The report, which spans the Baltic, North, Irish, Black and Mediterranean seas, and other areas of the North East Atlantic, was carried out by the marine advisory body, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), for the European Union.
One of the report's principal authors, Dr. Chris Frid, a research scientist with the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, says it gives an overview of the human impact on marine ecosystems, covering aspects such as climate change, fishing and contamination by chemicals.
The report pulls together a wide range of information about the marine environment, including findings of research by various international bodies, including the ICES, and will feed into the development of a European strategy for the seas.
Key findings include:
- Climate change will bring more rain for the North East Atlantic, increasing flooding in low-lying areas. Coastal erosion is also expected to get worse due to increased storminess.
- Fish stocks in the North East Atlantic have declined during the past decade and ICES research has showed that, out of 113 stocks assessed in 2001, only 18 per cent were inside safe biological limits.
- Oil discharges from ships are presenting a significant threat to marine ecosystems
- Coastal development is disturbing marine environments and could affect birds and sealife.
- Mercury pollution is on the increase in the Arctic, which may be due to increased emissions in Asia, where coal is burnt to provide electricity and heat.
The report also outlines how previous environmental problems have been dealt with successfully and points to existing and potential areas that need attention.
Dr. Frid, of Newcastle University's School of Marine Science and Technology, said: "This report provides a comprehensive and broad picture of the state of Europe's seas. It therefore allows us to see the relative impact of fishing, pollution and climate change and so plan where we need to invest resources in the future. Clearly are efforts to clean up the North Sea of chemical pollution have brought about considerable improvement but we have a growing pollution problem in Arctic waters, while in the North Sea we have major problems with our fisheries and the longer term changes which will follow from climate change."
"The most significant aspect of this report is not the contents but the fact that it is written for a wide audience. This is no dry technical document – it is a colourful well illustrated and provoking account that will for the first time inform the citizens of Europe about the state of their seas. This means that we can all take part in the discussions which will lead to the production of a European Marine Strategy, a plan of how we wish to see our seas in the future."
* Copies of the report Environmental Status of the European Seas can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.bmu.de/english/download/water/files/ices_report.pdf
Notes to editors:
1. The ICES is the independent, intergovernmental scientific body which is the main provider of scientific advice on fisheries and environment issues in the North East Atlantic and adjacent seas.