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Arctic seals receive far eastern DDT
Marine Pollution Bulletin
residues, pumping and unloading arrangements and the provision of reception facilities. In 1983 the IMO assembly adopted procedures and arrangements for the discharge of noxious liquid substances persuant to the regulations of Annex II. Subsequent application of these in selected countries on a trial basis highlighted a number of deficiencies including the general lack of provision of suitable reception facilities for chemical wastes. The recently adopted amendments which were announced last year (Mar. Pollut. Bull. 16, 260) place greater emphasis on improving tank unloading requirements while minimizing the need for reception facilities. The result will be a general improvement in cargo tank stripping efficiencies and a number of specific requirements have been introduced to ensure that both new and existing chemical tankers will reduce the quantities of residues requiring disposal. The amendments are expected to enter into force under the Convention's 'tacit acceptance' procedure on 7 April 1987. As a consequence the Marine Environment Protection Committee agreed that the implementation of Annex I! of MARPOL 73/78 should be deferred from 2 October 1986 until the new amendments entered into force. The Committee, however, adopted a resolution urging Parties to the Convention to comply as far as practicable with the amended provisions of Annex II in the Baltic Sea area from 1 January 1986. In this area requirements identical to those contained in Annex II entered into force on that date under the terms of the Helsinki Convention onthe Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area.
An Alternative to Lead Weights The UK firm Plascoat Systems Ltd (PSL) has announced a dense plastic alternative to lead fishing weights. It is thought that approximately 80% of all swan mortalities occurring in Britain are attributable to lead poisoning. The Nature Conservancy Council recommended that the lead weights used by anglers should be phased out by 1986 and the Government is considering banning their use once acceptable alternatives are available. (Mar. Pollut. Bull. 16, 220). The PSL products are manufactured by new compounding and moulding techniques which produce a dense thermoplastic from an iron powder/polyolefin blend. The new plastic fishing weights being demonstrated in the photograph will be marketed in the UK by Anglers' Snapshot Ltd, and will be in the shops in time for the 1986 fishing season.
WWF Urges Action on Acid Rain The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called on governments and industries to reduce the emissions of atmospheric pollutants responsible for acid rain. The statement issued by WWF International in Geneva was timed to coincide with the International Acid Rain Week held in April. Governments are urged to fulfil their international obligations such as those adopted in the 1979 Convention on Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants. A protocol, which established the '30% Club' of countries, was adopted under the auspices of the Convention. The protocol calls on its signatories (Sweden, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the GDR, and the USSR) to commit themselves to a 30% reduction in the 1980 levels of sulphur dioxide emissions by 1993.
A Pristine Thames A campaign to clean up London's River Thames, started in 1974 at a cost of £200 million to date, has been so successful that it is now the cleanest metropolitan estuary in the world according to IUCN Bulletin 16. The stretch of the Thames flowing through London was so polluted between 1920 and 1960 that no life could survive in its waters. Now almost 100 fish species live in the river's lower reaches. 238
Gerry Hart, a Director of Snapshot, using the new dense plastic fishing weights.
Arctic Seals Receive Far Eastern DDT DDT levels in Arctic ringed seals do not appear to be declining like those in the eastern Canadian harp seals according to a recent report by Richard Addison and co-workers (Envir. Sci. Technol. 20). This report is somewhat disappointing in view of earlier findings by Addison's group in which a marked decline in DDT levels in eastern Canadian harp seals was found and attributed to the DDT ban of the early 1970s (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 16). Interestingly, however, PCB levels in Arctic ringed seals do appear to be slowly falling (and at about the same rate as in the harp seals). This decline
Volume17/Number6/June 1986 probably also reflects the ban on the use and manufacture of these products that also took place at the same time. Analysis of the total DDT residues in the Arctic ringed seals shows there to be a smaller fraction of metabolized DDT groups (p,p,DDE) than in the harp seals suggesting that the Arctic seals have been exposed for much longer to a continuing supply of fresh DDT. DDT has not been used extensively in the Canadian Arctic since the early 1970s; it was apparently being used in China as recently as 1981 and was used extensively in the Far East until at least the end of the last decade. Mechanisms are known to exist by which it could be transported to the Arctic from these sources. One such route could be transport by ocean currents via the Bering Straight (these currents may account for 15-20% of the total water flowing into the Arctic Ocean). Atmospheric transport is another more likely possibility since some of the pollutants in Arctic haze' appear to originate in the Far East. The existence of these pathways suggest that DDT recently used in the Far East could be introduced to the Canadian Arctic and hence find its way into the tinged seal population.
