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Norfolk Broads—Fertilizers not exonerated
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Environmental Regulation Legislation relating to environmental pollution controls in western Europe is a jungle. Not only do regulations and standards vary from country to country and sometimes even from locality to locality within them, but there are also EEC regulations which may be different again, and to make matters worse, all seem to be in a constant state of flux. Pity the company that operates across national boundaries and tries to stay within the law. Concawe, the oil companies' international study group for conservation of clean air and water in Europe, has just issued the sixth updated list of published environmental regulations relating to the oil industry in Western Europe. It includes tables on regulations on the permitted sulphur content of fuel oils, gasolene composition, vehicle exhaust emissions, requirements and codes for pipelines, environmental noise control, and liquid effluent discharge limits. It is an indication of the rate at which the law changes that Concawe proposes to issue a revision of this booklet every six months. Report 2/77 can be obtained free from Concawe, 60 Van Hogenhoucklaan, The Hague, 2018, Netherlands.
Baselines for Metals and Organochlorines
Norfolk Broads not Exonerated
Fertilizers
While the importance of treated sewage in the eutrophication process is obvious at Barton Broad, which is downstream of two sewage works (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 8, 172, 1977) other Broads, many of which do not receive either treated or untreated sewage have also deteriorated. Dr C.F. Mason of the Department of Biology, University of Essex says that this situation together with evidence that some 60°70 of the loading in Barton Broad is from non-sewage sources i.e. land drainage, does not allow agricultural fertilizers to be exonerated. He maintains "They still appear to be the only nutrient source ramifying throughout the Broads system, though nowhere in the scientific press have other sources of nutrients been dismissed".
Round-the-World News United Kingdom A new fishing vessel licensing system has been introduced by the United Kingdom in a bid to conserve mackerel stocks in the fishing areas off the west of Scotland, the south west of England and in the Irish Sea. The new Licensing Order which took effect on 17 September, prohibits UK vessels fishing for mackerel except under licence. These were issued for an initial period to 31 October. Licence holders will be required to submit information on landings and disposals of their mackerel catch to enable provisions of the Order to be reviewed before further licences are issued. In a similar conservation attempt to protect the spawning herring stocks east of the Isle of Man an Order has been made prohibiting herring fishing in the north eastern part of the Irish Sea during the period 1 October to 19 November.
Collaboration between fisheries scientists of western European countries, Canada, Greenland and the United States has produced a baseline study of the level of metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons in fish throughout the north Atlantic. This exercise was promoted by the Australia International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Two scientists working for the New South Wales State (ICES) and is a development from a similar baseline Fisheries Department in Sydney have developed a new study of contaminants in the North Sea, which it technique for measuring mercury contamination of fish mounted in 1974 (see Mar. Pollut. Bull., 5, 161-163, which allows tests to be carried out in minutes and which 1974). The contaminants included in the survey were could be automated to enable hundreds of tests a week to PCBs, organochloride pesticide residues, and lead, be carried out in a single laboratory. The scientists, Mr cadmium, mercury, copper and zinc. Most effort was Ramon Chvojka, a State Fisheries analytical chemist, devoted to analysing cod and hake, but sole, plaice, and Mr Jurgen Kacprzak, a research chemist with the herring, capelin, pilchard, Greenland halibut and deep Health Commission, have developed a substantial modisea prawn were also included as optional extras. fication of the atomic absorption technique which allows The report (ICES Cooperative Research Report 69) tests for organic and inorganic mercury to be carried out concludes that, "in general, the levels of both metals at the same time with savings in time, labour and and organochlorine particle residues in the North materials. Atlantic are similar to or lower than those of the mid and northern North Sea and correspondingly lower than Malta those for hot spot coastal areas reported in the previous The Regional Oil Combating Centre for the Mediterranean North Sea Baseline Study". The Irish Sea, Gulf of St. (ROCC) has submitted an outline of a contingency plan Lawrence are relatively highly contaminated particularly to fight pollution in Maltese waters to the Government. with organochlorine residues, and these areas, together The plan describes the organizational arrangements with the southern North Sea should be studied in more necessary to enable the Maltese government to take detail. There were no data for west and south Ireland speedy and effective action should an oil spill occur on or and few data for Biscay (where there is a possibility of near the island's coast. The Centre was opened in Manoel pollution) and more work is needed on these areas, but Island in Malta last December by the United Nations no further surveys of other parts of the North Atlantic Environment Programme (UNEP) and the InterGovernmental Maritime Organisation (IMCO). will be necessary for 5 years. 244
Environmental Regulation Legislation relating to environmental pollution controls in western Europe is a jungle. Not only do regulations and standards vary from country to country and sometimes even from locality to locality within them, but there are also EEC regulations which may be different again, and to make matters worse, all seem to be in a constant state of flux. Pity the company that operates across national boundaries and tries to stay within the law. Concawe, the oil companies' international study group for conservation of clean air and water in Europe, has just issued the sixth updated list of published environmental regulations relating to the oil industry in Western Europe. It includes tables on regulations on the permitted sulphur content of fuel oils, gasolene composition, vehicle exhaust emissions, requirements and codes for pipelines, environmental noise control, and liquid effluent discharge limits. It is an indication of the rate at which the law changes that Concawe proposes to issue a revision of this booklet every six months. Report 2/77 can be obtained free from Concawe, 60 Van Hogenhoucklaan, The Hague, 2018, Netherlands.
