Co-operation on
aerial surveillance within the Baltic Sea area was established already during
the 1980s within the framework of HELCOM. Through the
Helsinki Convention (Article 14, Annex VII Regulation 7) the Contracting
Parties have agreed to
develop and apply individually or in co-operation, surveillance activities
covering the Baltic Sea area in order to spot and monitor oil and other substances released into the sea.
The Contracting
Parties have also committed themselves to undertake appropriate measures to
conduct the surveillance by using, inter alia, airborne surveillance equipped
with remote sensing systems. In addition to the provisions of the Helsinki
Convention, HELCOM Response Manual Volume I, Chapter 7
specifies the procedures, equipment and reporting related to aerial
surveillance.
HELCOM Recommendation 34E/4 recommends the Contracting Parties
to take actions to cover the whole of
the Baltic Sea area with regular and efficient airborne surveillance, develop
and improve the existing remote sensing systems and to co-ordinate surveillance
activities which take place outside territorial waters.
The purpose of this regional
aerial surveillance is to detect spills of oil and other harmful substances and
thus prevent violations of the existing regulations on prevention of pollution
from ships. Such illegal spills are a form of pollution which threatens the
marine environment of the Baltic Sea area. If possible, the identity of a
polluter should be established and the spill should be sampled from both the
sea surface and on board the suspected offender to enable prosecution.
The HELCOM Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance (IWGAS) works
to implement the aerial surveillance cooperation and commitments. HELCOM Secretariat compiles annually data on illegal discharges observed in
the Baltic Sea area during national and joint co-ordinated aerial surveillance
activities.