Social and economic drivers of activities affecting marine mammals
All social and economic drivers have the potential to influence the quality status of marine mammals. Marine mammals provide a tangible and iconic focus for society’s need to appreciate nature and biodiversity by conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources. Marine mammals play a key role in marine ecosystems in terms of biomass, consumption and energy transfer, which emphasises their major ecological importance, and they are also major contributors to the marine cultural ecosystem services underpinning the tourism sector. Public concerns about the conservation of iconic species stimulate societal debate, driving public pressure on political debate and demands for action.
The list below presents the drivers of the main activities impacting marine mammals.
Society’s need for stable economies, energy, and materials has been one of the main drivers for the extraction of minerals, oil and gas production and the development of offshore renewables. These activities have been linked to increases in underwater noise and releases of chemicals directly into the marine mammal habitat. The oil and gas industry is also one of the main contributors to climate change, and society’s responses to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change have resulted in:
- the expansion of renewable energy technologies to meet society’s need for energy, involving the introduction of associated infrastructure to the marine environment, which can either directly or indirectly affect marine mammals, their prey and their habitats;
- threats to society requiring coastal and flood protection, sea defences, levees and dikes, infrastructure that has the potential to either directly or indirectly affect marine mammals and their habitats.
Society’s need for energy and national security has been linked to loud impulse noise which can seriously affect marine mammals.
Society’s need for industrial processes and for the trade and movement of goods can introduce pollutants, including underwater noise and litter, to the marine environment, which can affect marine mammals. Shipments of goods by sea, and navigational dredging in support of shipping, can each contribute to the input or remobilisation of contaminants in the marine environment and the displacement of marine mammals. Vessel movements can disturb or displace marine mammals or cause injury or death through collisions.
Growing global human populations increase society’s need for food, and fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture will help to meet this growing demand. These activities can influence contaminant and nutrient levels in the marine environment. Acoustic deterrents used to protect fish stocks can affect marine mammal behaviours. Some fishing activities and farming practices can be detrimental to marine mammals and lead to incidental catches of marine mammals as well as habitat loss and prey depletion.
Services related to society’s need for health and well-being, such as waste treatment and disposal, can introduce pollutants to the marine environment. Activities related to leisure and tourism can result in disturbance, collision or other associated impacts.
Policy responses for managing human activities need to consider all these driving forces in order to meet society’s needs while reducing the risks to marine mammals and facilitate societal change.
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