OD Nature News

The research partners of the EMFF-FIVA-research project MarinePlastics have started a study that accurately maps how much and what types of plastic are found on the Belgian fishing grounds. It involves both larger pieces of waste (macro-plastics larger than 5 mm) and minuscule plastic particles (micro-plastics smaller than 5 mm).

Since 2012, Europe has been asking each Member State to collect figures about macro-plastics on the seabed. From this year onwards, data must also be collected on micro-plastics in the sediment and in the water. The waste on the beaches must also be monitored.

The project MarinePlastics also examines the extent to which microplastics are found in the commercial fish from our fishing areas. The researchers make the distinction between the plastic particles in the fish stomach (which people do not consume) and the fish fillet (which we do eat).

Macro-plastics in the Sea and on the Coast

For almost 10 years, the Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) has been voluntarily collecting data on plastic, which is hoisted on board the research vessels within existing measuring campaigns aimed at the state of fish stocks and the impact of human activities at sea. The plastic contained in the fishing nets was sorted, described, measured and weighed according to the standards of OSPAR and the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). It is those data that are now undergoing a statistical depth analysis.

Bavo De Witte: “From a first rough interpretation it is already apparent that the amount of macro-plastic found is increasing and that there are hotspot sites, such as the dredge disposal location Zeebrugge Oost, where port sludge is dropped and currents create a sedimentation effect.” The analysis should clearly show quantitative and qualitative trends. Comparison with numbers from abroad also become possible.

ILVO and the Operational Directorate Natural Environments of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS-OD Nature) also want to investigate whether the waste can be linked to human activities such as tourism, industry or fishing. In addition, each type of waste will study whether the quantities are increasing or decreasing.

RBINS-OD Nature also concentrates on what is found on the Belgian beaches. The quantity of beached waste is not decreasing, they notice from prior analyses. On the beaches too, the situation is poor, according to the evaluation for the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Micro-plastics in Sediment, Water and Commercial Fish

Micro-plastics can come directly into the environment by wear and tear of tyres, through clothing or through soaps and scrubs. A previous study showed that up to 50% of these ‘land-based’ microplastics eventually end up in the sea.

Micro-plastics accumulate in the water and on the seabed and fragment even further into nanoparticles (less than 1 micrometers). Sooner or later these micro-and nano-plastics are absorbed by fish, mussels, shrimps and other animals, which eventually end up in the human food chain. Some of those small plastic particles will undoubtedly stay behind in the parts that we do not eat, like the stomach of a fish. A detailed characterization of micro-plastics in certain marine and fishery products would make clear how many micro-plastics we are really eating now. This is important to assess the potential health risks of micro-plastics.

“In the case of a scientific risk analysis, two factors must always be examined”, researcher Bavo De Witte clarifies. “First: To what extent are you exposed to the substance – in this case micro-plastics? And secondly: is there a toxic effect that can be associated with that degree of exposure? None of these two questions is currently adequately answered by science. So before we can make statements about the degree of (non-)harmfulness, we are now first and foremost mapping how many microplastics a person is actually ingesting.”

Within this project, RBINS-OD nature and ILVO are also joining forces to study the presence of micro-plastics in the marine environment. European legislation expects each Member State to follow the quantity of micro-plastics in the seabed and seawater.

MarinePlastics is an initiative of Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS – OD nature).

EMFF-FIVA stands for the European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the financial Instrument for Flemish fisheries. It is a research funding agency for fisheries-related subjects using European and Flemish funds.

Sound is everywhere. Not only on land but also in the seas and oceans. Some sounds are of natural origin, but human activities add to the marine soundscape as well. We don’t have a good understanding of the types and distribution of these underwater sounds yet, let alone of the effects that they may have on marine fauna. At the end of May 2019, a permanent acoustic recording station was installed in the Belgian part of the North Sea. This major accomplishment is framed in the project ‘Joint Monitoring Programme for Ambient Noise North Sea’ (JOMOPANS). The new equipment will help scientists to understand how underwater noise is distributed over the North Sea.

If you picture the underwater environment to be a silent and serene world, you may have to reconsider. Sounds are omnipresent, also in the marine environment. Underwater sound can be produced by natural (waves, weather, animals) and anthropogenic (shipping, construction) sources. However, our understanding of the effects of these sounds on marine fauna is still limited. In recent years, the introduction of underwater sound in the marine environment started to receive political and scientific attention, and monitoring schemes are being set up.

