OSPAR measures relating to pressures
Since QSR 2010, OSPAR has put in place recommendations and guidance relating to pressures from several human activities. Key examples of these are summarised in Table 6 below. The table is focused on OSPAR measures; the section of this assessment relating to activities includes other information on management measures. It does not include OSPAR provisions relating to monitoring – for example of noise, litter, or discharges. Measures related to the oil and gas industry are listed in the Offshore Industry thematic assessment .
Measures to address incidental by-catch and habitat damage from human activities, notably fisheries, are referred to in several OSPAR Recommendations on threatened and / or declining species and habitats, including species of elasmobranchs, seabirds, and cetaceans as well as shallow and deep-water habitats such as cold-water corals and deep- sea sponge aggregations (see: Overview Assessment of Implementation of OSPAR Recommendations for Protection and Conservation of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats).
A progress report on the implementation of all OSPAR measures is available here. While take-up of guidelines is not universal, there is nonetheless good evidence of most Contracting Parties using them in their regulatory processes.
| Title of measure | Activities affected | Content of measure |
|---|---|---|
| OSPAR Recommendation 2010/20 on an OSPAR Framework for Reporting Encounters with Conventional and Chemical Munitions in the OSPAR Maritime Area (Recommendation 2010/20) | Not an ongoing activity | Reporting framework designed to improve data on munitions, enabling better management of historical dumping sites and evaluation of risks |
| Guidelines for Best Environmental Practice in Cable Laying and Operation (Agreement 2012-02) (Revised 2017) | Power transmission (including offshore renewables); telecommunications | Sets out measures to avoid and mitigate the ecological impacts of construction, operation, and removal of underwater cables |
| OSPAR Guidelines on Artificial Reefs in relation to Living Marine Resources (Agreement 2012-03) | Fisheries, nature conservation | Assists Contracting Parties in considering the consequences for the marine environment of the placement of artificial reefs on the seabed |
| Regional Action Plan for Prevention and Management of Marine Litter in the North-East Atlantic (Agreement 2014-01) (Amended 2018) | Shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, plastics, waste water | Sets out a range of actions for limiting input of litter to the marine environment, and for removal of existing litter. An updated action plan (RAP ML 2) is in preparation for adoption in 2022 |
| OSPAR Guidelines for the Management of Dredged Material at Sea (Agreement 2014-06) | Shipping and ports; coastal protection; dredging for ecosystem enhancement | Provides a technical framework for assessing dredged material for deposit at sea in line with best environmental practice |
| Fishing for Litter Guidelines (Agreement 2017-08) | Fisheries | Sets out the parameters for Fishing for Litter schemes |
| Recommendation on the reduction of marine litter through the implementation of sustainability education programmes for fishers (Recommendation 2019/01); Guidelines on the reduction of marine litter through the implementation of sustainability education programmes for fishers (Agreement 2019-08) | Fisheries | Promoting the implementation of sustainability education programmes for fishers including addressing the social, economic and ecological impacts of marine litter; guidance on content of programmes |
| Joint Harmonised Procedure on the granting of exemptions under the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (Agreement 2020-01)⁵ | Shipping | Sets out a procedure to ensure that exemptions under the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments are applied by OSPAR and HELCOM Contracting Parties in a manner that prevents damage to the environment, human health, property or resources |
| Recommendation on the reduction of plastic pellet loss into the marine environment (Recommendation 2021/06); Guidelines in support of OSPAR Recommendation 2021/06 on the reduction of plastic pellet loss into the marine environment (Agreement 2021-06) | Plastic supply chain, including production and transport | Recommends that OSPAR Contracting Parties should promote pellet loss prevention standards and certification schemes, and sets out guidance on the content of these standards and schemes |
In considering responses, it is important to assess the effectiveness of measures taken and which of those measures are delivering the greatest effect in relation to costs. This may require more consideration of alternatives to existing or planned measures. OSPAR may wish to consider further analysis on the success and costs of key management measures, as a way to improve decision making on what measures should be prioritised. It may also wish to consider work to better analyse how maritime spatial planning contributes to efforts to improve the state of the marine environment.
Footnotes
5Other OSPAR agreements relating to ballast water also applied before the Convention came into force
| Impact | Cumulative Effects |