1. GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS IN THE PROPOSED MARINE STRATEGY DIRECTIVE
Stuart Rogers, UK

2. Good environmental status
Evaluate Annex II to the draft Directive (elements that constitute GEnS);
Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS, based on Annex II to the draft Directive;
Based on these, evaluate the initial assessment of environmental status, including benefits, costs and practicality.

3. Good environmental status
Evaluate Annex II to the draft Directive (elements that constitute GEnS);
Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS, based on Annex II to the draft Directive;
Based on these, evaluate the initial assessment of environmental status, including benefits, costs and practicality.

4. 1. An evaluation of Annex II to the draft Directive
initial assessment will comprise an analysis of the ‘essential characteristics and current environmental status’ of European waters.
It has been assumed in this section that the initial assessment will focus only on those characteristics of European waters that are needed to identify GEnS, and will continue to be subject to routine monitoring in subsequent years. A more comprehensive baseline characterisation of all physical and biological components of the marine environment would be very difficult to cost accurately.

5. 1. An evaluation of Annex II to the draft Directive
Table 1 of Annex II covers the habitat types, biological components, physico-chemical components and other features.
A mixture of ecological components (plankton, seabirds, etc) at species, population and community levels, and attributes of ecosystems such as primary and secondary productivity.
Approach is unstructured, and wide in scope (e.g. ‘all other species’, ‘other special areas’, ‘non-exhaustive’.
Clearly not ‘essential characteristics’, more of a baseline survey.

6. 1. An evaluation of Annex II to the draft Directive
Table 2 categorises pressures of human activities.
Generic headings for physical / biological disturbance and toxic / non-toxic contamination apply to all European waters, and are a good starting point.
Indicative lists of activities sensible, flexibility will be needed.

7. 1. An evaluation of Annex II to the draft Directive
Some changes suggested:
inclusion of commercial fishing under Selective Extraction of Species (biological disturbance), but not under Physical Damage (siltation, abrasion) is misleading.
add climate change (e.g. ocean acidification),
add marine litter to the category non-toxic contamination,
why noise and ‘visual’ impacts classified as non-physical disturbances?

8. 1. An evaluation of Annex II to the draft Directive:
Conclusions:
Use a simple list of characteristics, not text,
Minor changes to list of pressures (climate change)
Build on existing monitoring and assessment in OSPAR and EU Directives,
Use a risk-based approach to the selection of key pressures and characteristics,
Better understanding of link between the pressures and characteristics and the descriptors of GEnS,
Risk based approach of the Hab Dir and pressures / impact assessments of the WFD.

9. Good environmental status
Evaluate Annex II to the draft Directive (elements that constitute GEnS);
Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS, based on Annex II to the draft Directive;
Based on these, evaluate the initial assessment of environmental status, including benefits, costs and practicality.

10. 2. Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS
It is crucial to be clear at the earliest opportunity what parameters define GEnS, based on existing commitments to deliver sustainable management,
Working definition of GEnS should therefore be compatible with sustainable use.
Management framework to achieve GEnS should be based on ecological objectives, operational objectives, indicators, targets and limits.
Must base definition of GEnS on existing commitments to deliver sustainable management of human activities in European Seas, taking account of the Vision and Strategic goal
A working definition of GEnS should therefore be compatible with sustainable use, in a way that GEnS is achieved when all human pressures are sustainable at the scale of the management region.
The process of defining generic descriptors should focus on the pressures caused by the most damaging human activities, and the probability that they compromise sustainability, rather than the state of the marine environment.

11. 2. Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS
Co-ordinating GEnS with other Directives;
Habitats & Birds Dir: “limits of acceptable change” can be incorporated into objectives framework in EMS, to deliver conservation objectives.
Water Framework Directive: Good Ecological Status (GEcS) related to conditions expected under minimal anthropogenic impact. Good chemical status related to compliance with chemical substances QS.
‘Good’ relates to measures which are slightly outside type-specific reference levels (unimpacted). This does not take account of sustainable human activities.

12. 2. Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS
A working relationship between the EMS and WFD.
WFD concerned with improving and maintaining water quality in inshore waters, and management of land-based pollution.
Monitoring and assessment of macro-algae and macrophytes in coastal waters should remain within the remit of the WFD as these populations rarely occur offshore.
If the status of phytoplankton and macrobenthos in coastal waters under the WFD is ‘good’, then limited MSD assessment should be required in offshore waters (assumes that the source of pressures is from land).
MSD could then cover all other ecosystem components (baseline to the limits of national jurisdiction), taking account of the principle of sustainable development.
If assessment of phytoplankton and macrobenthos in coastal waters under the WFD results in moderate or poor status, then further monitoring under the MSD in the waters beyond 1nm (3nm in Scotland) may be required

13. 2. Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS
Working definition of GEnS needs to be compatible with sustainable use:
‘GEnS is achieved when all human pressures are sustainable at the scale of the management region’
For the characteristics of the ecosystem this could mean:
A. “The values of the biological quality elements of European Regional Seas are at levels which are sustainable at the scale of the management region”.
In the WFD the general (normative) definition of GEcS in coastal waters relates to slight deviation from undisturbed conditions. “The values of the biological quality elements for the surface water body type show low levels of distortion resulting from human activity, but deviate only slightly from those normally associated with the surface water body type under undisturbed conditions” (EU, 2000). There are also comparable definitions for hydro-morphological and physico-chemical conditions.
In the MSD, this definition needs to reflect the importance of sustainable use.

