LWCT has initiated this project in response to serious and rapidly
escalating local and global problems of refuse and pollution in the marine
environment.
A growing proportion
of rubbish is plastic, virtually non-degradable in the ocean. Not even the
oceans' vastness can hide this persistent material. The remotest beaches in
the Arctic and surface waters in the middle of the oceans are littered with
plastic items from merchant shipping, oil platforms, and the fishing industry
as well as crew generated packaging materials and the small plastic resin
pellets from which all plastic items are manufactured.
Fishermen and
mariners experience economic losses. Lives are threatened when propellers
are fouled with ropes, sheeting and nets or when water intakes are blocked
by plastic bags and sheeting.
In a recent
study (NWAFC 88-13), 64% of fishermen on the western seaboard of the
USA reported damage of up to $23,000/£13,400 (adjusted) due to marine litter.
A systematic survey of North Sea fishermen has not been conducted, but informal
enquiry reveals the problem to be extremely widespread, and probably (given
the higher levels of litter in the North Sea) far more serious than in the
Eastern Pacific. Concern has also been expressed at the pollution of beaches
and valuable prawn grounds by the dumping of refuse and offal by Klondikers.
Many marine mammals,
sea birds and fish die each year from entanglement in or ingestion of plastic
debris. Animals are entrapped in such common items as fish net, line, rope,
cargo strapping bands, monofilament line and six-pack loop connectors.
Items ingested
include plastic bags, sheeting, plastic resin pellets, packing materials and
the pieces resulting from the disintegration of styrofoam and hard plastic
items. 'Ghost fishing' by abandoned net or lobster pots can cause immense
depletion of fish stocks for years after the litter is discarded.
In addition
to these more obvious physical effects, initial studies indicate that pollution
and litter can have an insidious biochemical effect on marine life. For example,
hydrocarbons from spilled POL concentrate in the surface microlayer, the preferred
habitat of many of the marine invertebrates that ultimately supply all marine
animals; some pollutants, such as heavy metals and PCBs, even persist in tissue
and thus increase in concentration further up the food chain (just as DDT
does on land). Other pollutants in the marine environment not currently tackled
by any organisation include sewage, bilge, various chemicals and tank washings.
There is an urgent need to find cost effective and sustainable solutions that
address the causes of the problems and involve the users of the marine environment.
These solutions must then be integrated into a practical strategy for the
estuary.
Beachwatch '97' results indicate that the quantities of marine debris
on Britain's beaches are increasing with 1,554 items recorded per km surveyed
as compared to 1,482 per km in Beachwatch '96' and 572 items per km
surveyed in the first Beachwatch in 1993.
Following the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships 1973 and 1978 (MARPOL), the UK agreed to provide reception
facilities at harbours for tank washings from ships containing oil or noxious
substances and ship's refuse. Under United Kingdom law, operators of port
or docking facilities are required to provide reception facilities for ships'
garbage.
In addition, since February 1991 the North Sea has, under MARPOL,
been declared a 'Special Area', prohibiting the disposal of all waste other
than food. Food waste may only be disposed of at a distance greater than twelve
miles from land. Tank washings and ship's garbage are classified as industrial
waste and the provision of facilities in harbours are exempt from Waste
Management Licensing Regulations (1994) provided quality and time limits
are met.
To date, these regulations have proved difficult to implement and have rarely
been enforced.One
cause is that responsibility for the marine environment is not entirely under
one organisation's jurisdiction and communication about the issues amongst
the authorities and organisations are largely neglected. Under the
present system, responsible ship owners suffer from unfair competition presented
by less scrupulous operators. In addition, there are large discrepancies in
harbour charges and enforcement of legislation throughout Europe which encourage
illegal practices.
The users of
the sea are also difficult to monitor and the pollutant load or rubbish they
may dump as they pass through various ports and waters are very often unobserved
and therefore impossible to prove liability without the goodwill of the user.
There
needs to be greater cooperation and unification of approach amongst all the
ports and harbours in order to achieve some positive progress. There are technical
and creative solutions to the current problems that LWCT can offer,
but these require the cooperation of both the authorities and users and the
finance to implement the proposed solutions.
The project
will investigate technical possibilities for reducing and avoiding wastes
and limiting the entry of foreign substances into the environment.
- Both the United Nations Environment Programme and the Marine Conservation
Society advocate further research into the problems and solutions of marine
refuse pollution.
"Further research into the topic of marine debris is essential
if this growing problem is to be reduced and stopped".
The Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch '93 Report
"More study is needed to define the magnitude of the problem and
to explore solutions... Research is needed on procedures for storing and disposing
of synthetic materials".
'GESAMP: The State of the Marine Environment'
United Nations Environment Programme 1990
Scotland, with
its extensive coastline and strong industrial links with the sea, makes a
significant contribution to this problem and conversely, can also make a positive
impact by solving the sources of the pollution.
- The Marine
Conservation Society/ Readers Digest Beachwatch '97 resulted in over 4110
kg of refuse being collected from less than 18 miles of Scottish beaches.
- During the summer of 1992 over 2400 plastic fish boxes were washed ashore
on the 170 km Bohuslän coastline in the west of Sweden. Of these over 70%
came from Great Britain, principally from Scotland.
A scheme that reduces the impact of litter from Scottish sources will have
benefits for the rest of the UK and Europe.
There are several voluntary coastal initiatives that effect the Firth of
Forth. These include:
-
Forth Estuary Forum
- Norwich Union Coastwatch
- Marine Conservation Society
- Beach Watch
- Adopt a Beach (MCS)
- North Queensferry Fife Rubbish Free Zone
- RSPB Beachbird Survey
- Fife Coastal Footpath
- Torry Bay clean-ups by Fife Social Work Department.
There is a need to provide a co-ordinating role for these activities and
any further schemes. Most of the organisations focus their efforts on beach
clean-ups but do not attempt to tackle the source of the problem.
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