Monitoring system under the Norwegian management plans

for the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea.

Knut Sunnanå

EMODNET

Seventh meeting of Marine Observation and Data Expert Group, Nov 25, 2009

Ecological Quality Objectives

• Extensive reports on the Ecosystem

• Understanding functioning of ecosystems

• Assessment processes

• Selection of indicators

• Simplification

• State, pressure and effect signals

• Management rules

Main impacts up to 2020

• Petroleum industry: its expansion will be the main change in human activity in this period. Possible impacts from oil spills and risks related to rising transport volumes.

• Fisheries: management is currently based on the precautionary approach. IUU fishing and insufficient control may have serious impacts on resources, environment, trade and local communities

• Long-range transport of pollutants: the situation in 2020 is likely to be unchanged from 2006. Inputs of "old" hazardous substances are expected to decrease, but they are already dispersed and degradation is slow. Inputs of "new" hazardous substances are expected to increase.

• Introduction of alien species: this is a serious threat, which will increases as tanker traffic increases. May result in substantial changes in ecosystems.

• The greatest long-term challange is climate change.

Management plan• Report to the Parliament

• Management of – Activities– Environment– Ecosystem functionality

• Monitoring system

• Goals and actions– Law enforcement is separate

• Reporting system

40 °35 °30 °25 °20 °15 °10 °5 °

85 °75 °65 °55 °45 °35 °25 °15 °5 °0 °-5 °-15 °-25 °-35 °-50 °-75 °

81 °

76 °

71 °

76 °

71 °

-65

°-4

0 °

-30

°-2

0 °

-15

°-5

°

45 °

50 °

55 °

60 °

65 °

80 °

Management plan areaShipping routes

Ecologically valuable areasDisputed area

Oil/ gas discoveries

High intensity fishingFramework for petroleum industry

No petroleum activityNo new petroleum activities

No drilling, March - September

Norway

Russia

Spitzbergen

Franz Josef Land

Greenland

Lofoten

Polar front

Bear Island65 km zone

Ice-edge

Lofoten - Vesterålen

Tromsøflaketbank area

Management plan Barents Sea

• Developed 2002 – 2006• Established 2006• Important themes:

– Identification of valuable ares

– Area based framework for oil and gas aktivity

– Indicator based monitoring

– EcoQO’s for all ecosystem components

• Organisation:– Management forum (NP)

– Advisory group on monitoring (IMR)

– Forum on environmental risk management (CA)

Olsen et al. 2007, ICES JMS, Olsen et al. 2007, ICES JMS,

PARTICULAR VALUABLE AREAS

Important for biological production

Important for biodivesity

Based, among others, on:

-Coexistence of oil-fish in the Norwegian and North Seas

-Marine protected areas

-Identification of particular valuable areas in the Lofoten –Barents Sea area

Management Plan for The Norwegian Sea

Management plan for The North Sea

New actions – coordination of monitoring

To be done through ”Advisory group on monitoring of sea areas”– Broad membership from

relevant public institutions– Coordinate the

implementation of the monitoring system

– Systematise and interpret the results based on the indicators, reference values and action thresholds to be used in the system

–

▶ Research and advisory programmes for the ecosystems

Establish knowledge as a basis for the management of the marine resources and environment in:

• The Barents Sea• The Norwegian Sea• The North Sea• The coastal zone

HÅKON MOSBY

BUILT: 1980

701 GRT., L.o.a: 47,2 M

DR. FRIDTJOF NANSEN

BUILT: 1993

1444 GRT.

L.o.a: 56,8 M

OWNER: NORAD

G.M. DANNEVIG

BUILT: 1979

171 BGRT.

L.o.a: 27,9 M

JOHAN HJORT

BUILT: 1990

1828 GRT.

L.o.a: 64,4 M

G.O. SARS

BUILT: 2003

4067 GRT.

L.o.a: 77,5 M

CRUISE ACTIVITY

Vessel Days at Sea

G.O. Sars 312

Johan Hjort 303

Håkon Mosby 314

G.M. Dannevig 178

Dr. Fridtjof Nansen 324

Hans Brattström 200

Fangst 188

Jan Mayen 79

Chartered vessels 828

Total 2459

Our most important tools for collecting data on the ecosystem

▶ The research vessels

Ecological quality indicators

EcoQO (Indicators, reference value and limits of action)– Ocean climate (3/2)– Ice edge (1/0)– Plant plankton (3/2)– Zoo plankton (2/3)– Fish stocks – non commercial (2/0)– Fish stocks – commercial (3/5)– Benthic organisms (3/1)– Sea birds and marine mammals (5/3-6)– Alien species (1/1)– Vulnerable / threatened species (1/1)– Pollution (4/17)

Operational monitoring• Map the extent of monitoring

– Geographic - including vulnerable and valuable areas– Time - between and through years (time series)

• Establish a system of evaluation of relevance and importance of existing monitoring – Relevance for management– Importance for quality of research– Consequences for health, environment and safety

• Establish a common understanding of “Ecosystem based management” between institutions

• Establish a system where institutions cooperate on monitoring planning

• ”Loan” of competent personnel in monitoring• Arrange open conferences to ensure evaluation and

feedback

Reports

• Different types of reports– Status reports to the public– Status reports to the government– Assessment reports– Survey and field work reports– Internal / technical reports

• Reporting systems– Internet / document portals– Scientific publications

The Malawi Principles for the Ecosystem Approach (CBD)

Five-point scale used to indicate level of impact

Climate and acidification of the sea

pH and carbonate concentration (global mean values) in surface ocean waters between 1800 and 2100. The values for 1800 are to close to those for pre-industrial conditions. Projected values are based on continued greenhouse gas emissions. The dotted lines show the projected levels in 2025

Climate changeThe temperature in the Barents Sea

The sea ice is melting

Conflict of interests• Fishing, petroleum

and shipping activities overlap in a corridor outside the territorial waters. Especially in:– Lofoten islands– Tromsø-bank– Coast of Finnmark

• Less conflict potential offshore

• Conflict with valuable areas

Knowledge development

• “DG Ocean”…?

• Social science in management

• Sector based research institutes– Cross sector activities

• Universities / academia

• Project themes– Valuable and vulnerable areas– Baseline studies– Long time series

Scientific basis and knowledge gaps• There is a sound scientific basis for the

management plan, but gaps in our knowledge have been identified and the following priority tasks identified:– Mapping of the bottom habitat– Studies of ecological interactions between

species and components of the ecosystem (energy flow)

– Studies of effects of pollutants

• Measures to be introduced:– A better coordinated environmental

monitoring system, to monitor the state of the ecosystem and environmental trends (indicators, reference values, action thresholds)

– Expansion of research activity and surveys

– Steps to fill gaps in our knowledge: activities under the Research Council of Norway

Seismic noise

Range 7000 m

Oil droplets in water reduces feeding in cod larvae

High concentration of oil droplets Control group (not exposed)

Empty stomach

Food in stomach

Mortality rate used in risk analysis does not account for long term effects related to larval survival to adult fish.

Integrate all types of monitoring

•Vision: i-Nord/Barentswatch shall become an international recognized and comprehensive dynamic surveillance system of the Arctic and Barents Sea related to safety, security, resources and environmental issues of the entire water column, sea ice-cover and lower atmosphere in a short and long term perspective.