystems are complemented by special aircraft thatinvestigate climate parameters and the atmosphere– the new high altitude and long range researchaircraft (HALO), for example – and by satellite-basedmonitoring systems.

7.2 Assessment

German marine research has greatly advanced ourknowledge about the sea. Modern research methodsand ongoing environmental monitoring constantlyimprove our understanding of the web of functionsin the sea and the connections between the oceansand climate developments. The growing wealth ofknowledge opens up new opportunities for using thesea and also new insights about how it is endangered.

Crucial to the sustainable use and protection of thesea is independent research that has unrestricted op-

portunities for investigation and is aware of its

responsibility. The design and implementation of theEuropean Integrated Maritime Policy is decisivelybacked up by German research.

7.3 Goals

The goal of marine research, underpinned by moderntechnology, is to understand the chemical, physical,geological and biological processes in the sea, alongwith their interactions - both with each other and inthe context of the Earth as a holistic system.

This expands our knowledge of the effects of humanactivity on the marine ecosystem and of how the seaimpacts on the climate. On this basis, we will furtherdevelop and implement concepts for responsible andsustainable treatment of the oceans.

Marine research is thus an integral part of the govern-ment’s precautionary measures.

7.4 What needs to be doneto achieve these goals?

To achieve this ambitious goal, it is crucial thatresearch be advanced on different levels. Takinginternational commitments into account, research inthe following areas can be identied as being neededto full the objectives:

Develop a better system-based understanding, in-cluding recording and modelling the interactionsbetween the physical, chemical and biological ele-ments of the sea as part of the Earth system.Consolidate the basic knowledge needed to gain amore profound understanding of the role of the seaas a factor in climate and, by the same token, of theeffects of climate change on the sea.Identify and evaluate the natural and anthropo-genic pressures on marginal seas, coastal regionsand the open sea; research their dynamics andeffects.Develop methods for describing and evaluatingthe state of the ocean in order to predict and/oreliminate changes. This includes those pressuresthat originate deep in the hinterland.Improve methods for climate and environment-

related research and monitoring of the sea and forcareful use of living and non-living resources.



p The current situation 57

Parallel research on implementing the ecosystemapproach and exploration of the cumulative andlatent effects on marine ecosystems of the increas-ing use of the sea.Further develop strategies for sustainable environ-mental economics and better management withregard to the use of biological resources (ecosystemmanagement approach).Investigations on the population situation andpopulation dynamics of marine organisms and theenvironment surrounding them.Increase the efciency of autonomous marine

monitoring systems, through environmentally

friendly and stable energy supply, for example, orlow-energy, more efcient methods for transmit-ting information.Further expansion of procedures for coordinatinginternational funding programmes for marine re-search, particularly among EU Member States andthe EU Commission with a view to strengtheningthe European Research Area on the basis of jointprogrammes and structures (ERA nets).Develop adaptation options and strategies for ship-ping and waterways based on the report “Naviga-tion and Waterways in Germany - Meeting the

Challenges of Climate Change.”

Important organizations in Germany working in the eld of marine researchKonsortium Deutsche Meeresforschung (KDM) [German Marine Research Consortium], http://www.deutsche-meeresforschung.de

Within the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft deutscher Forschungszentren (HGF) [Helmholtz Association of German ResearchCentres]:Alfred Wegener Institut für Meeres- und Polarforschung (AWI) [Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and MarineResearch] , http://www.awi-bremerhaven.deForschungszentrum Geesthacht (GKSS) – Institut für Küstenforschung [GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht -Coastal Research Institute] , http://www.gkss.de

Within the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (WGL) [Leibniz Association]:Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften Kiel (IFM-GEOMAR) [Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences at the Universityof Kiel] , http://www.ifm-geomar.deInstitut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde (IOW) [Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde], http://www.io-warnemuende.deForschungsinstitut Senckenberg (FIS) [Senckenberg Research Institute] , http://www.senckenberg.de

