needs for sustainable development of the black sea ecosystem dr.eng. simion nicolaev, dr. nicolae c....

NEEDS FOR NEEDS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

OF THE BLACK SEA ECOSYSTEMOF THE BLACK SEA ECOSYSTEM

Dr.eng. Simion NICOLAEV, Dr. Nicolae C. Dr.eng. Simion NICOLAEV, Dr. Nicolae C. PAPADOPOL PAPADOPOL

National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” Constanta - ROMANIA

Needs for Sustainable Development of the Black Sea EcosystemNeeds for Sustainable Development of the Black Sea Ecosystem

1. INTRODUCTION• The dynamics of environmental changes in the Black Sea, during the last decade, imposes the necessity of quasipermanent survey of the state of the marine ecosystem and of the assessment of its evolutionary trends.• The last decade proved the most intense regional and international efforts devoted to protection and sustainable development of the marine ecosystem:

° Bucharest Convention(1992);

o Odessa Declaration (1993);

oGEF Black Sea Programme :

• Environmental Project (1994-1997)

• Ecosystem Rehabilitation Projects (2001-2005).

NIMRD National Symposium with international participation (Constanta, October 9-11, 2004) – a current analysis of the state of health of the marine ecosystem; comparative guide marks.

2. Main characteristics of the Romanian marine zone:

• length of littoral: 245 km (6% of total Black Sea littoral);

• 163 km (67%) – northern sector,not arranged beaches, DDBR;

• 82 km (33%) – central and southern sector, arranged beaches and cliffs (harbours Midia, Constanta, Mangalia).

•EEZ (1986) occupies about 80% of the continental shelf surface

(about 30.000 km 2).

•Romanian marine space influenced by:

•Danube (about ½ of pollutant input);

•Other northern rivers, under the influence of the marine current from direction North;

•Economic activities (harbours, offshore industry, fishing)

•Urban wastewater.


Main environmental issues of the Romanian coastal zone (1960 – 2000):

• coastal erosion (especially in the northern sector);

• eutrophication;

• pollution (hydrocarbons, urban wastewaters, pesticides, PCBs etc.)

• allohtonous immigrants;

• decline of living resource stocks.


3. Defining elements of national politics concerning sustainable management of the marine environment:

• New legal framework for the sustainable development of the marine environment(14 laws / 1990-2003)

• Juridical regime of marine water;

• Regulation of environmental protection and of coastal zone management;

• Regulation of juridical regime of protected areas;

• Regulation of marine living resources exploitation;

• Participation of Romania in regional and international cooperations in the marine domain.


Major achievements in the implementation of sustainable management politics concerning the marine environment:

• implementation of EU Directives

• implementation of FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

• implementation of provisions of :

• Bucharest Convention

• MARPOL

• ACCOBAMS

• CITES

• GloBallast Programme/ IMO• participation in GEF associate PHARE/TACIS, NATO, LIFE, UE programmes

• major investments in wastewater treatment plants Constanta Sud, Eforie Sud, Mangalia

• major investments in Constanta harbour.


4.1. Compared to the ’70 and ’80, a gradual decline of eutrophication, more prominent after 1995, as a consequence of decreased annual nutrient inputs.

0

3

6

9

12

15

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

P-PO4(µM)

Si-SiO4(µM)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

(µM) N-NO2 N-NH4 N-NO3

4. Present state and main evolutionary trends of the marine ecosystem:


4.2. Pollution in predanubian marine sector and even offshore still evident; in 2003 alarming organochlorinate pesticide concentrations, in the isolated locations.

Situatia poluarii cu pesticide organoclorurate in apa in zona de varsare a Dunarii

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

Sulina amonte

Sulina aval

Sulina bara

Sulina 20 m

Mila 9 5 m

Mila 9 20 m

Mila 9 30 m

Sf. Gh. 5 m

Sf. Gh. 20 m

Portita 5 m

Portita 20 m

Portita 30 m

Gura Buhaz 5m

Gura Buhaz 20 m

ug/L

HCB Lindan Heptaclor Diledrin Endrin


4.3. Decrease of excessive phytoplanctonic production, characteristic to high eutrophication in the ’80s, both as annual numerical densities and biomasses.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

densitate biomasa

dens

ity(

x106

cell

/l)

biomass (g/m

3)

Nutrient concentrations level still high, able to induce under favorable conditions, summer algal blooms or explosive developments of macrophytic algae.


