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Towards a Cleaner Marine Environment 2. Marine resources in great demandThe sea holds vital natural resources and great commercial potential, both of which demand consideration for the marine environment. Fishery has been an important industry for millenia, but fishing quotas and controls are necessary today, to avoid overfishing and ensure a sustainable marine ecosystem. The magnitude of oil and gas extraction from the North Sea has attained proportions that exceed Denmark's total energy consumption. The obverse side of the coin is that such large-scale extraction can damage the marine environment. Oil and gas production causes oil spills and the loss of chemically-contaminated drilling fluid (or mud), which is why such production must be considerate of the environment. Fresh winds blow freely and frequently across the sea. At the time of writing, wind turbines are planned for five locations just a few kilometres from the shore, as an ecologically-sound supplement to Denmark's energy supply. But these generators can disturb bird and animal life and affect important fishing grounds, or cause visual disturbance. For these reasons, careful thought must be given to the siting of wind turbines at sea. The sea as a transport route As a transport route, the sea forms a vital link between our provinces and the world outside. Shipping has been of major importance since the days of the Vikings. Today, high-speed ferries, container ships, oil tankers, etc., sail in and out of Danish waters, with all the disturbances that they bring, such as the toxins released from their bottom paint, waste, oil spills at sea and noise. Shipping demands fairways and harbours, in which the dredging and depositing of sea-bed material leave their traces. Bridges are another form of transport route at sea. The Great Belt and Øresund bridges made the 1990s the decade of bridges. Bridge building affects the sea-bed and can change the currents, and consideration for the environment is therefore an integral part of bridge building. Pollution from land The greatest impact on the marine environment has its origins in our activities on land. Nitrogen that leaches out from agriculture, in particular, affects the conditions of the marine flora and fauna. A large part of the environmentally-harmful substances that result from waste incineration and industrial manufacturing also end up in the sea and, despite effective sewage treatment plants, the waste water from our urban areas is not free of heavy metals and other environmentally-harmful substances. All of these activities constitute a burden on the sea and effective legislation is necessary, if we are to secure a healthy marine environment. Denmark has committed itself through national and international agreements to continual monitoring of the state of the environment and to taking the initiatives needed to secure our marine environment. |