Impulsive sound

Most of the monitoring effort however, is attributed to impulsive sound. This category of noise consists of sounds with a short duration (impulse-like), that are largely unwanted and of anthropogenic origin. Pile-driving for the construction of offshore wind turbines, sonars and the destruction of ammunition at sea are the best known sources of impulsive sound. These can potentially be harmful for marine fauna. A temporary relocation of Harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena was already shown during pile-driving activities, and scientists have also gained some insight into the effects of impulsive sounds on fish. But to understand the full impact on these and other marine organisms, a lot more study is still needed. The growing knowledge is being translated into regulations. Belgian legislation for instance already prescribes that the level of anthropogenic impulsive sounds is not allowed to be higher than the level at which harmful effects can be shown. For pile-driving, the threshold is currently defined at 185 dB at 750 m of the sound source. Sound mitigation measures should be put in place when this limit is exceeded.

Continuous sound

Our understanding of the levels and spatial and temporal patterns of continuous, ambient sounds in the marine environment on the other hand, is currently much less developed. These sounds – typically of low frequencies – may show an increasing trend due to the increase in human activities such as shipping, dredging, sand extraction, fishing and sustainable energy production at sea. Potential negative effects on marine fauna can be subtle and chronic and are therefore harder to evaluate. The limited amount of available data does not yet allow reporting to national and international policy makers.

Continuous monitoring of ambient sound

As sound sources, sound transmission, and the distribution of vulnerable species are all transnational questions, these also should be tackled transnationally. The international reporting obligations of EU Member States for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) strongly pushes the development of a regional approach, both with respect to monitoring and methodology. Belgium effectively engaged to contribute to such an international approach and use the results for the national evaluation. To accomplish this, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) joined the JOMOPANS project.

In this project, RBINS is (among other tasks) responsible for the installation of a permanent acoustic recording station in the Belgian part of the North Sea. The Westhinder platform was selected as a suitable location. Essentially serving as an automatic electronic light platform, the Westhinder now also plays an important role as node of the monitoring network of the Flemish Maritime and Coastal Services Agency. At the end of May 2019, the JOMOPANS sound recording station was added to this platform. Technicians from the Maritime and Coastal Services Agency and the RBINS scientific divers respectively took care of the aerial and underwater parts of the installation. The instrument will continuously monitor ambient underwater sound generated by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Check the illustrative video!

Towards knowledge-based management

“The recently installed acoustic recording system will deliver the high-quality data that are needed to describe the types (level and frequency) and timing of sounds around the Belgian measuring station.” Says Alain Norro, scientific diver of RBINS. “In combination with data yielded by other JOMOPANS stations, we will begin to understand how underwater noise is distributed over the North Sea.” As such, the Belgian station will be an essential part of the network that will deliver the tools necessary for scientists and managers to incorporate ambient noise in their assessment of the environmental status of the North Sea. In a next step, the effectiveness of various options for reducing the potential environmental impact of ambient underwater noise in the North Sea basin, will be evaluated.

JOMOPANS is an Interreg project (North Sea Region) funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund. The project consortium consists of 11 partners from 7 countries (RBINS being the sole Belgian partner) and is coordinated by Rijkswaterstaat (Netherlands).

From 1 July to 31 August 2019, the summer exhibition ‘Kijk, een walvis (Look, a whale)’ will take place in the community centre ‘t Schelpestik in De Haan (Vosseslag 131, 8420 De Haan). The local stranding of the whale Antonius in October 2018 triggered the initiative, and several skeletal parts of this impressive animal have since returned to De Haan to form the backbone of the exhibition. The municipality of De Haan also spared no effort in addressing various experts and collections to bring together a unique collection of marine mammal bones and whale-related items. The exhibition can be visited daily between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. during this period, and admission is free. A tip for the summer months!

Antonius

On 24 October 2018, the carcass of a Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus was spotted in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Because it floated in a busy shipping lane, it was decided to bring it ashore in a controlled manner. On 25 October, around 2 a.m. at night, the carcass arrived on the beach of Vosseslag, De Haan. Within one day the animal was completely disposed of. Action had to be quick as a spring tide was approaching. “It was a fantastic experience to witness the perfect cooperation between many government agencies, at every level of government, and scientific institutions, resulting in a thorough scientific investigation and a quick and efficient removal of the remains,” says Jan Haelters, coordinator of the Belgian stranding network and marine biologist at the RBINS, with justified pride.

The autopsy, carried out by veterinarians and students of the universities of Ghent and Liège and biologists of the RBINS, showed that the almost mature male, 18 m long and weighing about 30,000 kg, had probably died a natural death. “I immediately saw the potential of this event and asked the city council for permission to have parts of the skeleton prepared.” Wilfied Vandaele, mayor of De Haan, announces. This permission was granted, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Ghent prepared not only the mandibles but also a pectoral fin and a vertebra of the whale, which in the meantime had been baptised Antonius.