4.4. Decline of secondary production at trophic zooplankton level, more obvious starting 1995.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

mg/m

-3

Primavara Vara Toamna Zpk trofic total Tendinta (zpk trofic total)

During last 4 to 5 years, decline of Noctiluca scintillans – pollution indicator. Considerable biomass decline of immigrants Mnemiopsis and Beroe.


4.5. Recovery of benthic cenoses, by increase of species diversity of trophic macrobenthos.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60S

pecie

s n

um

ber


For both zooplanktonic and zoobenthic communities, most relevant recovery trends in offshore zones, over 30 to 40 m depths (shallow water zones more vulnerable to anthropic activities)

4.6. Marine fish catches presently stabilized at 2.000 – 2.500 t/year (1999-2002), following a drastic involution compared to 1990.

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Captura totala (t)


4.7. Diminishing of exploitation intensity and favorable environmental conditions allowed a recovery of some pelagic gregarious fish species: sprat,anchovy, horse mackerel and blue fish. This phenomenon is make evident for seasonal sprat agglomerations.

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

Bio

masa (

t)

apri

lie

mai

iunie

iulie

august

septe

mbri

e

octo

mbri

e

aprilie 40751 30759 6432 15000 15000 55000

mai 7937 9000

iunie 56000 37783 20518 30000 25000

iulie 18120 7802 24184 30000 24000 40000

august 50789 40000 30000

septembrie 34539 45000 50000 45000

octombrie 35000

1992 1993 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002


4.8. Considerable increase of signalizing frequency of dolphins in the Romanian waters, as recovery indices of their stocks. Fishing with gillnets continues to be a severe streathening.


4.9. As to biodiversity, still high number of endangered species: 206 taxa in 2003. Simultaneously, previously declining species reappeared (pilchard, mackerel, bonito, decapods species), simultaneously with the occurrence and

naturalization of some recent immigrants (e.g. blue crab, Callinectes sapidus).


4.10. Coastal erosion continues to act intensively in the northern and central littoral sectors.


GENERAL CONCLUSIONS:

• On the background of restructured economic activities and of increases exigencies with respect to implementation of environment politics, a slight but continuous recovery process of the marine ecosystem has taken place during last years. Ecological improvement trends are visible both as to water quality parameters and at structural and functional level of biota.

• Ecologically, the marine ecosystem on the whole can be assimilated to a state of convalescence. Under these conditions of fragile equilibrium, it can become vulnerable due to anthropic impact and effects of global climatic changes.

• The continuity of the natural process of health recovery of the sea depends on the continuity and accomplishment of the conservation, protection and management measures with respect to the marine environment, both at national and regional level for the entire Black Sea basin.



• Short term priorities for ensuring sustainable development of the marine environment:

A. Actions at national level:

• Implementation of ICZM process (Law no. 280/2003, with about 30 technical-juridical provisions)

• Implementation of Water Framework Directive

• Implementation of Shellfish Water Directive

• Implementation of Habitats Directive

• Implementation of National Strategic Action Plan

• Implementation of National Action Plan for Dolphin Conservation

• Implementation of National Action Plan to Minimize the Transfer of Harmful Marine and Pathogen Organisms in Ships Ballast Water for the Black Sea Region

• Elaboration of quality norms for various types of water, for discharges, for indicators etc.

• Implementation of FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries


• Short term priorities for ensuring sustainable development of the marine environment:

B. Actions at regional level:

• Adoption of new Convention / Protocol of Fishing and Conservation of Black Sea Living Resources

• Revision of Protocol (Bucharest Convention) on Land-Based Pollution Sources

• Adoption of Protocol (Bucharest Convention) on Transboundary Transfer of Hazardous Substances

• Adoption of Regional Strategy on Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation

needs for sustainable development of the black sea ecosystem dr.eng. simion nicolaev, dr. nicolae c....

Documents

sustainable development

black sea ecosystem

marine current

marine research

marine domain

romanian marine zone

romanian marine space

ogef black sea programme