Ministry
of the Environment, 1999
THE NORTH SEA AN INTEGRATED, ECOSYSTEM
APPROACH
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The states bordering on the North Sea have been successful in
developing a regional cooperation for the sustainable management of the North
Sea ecosystems and its living resources. The process towards integrating
fisheries management and environmental protection, conservation and management
measures based on an ecosystem approach has been a very promising experience.
Over the years since the first International Conference on the
Protection of the North Sea in 1984, the North Sea states have achieved good
results in their joint efforts to reduce pollution and to protect North Sea
ecosystems. Some examples of partly or fully implemented commitments are:
- ban on the dumping and incineration of waste at sea
- reduction of inputs of nutrients by 50%
- cessation of all inputs of hazardous substances within one
generation (by the year 2020)
- ban on the dumping of offshore installations
- ban on the application of TBT.
The success of the North Sea cooperation is the result of a
combination of several elements:
- cooperation on a regional level between states which have a
common interest in protecting common resources
- frequent meetings at political level
- political commitments without legally binding enforcement
- broad and comprehensive approach
- willingness on the part of ministers to commit themselves to
ambitious targets
- transparency and the active participation of all stakeholders,
including industry and NGOs
- comprehensive reviews of progress.
One of the main challenges for the future is to develop and
make use of an integrated ecosystem-based approach in the management of the
North Sea.
North Sea Brochure as pdf-file
Download Powerpoint presentation file1 and file2. (1.2 MB and 9.3 MB)