Marine Mammals in De Haan

Fin Whale Antonius obviously is the eye-catcher of the exhibition, but this was not the first unfortunate marine mammal that ended up on a beach in De Haan. “Parts of a number of rare specimens that washed ashore in this municipality in the past have also been prepared and are now part of the RBINS collection.” explains Olivier Pauwels, curator of the RBINS vertebrate collection. Mayor Vandaele adds: “We were given some skeletons and remains of marine mammals on loan, such as the skull of a young Killer whale Orcinus orca that beached in 1843. These items are used in the second part of the exhibition to illustrate the life and problems of marine mammals.”

Furthermore, two skulls of Sowerby’s beaked whales Mesoplodon bidens (mother with juvenile, washed ashore in 1933 in Harendijke in the district of Wenduine) and one of a Long-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala melas (washed ashore in 1995 in De Haan) found their way from Brussels to the summer exhibition. And because the district of Wenduine has a special relationship with the Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena (the species appears in Wenduine’s coat of arms), a porpoise skull has also been added to the collection lent out by the RBINS. “Thanks to Fin whale Antonius and the animals that beached in De Haan previously, and thanks to the cooperation with the municipality of De Haan, we have the opportunity to connect two major pillars of our institute – research and collection – and to put them in the spotlight together!” explains Kelle Moreau, marine biologist and spokesman for the RBINS.

Extra information and activities

Finally, the De Haan staff also visited the Dutch nature centre Ecomare on Texel. Some dolphin skeletons were borrowed here, as well as a series of historical utensils related to whaling. In the margin of the exhibition, also a number of other activities have been set up. For example, there are a cycling and hiking tour and creative workshops for children.

The unique combination of the story (and parts) of Antonius and various other biological and historical stories, told by means of rare artefacts, elaborated on clear information panels and extended with additional activities, render ‘Kijk, een walvis’ an exhibition that is definitely worth a visit! Highly recommended for young and old, and a valuable tip for the summer months!

…or as close as you can get to Africa in Brussels. On Friday 14 June, the MUMM team of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) visited the renovated AfricaMuseum in Tervuren as part of their annual team building.MUMM stands for ‘Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea’ and brings together the RBINS scientists who advise the government in relation to human activities in the Belgian part of the North Sea (the MARIMA team), perform aerial surveillance (the SURV team, additionally the OO-MMM pilots were also invited) and also carry out the federal monitoring of marine mammals at sea, coordinate the stranding network, study eutrophication and report to Europe on the state of health of our part of the North Sea. The development and maintenance of scientific websites and applications of the Operational Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature, the largest scientific directorate within RBINS) is also carried out by MUMM specialists (the SWAP team). A large and diverse team, which was redivided several times in different ways during the team building day to bring employees with different tasks/mother tongues together!For their visit to the AfricaMuseum, the mummies opted for the guided tour ‘A blend of Central Africa’, in which they were provided information on the material culture, immaterial heritage and biodiversity of Central Africa for two hours. Of course, Belgian colonial history could not be overlooked either, and how we can deal with it in the current context. Contemporary themes such as the multicultural society and sustainable development completed the story. Some also ventured into a few African dance steps.After an interesting visit to the museum and a walk in perfect weather conditions, we made our appearance for lunch in the Tervurian restaurant ‘De Linde’, where we enjoyed the June edition of the market menu. The succession of very tasty appetizers, starters, main courses and desserts, accompanied by aperitifs and adapted wines (optional, of course), made us leave the restaurant satisfied.Producing a group photo was just about the only thing we were able to do afterwards. Out of sheer necessity, we then went to a nearby terrace to recover from the feast.

When you work hard, you occasionally also have to relax hard!Top, from left to right: Ronny Schallier, Yolande Maes, Karien De Cauwer, Alexander Vermeire, Jan Haelters, Brigitte Lauwaert, Mia Devolder, Abdel Eslama, Geert Present, Kelle Moreau / Below, from left to right: Samuël Orsi, Lucien Schwind, Nabil Youdjou, Annelore Van Nieuwenhove, Ruth Lagring, Dries Noppen, Ward Van Roy, Kobe Scheldeman, Michel Kapel, Pieter Janssens

Scientists from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) summarised the available information on marine mammals in Belgium in 2018 in the new edition of the dedicated report series. The latest edition includes an overview of the strandings and sightings of marine mammals, remarkable fish and a leatherback turtle in 2018, as well as opinion pieces about the sense and nonsense of taking seals into care, the impact of waste on marine mammals and the use of the port of Nieuwpoort as a resting place for seals.

