BSEP116B Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea - Helcom

animals, but may potentially disturb harbour porpoises
(see Chapter 6.8, Noise pollution).
6.2.2 Major international frameworks
regulating maritime traffic
The International Convention on the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78, amended in
1997) is the major environmental regulatory tool
used by the International Maritime Organization
(IMO). Its provisions are used to implement, e.g.,
the 2005 Baltic Sea Particularly Sensitive Sea Area
(PSSA), which presently imposes restrictions on
shipping in the Baltic Sea. Restrictions are imposed
via a number of routeing measures, including
traffic separation schemes, deep-sea routeing,
areas to be avoided, and by regulating the allowable
level of sulphur in fuel oil in the Baltic Sulphur
Emission Control Areas (SECA).
Shipyard, Stralsund, Germany
MARPOL Annex VI specifically includes limits
for the emissions of NOx, sulphur oxides (SOx),
and particulate matter and prohibits emissions
of ozone-depleting substances. In 2008, IMO
adopted a revised MARPOL Annex VI and an
associated NOx Technical Code. The new Annex
VI aims, inter alia, at establishing Nitrogen Emission
Control Areas (NECAs) in addition to the
existing Sulphur Emission Control Areas, such
as the Baltic SECA in force since 2006. According
to the revised Annex VI, NOx emissions
from certain types of ships are to be reduced by
15% compared to current levels, starting from
1 January 2011, followed by an 80% reduction in
NECAs starting from 1 January 2016. Work has
started within HELCOM to designate the Baltic
Sea as a NECA. This is important because future
scenarios (IMO document BLG 11/16, Stipa et al.
2007) indicate that in the Baltic, only the 80%
reduction of NOx emissions from marine diesel
engines installed in ships on or after 1 January
2015 would counteract the effect of increasing
traffic volumes. The fuel sulphur limit applicable
in SECAs will also be reduced to 1.00% (from
the current 1.50%) beginning on 1 July 2010,
and further reduced to 0.10% effective from
1 January 2015.
To eliminate discharges of oily wastes, which are
the main source of oil in minor spills, sewage and
garbage, HELCOM has established a ‘no-specialfee’
system providing incentives to ships to deliver
their ship-generated waste to port reception facilities.
In order to reduce the risk of major oil accidents,
the BSAP commits the Baltic Sea countries
to encouraging shipping companies to use crew
trained for winter navigation and to use pilots.
HELCOM is also developing a joint proposal of the
Baltic Sea countries for new regulations containing
restrictions on the discharge of sewage water from
passenger ships into the Baltic Sea, to be submitted
to IMO in 2010.
Other international instruments regulating shipping
include the International Convention on the
Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships,
which entered into force in September 2008 and
aims at reducing the amount of toxic chemicals in
the marine environment. The Convention for the
Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water
and Sediments has not yet been ratified, but will
be one of the main international legal instruments
addressing alien species introductions once it has
entered into force.
6.2.3 Conclusions
The impact of maritime traffic on Baltic biodiversity
is both direct, in the form of physical
disturbance and nutrient and chemical pollution,
and indirect, for example, through acting as a
vector of non-indigenous species (Figure 6.2.4).
The risk for a major accident releasing oil and
hazardous substances is growing due to increas-
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