Within the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) [Max Planck Society Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie Bremen]:Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology , http://www.mpi-bremen.deMax-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie Hamburg [Max Planck Institute for Meteorology] , http://www.mpimet.mpg.de

Federal organisations:Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH) [Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency], http://www.bsh.deJohann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei[Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries] , http://www.vti.bund.deBundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) [Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources],

http://www.bgr.bund.de/Joint federal/state organisations:Kuratorium für Forschung im Küsteningenieurwesen (KFKI) [German Coastal Engineering Research Council], http://kfki.baw.deBund-Länder Messprogramm Meeresumwelt (BLMP) [German Marine Monitoring Programme], http://www.blmp-online.de

State organisations:Terramare [Centre for Research on Shallow Seas, Coastal Zones and the Marine Environment], http://www. icbm.de/31428.htmlMarum [Center for Marine Environmental Sciences] , http://www.marum.de

Information on other organisations involved in marine research is available from: Deutsche Gesellschaft fürMeeresforschung DGM [German Society for Marine Research] , http://www.meeresforschung.de



60 a Principles, concepts and instruments guiding our actions

ICZM sees itself as an ongoing process that con-nects the phases of planning, implementing andevaluating changes in coastal zones with a view tomaking the best possible use of experience for thefuture.

Based on an inventory of all relevant activities in thecoastal zone, the national ICZM strategy must overthe next few years be made more specic, elds of ac-tion identied and priority issues implemented.

One of the things needed to achieve this is further op-

timisation of the existing instruments in keeping withICZM principles, the implementation and evaluationof best practice projects, the continual updating ofthe inventory and strategy and possibly the develop-ment and use of ICZM indicators that are easy to usein practice.

8.4 Coastal and marine spatialplanning

Marine spatial planning fulls the traditional plan-ning role of creating regulations that have a statu-

tory binding effect for specic plans and measures ofsignicance to a particular area.

Due to its integrative approach, which centres on theprinciple of sustainable development, spatial plan-ning is an important instrument that can be used toresolve the increasing conicts in the marine area ina coordinated way. The guiding principle for spatialplanning for coastal and marine areas, includingthe EEZ, is the same as that used on land: sustainablespatial development that harmonizes social and eco-nomic demands with an area’s ecological functionsand leads to a lasting structure that is balanced over alarge area.

This includes protecting the marine environmentby preserving and, where necessary, developing itsnatural resources. In this connection, the precaution-ary principle is of special importance, particularly inthe case of the marine environment due to its particu-lar sensitivity and the gaps in knowledge about it thatstill exist. When developing a Marine Spatial Plan, itis particularly crucial that a Strategic Environmental

Assessment be carried out and taken into account inthe nal consideration of goals and principles to bestipulated.

The amendment to the Spatial Planning Act in 2004created the legal basis for spatial planning in the EEZunder the jurisdiction of the federal government.

To dene concrete spatial planning goals and princi-ples within the EEZ it is necessary when drawing upthe draft plan to identify the relevant individual usesand protection aims with the participation of ofcialagencies, the public, the states and the riparian states.The environmental impact of any planning stipula-tions must be identied, described and evaluated. Thendings of the Strategic Environmental Assessment

must be documented in an environmental report.

The stipulation of spatial planning goals and princi-ples including dening specic areas for specic uses(in written and cartographic form) is carried out aftertaking into careful consideration all the interests, theenvironmental report and the views that have beenexpressed during the participatory process. Further-more, continual coordination of plans in the coastalwaters and the EEZ (including those of the riparianstates) is needed to understand the widespread effectsof plans and measures relevant to the area.

The federal government began to prepare a MarineSpatial Plan for the EEZ at the beginning of 2005. Thestates are responsible for the coastal and marine areaswithin the 12-nautical-mile zone. Schleswig-Holsteinis currently preparing a Marine Spatial Plan; similarlyMecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxonyhave recently adopted Marine Spatial Plans.