Round Table on Marine Geography, Nice A French-Belgian-Italian round table entitled 'The integration of Man in the Marine Environment' was held on 31 January-1 February 1986 at the University of Nice. Various contributions on different arguments were given by Belgian and French geographers from the Commission on Marine Geography and by Italian geographers from the work group 'Humanization of the sea'. Marine biologists from Pisa and from Nice also participated in the discussion. The aim of the meeting was to analyse the implications deriving from wider and more continuous use of the sea and from progress in maritime management. The following questions were posed: 1. Geoeconomic and geo-political aspects of the development of the international law of the sea; 2. The impact of mineral sea industry on coastal organization; 3. Utilization of biological resources; 4. Technological and organizational progress in maritime transport and its repercussions on port areas; 5. Sea management. The meeting was concluded by reflections on probable sea organization in the near future and on the methodologies which human geography should possess for facing these new fields of study. It was proposed that the International Geographical Union set up as soon as possible a study group on the geography of the sea. G. COGNETTI
cross-referenced. The projects, which are' grouped under general subject areas, list the objectives, methods, status, project leaders/contact officers, funding sources, and publications arising. There are indexes of subject, organization, project leader/contact officer, geographic area, and locality. A new, annual update cycle for information in AMRIP is presently underway. For the first time, respondents were requested to identify the form, storage and availability of primary data, to further enhance the utility of the AMRIP database. The updated information will be accessible online in mid-1986, through the AUSTRALIS information retrieval system on CSIRONET. Charges for the online services have yet to be determined. The online accessibility will continue to be complemented by biennial publications of a hardcopy edition. The next volume is likely to contain analyses of trends in marine science and technology identified by the database since 1981. The management partnership of AMRIP is also considering ways in which an Australian information system such as AMRIP can service needs in Asian and Pacific countries, or can act as a model for the development of special information systems for them. Copies of the 1985 volume may be obtained at a cost of AUSS10.00 plus postage charges from: Victorian Institute of Marine Sciences, 14 Parliament Place, Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia.
Protection for Australian Marine Mammals New legislation aimed at improving the protection of both wild and captive marine mammals is expected to be presented to the New South Wales state parliament during the current session. The Marine Mammals Protection Act will impose maximum fines of up to AS100,000, imprisonment, or both against anyone found guilty of harming these animals in the wild. Most dolphinariums in New South Wales are to be phased out and the remaining captive marine mammals are to be made the property of the Crown. A committee composed of both government representatives and conservation groups is to be set up to advise on conservation strategies for marine mammals and a management plan is to be formulated to monitor population distribution and threats to species.
