Illegal discharges of oil in the Baltic Sea during 2007

 

	Author: HELCOM Response

Key message

 

A decreasing trend in the number of observed illegal oil discharges despite rapidly growing density of shipping, increased frequency of the surveillance flights and improved usage of remote sensing equipment is illustrating the positive results of the complex set of measures known as the Baltic Strategy, implemented by the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention.

Altogether 238 oil spills were observed in 2007, which is two more compared to 2006. 

Figure 1. The total number of flight hours and observed oil spills in the HELCOM area during aerial surveillance, 1988-2007

Results and Assessment

Environmental context

Oil is a major threat to Baltic Sea ecosystems. In the last decade maritime transportation has been growing steadily, reflecting the intensified co-operation and trade in the Baltic Sea region and a prospering economy.

An increase in the number of ships also means that one could expect a larger number of illegal oil discharges. Both oil tankers and other kinds of ships are among the suspected offenders of anti-pollution regulations.

Policy context

Any discharge into the Baltic Sea of oil, or diluted mixtures containing oil in any form including crude oil, fuel oil, oil sludge, or refined products, is prohibited. This applies to oily water from the machinery spaces of any ship, as well as from ballast or cargo tanks from oil tankers.

The prohibition stems from the international designation of the Baltic Sea area as a “special area” under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78).

To uphold the prohibition, the 1992 Helsinki Convention requires all ships, with some exceptions, to deliver the oil to a reception facility before leaving the port. To further encourage the delivery the countries bordering on the Baltic Sea have agreed that a ship should not be charged for using the reception facilities (also known as the no-special-fee system). The costs have to be covered e.g. by general harbor fees or general environmental fees.

The Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992 (the 1992 Helsinki Convention) spells out a duty for the States bordering on the Baltic Sea to conduct aerial surveillance for detecting suspected offenders of anti-pollution regulations at sea. All coastal states should endeavor to fly - as a minimum - twice per week over regular traffic zones including approaches to major sea ports as well as in regions with regular offshore activities. Other regions with sporadic traffic and fishing activities should be covered once per week. Experienced observers/pilots shall hereby conduct reliable detections, classifications and quantification of observed pollution, their frequencies and geographical distributions.  

Also the Coordinated Extended Pollution Control Flights (CEPCO), which constitute continuous surveillance of specific areas in the Baltic Sea for 24 or more hours, should be carried out twice a year.

Directive 2000/59/EC of 27 November 2000 has as its aim to reduce the discharges of ship-generated wastes and cargo residues into the sea, especially illegal discharges, by improving the availability and use of port reception facilities. The Directive recognizes and does not contradict with the procedures and mechanisms agreed by the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention.

Assessment

Deliberate illegal oil discharges from ships are regularly observed within the Baltic Sea since 1988. As from 1999 the number of observed illegal oil discharges is gradually decreasing (from 488 in 1999 to 238 in 2007). A slight increase (by 2) in the number of deliberate oil spills reported in 2007 compared to 2006 is not considered by experts as reverse of this positive trend as it is being explained by increased shipping as well as enhanced use of satellite imageries complementing aerial surveillance activities.

Decrease in the number of observed illegal discharges despite rapidly growing density of shipping, increased frequency of the surveillance flights and improved usage of remote sensing equipment is illustrating the positive results of the complex set of measures known as a Baltic Strategy implemented by the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention.

Also increased amount of waste delivered to the Baltic Sea ports illustrate that more and more ships rather deliver oil waste to ports than illegally discharge into the Baltic Sea.

Although the number of observations of illegal oil discharges shows a decreasing trend over the years it should be kept in mind that for some areas aerial surveillance is not evenly and regularly carried out and therefore there are no reliable figures for these areas.

References

The data has been collected by Response group - HELCOM RESPONSE

 

Supporting information

http://www.helcom.fi/shipping/waste/en_GB/surveilance/

Data

Table 1. Compiled data on performed flight hours by country in 1989-2007

	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Denmark		292	199	172	153	253	225	275	209	325	416	497	463	412	510	265	251	290	271
Estonia					40	420	420	305	284	236	268	212	161	153	201	198	178	471	410
Finland							355	400	355	649	603	660	567	605	615	644	625	517	529
Germany	142	168	129	267	201	290	291	313	288	206	286	439	466	469	446	491	549	504	598
Lithuania			348	78	133			65				250	300			100	54	64	41
Latvia		400	408	127	24	18	8	8	64	577	320	436	412	387	414	365	384	311	343
Poland	131	164	140	62	49	179	301	345	291	465	375	362	187	320	228	239	141	131	380
Russia	1618		629	32
Sweden	1600	1600	1600	1700	1900	2038	1953	1763	2189	2544	2565	2374	2281	2518	2532	3231	3455	2842	1397
Total	3491	2624	3453	2438	2500	3198	3553	3474	3680	5002	4833	5230	4837	4864	4946	5534	5638	5128	3969

Table 2. Compiled data on observed illegal oil discharges by country in 1988-2007

	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Denmark	129	159	34	46	18	17	30	48	36	38	53	87	68	93	54	37	30	28	41	43
Estonia					18	7	4	3		3	10	33	38	11	8	4	19	24	31	58
Finland								26	42	104	53	63	89	107	75	40	36	32	29	29
Germany	90	139	45	85	76	43	75	55	44	34	23	72	51	51	44	60	42	34	22	30
Lithuania				8	34	28								0			0	0	0
Latvia			73	20	15	6					33	18	17	6	21	14	13	5	0	2
Poland	40	69	88	14	92	110	104	72	50	25	33	18	51	24	25	39	10	5	3	15
Russia	82	184		3	13													2
Sweden	168	212	184	197	278	250	375	445	241	234	249	197	158	98	117	84	143	94	110	61
Total	509	763	424	373	544	461	588	649	413	438	454	488	472	390	344	278	293	224	236	238

 Metadata

The data is gathered on the basis of national reports from the nine countries bordering on the Baltic Sea area and Contracting States to the 1992 Helsinki Convention.

 

For reference purposes, please cite this indicator fact sheet as follows:

 

[Author’s name(s)], [Year]. [Indicator Fact Sheet title]. HELCOM Indicator Fact Sheets 2008. Online. [Date Viewed], http://www.helcom.fi/environment2/ifs/en_GB/cover/.
 

Last updated: 24 July 2008