8.5 Environmental monitoring

Environmental monitoring acquires basic scienticknowledge about the marine region to be protected,managed and planned. It is an important tool forverifying and checking status and helps protect thesea and manage its use to ensure it is ecologicallyand economically sustainable. Monitoring providesscientic data on the sea that forms the basis forplanning endeavours and political and economicdecisions. Monitoring in the North Sea and the BalticSea is organised by the German Marine MonitoringProgramme (BLMP), which is run jointly by variousfederal and state government departments.



a Principles, concepts and instruments guiding our actions 61

The work of the German Marine Monitoring Pro-gramme (BLMP) will be complemented by the BLMP+project currently being developed. The idea is that itshould develop a synoptic view in order to developa monitoring programme that will be better ableto meet the new national, European and regionalrequirements that marine environment monitoring(WFD, OSPAR and Helsinki Conventions, Natura 2000,MSFD) will have to full in the future. It should alsobe able to produce the status description for bodies ofwater that will be required for management planningfrom 2009 onwards. The BLMP+ project is headed bya joint federal/state group of marine experts (Ex-pertengruppe Meer) that acts as a link between themonitoring responsibilities imposed under the WFDand those required for marine protection and natureconservation. It also coordinates the ongoing devel-

opment of data management.

GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment andSecurity), which is currently being set up, will be animportant element of operational marine monitor-ing in Europe. It aims to provide key information asa basis for developing strategies and as support forpolicy decisions, particularly those relating to theEuropean and global environment. A Marine CoreService to provide essential information on the statusof the marine environment and safety is one of threedesignated Fast-Track Services that will start a pre-operational phase in 2008. GMES will give Europe anew capacity for observing and evaluating the statusof the oceans and how it is changing. Germany, whichhas played a major role in developing GMES, willalso be able to make use of this capacity and possiblyexpand it as part of dedicated services derived from it.GMES is thus an important basis for the implementa-

tion of this national strategy for sustainable use of thesea and a useful tool for checking its effectiveness.



a Principles, concepts and instruments guiding our actions 6363 s The outlook

9. The outlookThe

future of our society depends greatly on the state ofthe world’s oceans and seas. They play a key role inclimate trends and potentially provide signicantopportunities through the use of resources on theseabed that are still largely undiscovered and unex-ploited. However, they hold an equally diverse rangeof little known dangers and risks.

Over the next few years, three new developments in

particular will be of major importance in the mari-time industry:

Extraction of natural gas and oil from great oceandepths is forecast to more than double between2005 and 2009.Oil and gas resources in the ice-covered areas of theArctic will play an increasingly important role overthe next few years.Offshore wind power technology will continue toexpand, particularly in the North Sea and the BalticSea.

However, there is great potential for growth and em-ployment in other maritime sectors such as shipbuild-ing or marine technology. Research and innovationwill gain even more importance in the future.

Despite the economically promising prognoses, thesituation with regard to resources, potential andtherefore jobs can change overnight. Even now, theworld’s oceans and seas are caught between the con-icting interests of economic use and environmentalprotection. In the future, too, the way we treat theoceans and seas will limit the extent to which we canuse their natural resources.

Germany and the European Union are currently insti-gating new processes in the sea that will determinethe state of the world’s oceans for millennia to come.In the opinion of the federal government’s ScienticAdvisory Council on Global Environmental Change,the seas and oceans are even now becoming “toowarm, too high and too acidied” for us to be able touse them in future in the way we have been accus-

tomed to.

Climate change, which causes changes anddamage to the marine and coastal environment ofunforeseeable magnitude, combined with constantlyincreasing use of the sea, presents great challengesfor sustainable marine policy and calls for decisiveand forward-looking action.

Climate change and ocean change are inextricablylinked.