Nuclear Submarine Incidents
The US Pentagon has confirmed that two of its nuclear powered submarines, the USS Nathaniel Greene and the USS Atlanta, have sustained damage as a result of groundings in European waters. The USS Nathaniel Greene armed with Poseidon missiles touched bottom o n 13 March 1986 in the Irish Sea but w a s able to reach Holy Loch on the East coast of Scotland without assistance. The USS Atlanta damaged ballast tanks and The 1985 edition of Australian Marine Research in Pro- sustained other external damage on 29 April 1986 durgress (AMPdP) has recently been published. It lists 989 ing its passage through the Straits of Gibraltar. The projects in all fields of marine science and technology Pentagon announced that there had been no nuclear and, like previous editions, is extensively indexed and related damage or injury in either accident, and that the
Australian Marine Research Directory
239
residues, pumping and unloading arrangements and the provision of reception facilities. In 1983 the IMO assembly adopted procedures and arrangements for the discharge of noxious liquid substances persuant to the regulations of Annex II. Subsequent application of these in selected countries on a trial basis highlighted a number of deficiencies including the general lack of provision of suitable reception facilities for chemical wastes. The recently adopted amendments which were announced last year (Mar. Pollut. Bull. 16, 260) place greater emphasis on improving tank unloading requirements while minimizing the need for reception facilities. The result will be a general improvement in cargo tank stripping efficiencies and a number of specific requirements have been introduced to ensure that both new and existing chemical tankers will reduce the quantities of residues requiring disposal. The amendments are expected to enter into force under the Convention's 'tacit acceptance' procedure on 7 April 1987. As a consequence the Marine Environment Protection Committee agreed that the implementation of Annex I! of MARPOL 73/78 should be deferred from 2 October 1986 until the new amendments entered into force. The Committee, however, adopted a resolution urging Parties to the Convention to comply as far as practicable with the amended provisions of Annex II in the Baltic Sea area from 1 January 1986. In this area requirements identical to those contained in Annex II entered into force on that date under the terms of the Helsinki Convention onthe Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area.
An Alternative to Lead Weights The UK firm Plascoat Systems Ltd (PSL) has announced a dense plastic alternative to lead fishing weights. It is thought that approximately 80% of all swan mortalities occurring in Britain are attributable to lead poisoning. The Nature Conservancy Council recommended that the lead weights used by anglers should be phased out by 1986 and the Government is considering banning their use once acceptable alternatives are available. (Mar. Pollut. Bull. 16, 220). The PSL products are manufactured by new compounding and moulding techniques which produce a dense thermoplastic from an iron powder/polyolefin blend. The new plastic fishing weights being demonstrated in the photograph will be marketed in the UK by Anglers' Snapshot Ltd, and will be in the shops in time for the 1986 fishing season.
WWF Urges Action on Acid Rain The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called on governments and industries to reduce the emissions of atmospheric pollutants responsible for acid rain. The statement issued by WWF International in Geneva was timed to coincide with the International Acid Rain Week held in April. Governments are urged to fulfil their international obligations such as those adopted in the 1979 Convention on Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants. A protocol, which established the '30% Club' of countries, was adopted under the auspices of the Convention. The protocol calls on its signatories (Sweden, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the GDR, and the USSR) to commit themselves to a 30% reduction in the 1980 levels of sulphur dioxide emissions by 1993.
A Pristine Thames A campaign to clean up London's River Thames, started in 1974 at a cost of £200 million to date, has been so successful that it is now the cleanest metropolitan estuary in the world according to IUCN Bulletin 16. The stretch of the Thames flowing through London was so polluted between 1920 and 1960 that no life could survive in its waters. Now almost 100 fish species live in the river's lower reaches. 238
Gerry Hart, a Director of Snapshot, using the new dense plastic fishing weights.
Arctic Seals Receive Far Eastern DDT DDT levels in Arctic ringed seals do not appear to be declining like those in the eastern Canadian harp seals according to a recent report by Richard Addison and co-workers (Envir. Sci. Technol. 20). This report is somewhat disappointing in view of earlier findings by Addison's group in which a marked decline in DDT levels in eastern Canadian harp seals was found and attributed to the DDT ban of the early 1970s (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 16). Interestingly, however, PCB levels in Arctic ringed seals do appear to be slowly falling (and at about the same rate as in the harp seals). This decline
Volume17/Number6/June 1986 probably also reflects the ban on the use and manufacture of these products that also took place at the same time. Analysis of the total DDT residues in the Arctic ringed seals shows there to be a smaller fraction of metabolized DDT groups (p,p,DDE) than in the harp seals suggesting that the Arctic seals have been exposed for much longer to a continuing supply of fresh DDT. DDT has not been used extensively in the Canadian Arctic since the early 1970s; it was apparently being used in China as recently as 1981 and was used extensively in the Far East until at least the end of the last decade. Mechanisms are known to exist by which it could be transported to the Arctic from these sources. One such route could be transport by ocean currents via the Bering Straight (these currents may account for 15-20% of the total water flowing into the Arctic Ocean). Atmospheric transport is another more likely possibility since some of the pollutants in Arctic haze' appear to originate in the Far East. The existence of these pathways suggest that DDT recently used in the Far East could be introduced to the Canadian Arctic and hence find its way into the tinged seal population.