14. 2. Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS
For classification, a specific description of GEnS applied to each of the biological characteristics of European Seas (plankton and micro-organisms, macrophytes and macro-algae, fish, marine mammals, reptiles, seabirds) could be;
“Populations, species and communities that are diverse, productive and resilient to environmental change”.

15. 2. Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS
Other general (normative) definitions of GEnS related to the physical components of the marine environment could be drafted as follows:
B. “Hydro-morphological conditions are consistent with the achievement of the values for the biological quality elements specified above”.
C. “Water chemistry is within levels that support the functioning of the ecosystem and the achievement of the values for the biological quality elements specified above”.
D. “Concentrations of specific synthetic and non synthetic pollutants are not in excess of current standards (<EQS)”
In view of the wide diversity of environments within European Seas it is not possible or necessary to provide more detailed targets, limits and reference points in the Directive itself.
It should be the responsibility of the Regional Seas Conventions to provide region-specific reference condition descriptions for the characteristics of the marine environment.
These would describe the detailed properties of each ecosystem component and attribute that corresponded with good status, and would be equivalent to the Type Specific Reference Condition Descriptions provided by Member States under the WFD to describe GEcS.

16. Good environmental status
Evaluate Annex II to the draft Directive (elements that constitute GEnS);
Identify generic qualitative descriptors of GEnS, based on Annex II to the draft Directive;
Based on these, evaluate the initial assessment of environmental status, including benefits, costs and practicality.

17. 3. evaluate the initial assessment of environmental
status, including benefits, costs and practicality
Practical; but sampling standardisation required.
Beneficial; link sustainable human activities with relevant ecosystem, social and economic policies.
Costly; especially if initial assessment is not based on risk assessment.
Existing UK spend
New work costs
£19m
£26m

18. A possible approach to an initial assessment.
1. Agree on Regional and sub-regional subdivisions of European Seas that are consistent with the relevant Marine Conventions, and which are appropriate to management and monitoring.
A similar less comprehensive approach has been adopted by OSPAR to structure the preparation of Ecological Quality Objectives (EcoQO), however their categorisation combines specific themes of the OSPAR strategies (i.e. eutrophication) with cross-cutting issues such as threatened and declining species, and an incomplete sub-set of ecosystem characteristics. This confused approach does not allow a logical selection of ecosystem components and attributes. By using a comprehensive list, issues such as threatened and declining species would be removed as a specific item, but action to conserve them would be taken in response to status assessment of the respective species or habitat category. Eutrophication would be one characteristic (amongst several) of the physico-chemical quality of the seas.
The WFD also uses a similar method but it only applies a subset of the full list in coastal waters relating to structural aspects of the environment (i.e. morphology, physico-chemical conditions, phytoplankton, macro-algae, macrophytes and macrobenthos)

19. A possible approach to an initial assessment.
2. Agree on characteristics of the marine environment which together account for the structure, function and processes of the marine ecosystem and its’ physiographic and geographic characteristics.
(1) Habitats (physical substrate, all benthic invertebrates);
(2) Plankton and micro-organisms;
(3) Macrophytes and macro-algae;
(4) Fish (exploited and non-target, including skates and rays);
(5) Marine mammals;
(6) Reptiles (turtles);
(7) Seabirds (breeding; wintering);
(8) Water dynamics (large scale ocean process and dynamics);
(9) Water quality (pH, temp, sal. & non-toxic contaminants i.e. nutrients);
(10) Water quality (hazardous substances, i.e. radioactive, endocrine disrupting);
(11) Atmospheric quality (CO2);

20. A possible approach to an initial assessment.
3. Provide regionally specific lists of human activities in
the marine environment and categorise by the pressure which they exert on the environment.
(See Table 2, Annex II of the MSD)

21. Conclusions
Several areas where MSD can be improved, and some points need clarification.
Definition of GEnS should incorporate the principle of sustainable development of human activities. Example definitions provided.
Management should be applied regionally, and include existing drivers.
Initial assessment should be risk-based, and proportional to cost.
MSD should be made operational using carefully selected objectives and indicators.