That kind of forward-looking, responsible actionwill of necessity lead to a marine policy that bringstogether and links up policy areas such as shipping,sheries, offshore energy, marine protection, deve-lopment of coastal areas that were in the past seenin isolation. Achieving this will require the intensivecommitment of all stakeholders – in Germany, theEuropean Union, regionally and worldwide. Furthermore, there is one thing we must not losesight of: if we want to avoid jeopardising the futureof our society for generations to come, we must notview the value of the seas and oceans purely economi-

cally as a quantiable resource, but must recognise,respect, and conserve the inherent value of the sea as



64 d Glossary

10. GlossaryACCOBAMS Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans [sea mammals such as whales, dolphins and

porpoises] of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area

ASCOBANS Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic and North Seas

AWI Alfred Wegener Institut für Meeres- and Polarforschung [Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar andMarine Research]

BGR Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe [Federal Institute for Geosciences andNatural Resources]

Birds Directive Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds

BLMP Bund-Länder-Messprogramm für die Meeresumwelt der Nord- und Ostsee [German MarineMonitoring Programme]

BSAP HELCOM Baltic Sea Action PlanBSH Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt and Hydrographie [Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency]

BSPA Baltic Sea Protected Areas – system of coastal and marine protected areas

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [also knownas the Washington Convention]

Cli SAP Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction

CO2 Carbon dioxide

DENGERNETH DenGerNeth Plan, trilateral agreement (2002) between Denmark, Germany and the Netherlandson collaboration on oil disasters and other matters concerning the North Sea area

DGM Deutsche Gesellschaft für Meeresforschung [German Society for Marine Research]DWK Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Kommission für Meeresforschung [German Scientic Commission

for Marine Research]

ECHA European Chemicals Agency

EEG Renewable Energy Sources Act

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone (must not exceed 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which theboundaries of the territorial waters are measured)

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

EU European Union

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations)

FIS Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg [Senckenberg Research Institute]GDI-DE Geodateninfrastruktur für Deutschland [Geodata infrastructure for Germany]

GEOSS Global Earth Observation System of Systems

GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht – Institut für Küstenforschung [Research Centre Geesthacht –Coastal Research Institute]

GMES European Earth monitoring system: Global Monitoring for Environment and Security

GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

Habitats Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and ofWild Fauna and Flora

Helsinki Convention Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area of 1992

HELCOM Commission of the Helsinki Convention

HGF Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren [Helmholtz Association of GermanResearch Centres]



ICES International Council for the Exploration of the SeaICZM Integrated Coastal Zone Management

IFM-GEOMAR Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften Kiel [Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences at theUniversity of Kiel]

IMO International Maritime Organization

INSPIRE Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community – Directive 2007/2/EC of theEuropean Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 estalishing an Infrastructure forSpatial Information in the European Community – INSPIRE

IOW Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde [Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea ResearchWarnemünde]

IPCC International Panel on Climate Change

IPPC Directive Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning Integrated Pollution Preventionand Control

IUU shing Illegal, unreported and unregulated shing

IWC International Whaling Commission

KDM Konsortium Deutsche Meeresforschung [German Marine Research Co nsortium]

KFKI Kuratorium für Forschung im Küsteningenieurwesen [German Coastal Engineering ResearchCouncil]

MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

MPG Max-Planck-Gesellschaft [Max Planck Society]

MSFD Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishinga framework for community action in the eld of marine environmental policy [European MarineStrategy Framework Directive]

MSY Maximum Sustainable Yield (shing)

Natura 2000 Cross-border network of protected areas within the EU

NEC Directive Directive on National Emission Ceilings for Certain Atmospheric Pollutants

OSPAR Convention Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic replacing theformer Oslo (1992) and Paris (1974) Conventions

OSPARCOM Commission for the implementation of the OSPAR Convention

POPs Convention Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals

(REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC andrepealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 aswell as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals

SWEDENGER Trilateral agreement (2002) signed by Germany, Denmark and Sweden on collaboration on oildisasters and other matters concerning the Western Baltic

UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

UNEP/GPA United Nations Environment Programme/Global Programme of Action

VTI Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Waldund Fischerei [Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries]

WFD Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000establishing a framework for the Community action in the eld of water policy

WGL Leibniz-Gemeinschaft [Leibniz Association]WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development

d Glossary 65



PUBLICATION ORDER:

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)Postfach 30 03 6153183 B

meeresstrategie en bf

Documents