Round Table on Marine Geography, Nice A French-Belgian-Italian round table entitled 'The integration of Man in the Marine Environment' was held on 31 January-1 February 1986 at the University of Nice. Various contributions on different arguments were given by Belgian and French geographers from the Commission on Marine Geography and by Italian geographers from the work group 'Humanization of the sea'. Marine biologists from Pisa and from Nice also participated in the discussion. The aim of the meeting was to analyse the implications deriving from wider and more continuous use of the sea and from progress in maritime management. The following questions were posed: 1. Geoeconomic and geo-political aspects of the development of the international law of the sea; 2. The impact of mineral sea industry on coastal organization; 3. Utilization of biological resources; 4. Technological and organizational progress in maritime transport and its repercussions on port areas; 5. Sea management. The meeting was concluded by reflections on probable sea organization in the near future and on the methodologies which human geography should possess for facing these new fields of study. It was proposed that the International Geographical Union set up as soon as possible a study group on the geography of the sea. G. COGNETTI
cross-referenced. The projects, which are' grouped under general subject areas, list the objectives, methods, status, project leaders/contact officers, funding sources, and publications arising. There are indexes of subject, organization, project leader/contact officer, geographic area, and locality. A new, annual update cycle for information in AMRIP is presently underway. For the first time, respondents were requested to identify the form, storage and availability of primary data, to further enhance the utility of the AMRIP database. The updated information will be accessible online in mid-1986, through the AUSTRALIS information retrieval system on CSIRONET. Charges for the online services have yet to be determined. The online accessibility will continue to be complemented by biennial publications of a hardcopy edition. The next volume is likely to contain analyses of trends in marine science and technology identified by the database since 1981. The management partnership of AMRIP is also considering ways in which an Australian information system such as AMRIP can service needs in Asian and Pacific countries, or can act as a model for the development of special information systems for them. Copies of the 1985 volume may be obtained at a cost of AUSS10.00 plus postage charges from: Victorian Institute of Marine Sciences, 14 Parliament Place, Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia.
Protection for Australian Marine Mammals New legislation aimed at improving the protection of both wild and captive marine mammals is expected to be presented to the New South Wales state parliament during the current session. The Marine Mammals Protection Act will impose maximum fines of up to AS100,000, imprisonment, or both against anyone found guilty of harming these animals in the wild. Most dolphinariums in New South Wales are to be phased out and the remaining captive marine mammals are to be made the property of the Crown. A committee composed of both government representatives and conservation groups is to be set up to advise on conservation strategies for marine mammals and a management plan is to be formulated to monitor population distribution and threats to species.
Nuclear Submarine Incidents
The US Pentagon has confirmed that two of its nuclear powered submarines, the USS Nathaniel Greene and the USS Atlanta, have sustained damage as a result of groundings in European waters. The USS Nathaniel Greene armed with Poseidon missiles touched bottom o n 13 March 1986 in the Irish Sea but w a s able to reach Holy Loch on the East coast of Scotland without assistance. The USS Atlanta damaged ballast tanks and The 1985 edition of Australian Marine Research in Pro- sustained other external damage on 29 April 1986 durgress (AMPdP) has recently been published. It lists 989 ing its passage through the Straits of Gibraltar. The projects in all fields of marine science and technology Pentagon announced that there had been no nuclear and, like previous editions, is extensively indexed and related damage or injury in either accident, and that the
Australian Marine Research Directory
239