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Europe's seas under pressure from human activities, climate change: report

Xinhua, June 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Human activities and climate change are increasingly putting a number of pressures on Europe's seas, the cumulative effects of which threaten the functioning and resilience of marine ecosystems, according to a new report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Wednesday.

The EEA's "State of Europe's Seas" report, in line with the development of the European Union's (EU) Blue Growth objectives, which aspire to greater and sustainable use of the seas' potential, examines whether the EU is meeting its policy goals for the quality of the marine environment.

Despite some improvements, the way Europe's seas being used remains unsustainable and threatens not only the productivity of the seas, but also the wellbeing of the Europeans, said the report.

For species and habitats assessed from 2007 to 2012 under the EU's Habitats Directive, Only 9 percent of marine habitats and 7 percent of marine species assessments were in "favorable conservation status," while 66 percent of habitats and 27 percent of species assessments were "unfavorable," noted the report.

Current pressures include, among others, physical damage to the seafloor due to bottom-trawling in particular, introduction of non-indigenous species, nutrient input owing to agricultural fertilizers, hazardous substance pollution and marine litter, according to the report.

Moreover, climate change-induced temperature increases and potential ocean acidification can further weaken the ecological resilience of Europe's seas.

"We need to respect the ecological boundaries of Europe's seas if we want to continue enjoying the benefits we receive. This requires aligning our policy ambitions for economic growth with our policy targets of securing healthy, clean and productive seas. Ultimately, this will entail making fundamental changes in the way we meet our societal needs," said Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director.

"Seas are part of our European natural capital and their protection and exploitation require a European approach. In many cases, it also requires a global approach," added Bruyninckx. Endit