Baselines for Metals and Organochlorines
Norfolk Broads not Exonerated
Fertilizers
While the importance of treated sewage in the eutrophication process is obvious at Barton Broad, which is downstream of two sewage works (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 8, 172, 1977) other Broads, many of which do not receive either treated or untreated sewage have also deteriorated. Dr C.F. Mason of the Department of Biology, University of Essex says that this situation together with evidence that some 60°70 of the loading in Barton Broad is from non-sewage sources i.e. land drainage, does not allow agricultural fertilizers to be exonerated. He maintains "They still appear to be the only nutrient source ramifying throughout the Broads system, though nowhere in the scientific press have other sources of nutrients been dismissed".
Round-the-World News United Kingdom A new fishing vessel licensing system has been introduced by the United Kingdom in a bid to conserve mackerel stocks in the fishing areas off the west of Scotland, the south west of England and in the Irish Sea. The new Licensing Order which took effect on 17 September, prohibits UK vessels fishing for mackerel except under licence. These were issued for an initial period to 31 October. Licence holders will be required to submit information on landings and disposals of their mackerel catch to enable provisions of the Order to be reviewed before further licences are issued. In a similar conservation attempt to protect the spawning herring stocks east of the Isle of Man an Order has been made prohibiting herring fishing in the north eastern part of the Irish Sea during the period 1 October to 19 November.
Collaboration between fisheries scientists of western European countries, Canada, Greenland and the United States has produced a baseline study of the level of metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons in fish throughout the north Atlantic. This exercise was promoted by the Australia International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Two scientists working for the New South Wales State (ICES) and is a development from a similar baseline Fisheries Department in Sydney have developed a new study of contaminants in the North Sea, which it technique for measuring mercury contamination of fish mounted in 1974 (see Mar. Pollut. Bull., 5, 161-163, which allows tests to be carried out in minutes and which 1974). The contaminants included in the survey were could be automated to enable hundreds of tests a week to PCBs, organochloride pesticide residues, and lead, be carried out in a single laboratory. The scientists, Mr cadmium, mercury, copper and zinc. Most effort was Ramon Chvojka, a State Fisheries analytical chemist, devoted to analysing cod and hake, but sole, plaice, and Mr Jurgen Kacprzak, a research chemist with the herring, capelin, pilchard, Greenland halibut and deep Health Commission, have developed a substantial modisea prawn were also included as optional extras. fication of the atomic absorption technique which allows The report (ICES Cooperative Research Report 69) tests for organic and inorganic mercury to be carried out concludes that, "in general, the levels of both metals at the same time with savings in time, labour and and organochlorine particle residues in the North materials. Atlantic are similar to or lower than those of the mid and northern North Sea and correspondingly lower than Malta those for hot spot coastal areas reported in the previous The Regional Oil Combating Centre for the Mediterranean North Sea Baseline Study". The Irish Sea, Gulf of St. (ROCC) has submitted an outline of a contingency plan Lawrence are relatively highly contaminated particularly to fight pollution in Maltese waters to the Government. with organochlorine residues, and these areas, together The plan describes the organizational arrangements with the southern North Sea should be studied in more necessary to enable the Maltese government to take detail. There were no data for west and south Ireland speedy and effective action should an oil spill occur on or and few data for Biscay (where there is a possibility of near the island's coast. The Centre was opened in Manoel pollution) and more work is needed on these areas, but Island in Malta last December by the United Nations no further surveys of other parts of the North Atlantic Environment Programme (UNEP) and the InterGovernmental Maritime Organisation (IMCO). will be necessary for 5 years. 244