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3.1.1 Arctic WatersThe target level for acceptable ecological quality with regard to marine litter set out in the EcoQOon plastic particles in fulmars’ stomachs is for only 10% of the birds to exceed 0.1g of plastic intheir stomachs. In this regard the Arctic waters are closest to reaching the required level with 43%of Fulmars in the Faeroes exceeding the limit rather than the required 10%. However there is still alarge and significant gap between the current levels and what is considered ecologicallyacceptable with regards to the impact of marine litter.3.1.2 Greater North SeaResults from the Fulmar Litter EcoQO Monitoring Programme in the North Sea between 2002-2006 in the Netherlands indicate that amounts of plastic in stomach contents of beached Fulmarsin the Netherlands in 2006 were average for the levels observed in the past 5 years 2002-2006(95% incidence; 31 pieces and 0.30 gram per bird; 61% exceeding the critical EcoQO level of 0.1gof plastic). With a small sample sizes and many birds close to the critical level, caution should beused when looking at some year on year comparisons such as the jump in EcoQO percentagefrom 45% to 85% between 2005 and 2006. Neither underlying data on mass of plastics, norcomparisons to neighbouring countries supported the suggestion of a sudden strong increase.Between locations and Regions in the North Sea, significant differences in pollution levels areobserved, with levels in the Channel area about three times higher than those around the ScottishIslands and intermediate levels in between.Figure 3.4 Contents of a Fulmar’s stomach taken from Fulmar Litter EcoQO Monitoring in the North Sea- results to 2006Averaged for the whole North Sea, 94% of investigated birds contained plastic; on average 34pieces and 0.30 gram mass and 55% of all birds exceeded the critical EcoQO level of 0.1 gram ofplastic in the stomach. Over the whole North Sea area over 90% of Fulmars have plastic in theirstomach, and 45% to 60% exceed the critical EcoQO level of 0.1 gram of plastic40