AWJ MARINE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Water Framework Directive Opportunities & Threats

Imagine an EC Directive that could change your life….. For Better A cleaner, healthier environment For Worse  Microbiological standards lost in shellfish waters  Restrictions on shellfish cultivation & shellfishing?  More laws, more duties, more responsibilities….

Why should I care?

WFD: Vital statistics Made in pages 26 Articles 11 Annexes

In with a new approach… River Basin Districts –Rivers –Lakes –Estuaries –Coastal waters 1nm (England & Wales) 3nm Scotland

…integrating management….. River Basin Mgmt. Plan Programme of Measures “Good Ecological Status” RBMPPOM GES

…getting rid of the junk… Article 22 Repeals and transitional provisions 1. The following shall be repealed with effect from seven years after the date of entry into force of this Directive: [20/12/07] […] 2. The following shall be repealed with effect from 13 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive: [20/12/13] […] Article 22 Repeals and transitional provisions 1. The following shall be repealed with effect from seven years after the date of entry into force of this Directive: [20/12/07] […] 2. The following shall be repealed with effect from 13 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive: [20/12/13] […]

…but keeping the good stuff (i) The Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC); (ii) The Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) (1); (iii) The Drinking Water Directive (80/778/EEC) [as amended]; (iv) The Major Accidents (Seveso) Directive (96/82/EC) (2); (v) The Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (85/337/EEC) (3); (vi) The Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278/EEC) (4); (vii) The Urban Waste-water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC); (viii) The Plant Protection Products Directive (91/414/EEC); (ix) The Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC); (x) The Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) (5); (xi) The Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive (96/61/EC).

? What about Shellfish Waters? Article 22 Repeals and transitional provisions […] 2. The following shall be repealed with effect from 13 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive: […] - Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish waters Article 22 Repeals and transitional provisions […] 2. The following shall be repealed with effect from 13 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive: […] - Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish waters Shellfish Waters Directive 30 th October 1979 – 20 th December 2013 Shellfish Waters Directive 30 th October 1979 – 20 th December 2013 R.I.P.

WFD: Protecting shellfish Article 6 Register of protected areas 1. Member States shall ensure the establishment of a register or registers of all areas lying within each river basin district which have been designated as requiring special protection under specific Community legislation […] 2. The register […] shall include […] all protected areas covered by Annex IV. […] ANNEX IV PROTECTED AREAS 1. The register of protected areas required under Article 6 shall include the following types of protected areas: (i) areas designated for the abstraction of water intended for human consumption […]; (ii) areas designated for the protection of economically significant aquatic species; (iii) bodies of water designated as recreational waters, including areas designated as bathing waters under Directive 76/160/EEC; (iv) nutrient-sensitive areas, including areas designated as vulnerable zones under Directive 91/676/EEC and areas designated as sensitive areas under Directive 91/271/EEC; and (v) areas designated for the protection of habitats or species where the maintenance or improvement of the status of water is an important factor in their protection, including relevant Natura 2000 sites designated under Directive 92/43/EEC and Directive 79/409/EEC.

Just one tiny snag…. Protected Area Directive repealed? Microbial Protection retained? Bathing Waters  Drinking Waters  Shellfish Waters 

What does the WFD really mean? ItemRiverLakeEstuarySea 1 or 3nm12nm Chemical status Fish  Benthic species  Bathing waters (bacteria)  Wildlife (SPA / SAC)  Shellfish waters Physico-chemical Bacteriological     Alien Species Pacific oysters Slipper limpets - -   

What’s an alien?

Alien species and the WFD High Impact Invasive Low Impact Not Invasive Unknown Impact Invasive? Prevent spread Eradicate Prevent spread Eradicate Monitor Manage Monitor Manage Assess Risk Precautionary Assess Risk Precautionary

What’s the SAGB doing?  Researching the implications of the WFD  Informing SAGB members of its consequences  Lobbying Government and the EC

In summary…. WFD