As every year, RBINS has collected data on marine mammals in Belgium. For 2018, this happened with the cooperation of SEALIFE Blankenberge, the University of Liège and Natuurpunt. In 2018, 134 marine mammals washed ashore dead or dying in Belgium, concerning 89 harbour porpoises, 1 white-beaked dolphin, 1 fin whale, 18 grey seals, 11 harbour seals and 14 seals that were not identified to species. In addition, SEALIFE Blankenberge took 30 seals into care: 17 grey and 13 harbour seals (the highest number of grey seals ever, and for the first time more grey than common seals).

Ten percent of the harbour porpoises for which the cause of death could be established had died from drowning in fishing nets, and 30% from predation by grey seals. The fin whale, an 18-metre-long male found dead at sea, presumably died from a natural cause. The number of stranded dead and dying seals (43) was the highest number ever. Six of the grey and one of the harbour seals were believed to have died from incidental capture. One grey seal died entangled in a piece of nylon rope, and another choked on a flatfish.

The most striking sightings in 2018 concerned very high numbers of harbour porpoises in April (estimated at almost 20,000 in the Belgian waters, based on aerial counts) and the relatively frequent occurrence of bottlenose dolphins.

The annual report also contains editorials about the sense and nonsense of taking seals into care, the impact of waste on marine mammals and the use of the port of Nieuwpoort as a resting place for seals.

Interested readers can download the report, as well as previous reports, at www.marinemammals.be/reports (available in Dutch and French, with English summary).

On February 19, the international conference “Climate change and ocean conservation” took place on the initiative of the Belgian ministers of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development and of the North Sea. The Declaration was very well received at the conference, and continues to receive support. 33 countries and 11 organisations have already signed the Declaration.

The Brussels Declaration calls for progress in several ongoing processes, in particular those regarding the negotiation of a new Convention on high seas biodiversity and the definition of new objectives for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Declaration also has the great merit of bringing together the many existing commitments on oceans and climate in a single document that countries can sign up to, and calls for an appropriate reaction to the UN Climate Commission’s Oceans Report, which will be published in September 2019.

The Declaration was signed by countries and by organisations

Many countries support the Declaration: European countries but also countries from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and many islands. Chile, where the next Climate COP (COP 25 or “the Blue COP” as the Chilean Minister for the Environment calls it) will take place in December 2019, has committed itself to promoting the objectives of the Declaration during this conference. The following countries, among others, have signed the Declaration: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Norway, Iceland, Monaco, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Tajikistan, Dominican Republic, Commonwealth of Dominica, Marshall Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines…

Several international organisations have also signed the text, such as: EIB (European Investment Bank), Future Ocean Alliance (an independent organisation financed by the Global Environment Facility – the world’s largest donor for environmental improvement projects), Wind Europe, Ocean Energy Europe, Ocean Care, Air Centre, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Global Ocean Trust, RBSA (Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association), VLIZ (Flemish Institute of the Sea), RBINS (Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences).

During an event organised by the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the United Nations in New York in early April, the Belgian ambassador invited countries to join this growing group. The new signatories were invited by Ministers Marghem and De Backer to a second signing ceremony on May 7 at the FPS Public Health.

“Unfortunately, the state of biodiversity has become extremely alarming. With the Brussels Declaration, the federal government wants to commit itself, together with the ministers, ambassadors and representatives of 33 countries and several organisations, to tackling the impact of climate change on the oceans. I call on other countries to join us in order to strengthen our action at European and international level”, declared Marie Christine Marghem.

And in practice?

Belgium is already working hard to put the Declaration into practice. Recently, Belgian and European climate and ocean negotiators met to see how they can include the oceans in the concrete objectives of the next climate COP. Belgium, together with other countries, is also one of the driving forces of the “Friends of the Blue COP” group. 2019 will be a decisive year, as the ‘blue’ COP at the end of the year is a unique opportunity to take climate measures to protect the oceans.

More concretely, Minister De Backer announced on May 7 that Belgium officially supports the 30×30 initiative, a call for action to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. Belgium has already protected more than 35% of the Belgian part of the North Sea, but to really protect the oceans against climate change, we need to establish a vast network of marine protected areas. Belgium will promote this objective in all policy processes on climate, oceans and biodiversity.

“Only through international cooperation will we be able to halt climate change and its adverse effects on our seas and oceans. Everyone must make an effort. That is why I am signing the international commitment to protect 30 percent of our oceans by 2030. However, Belgium is even more ambitious than that, and already protects 35 percent of its part of the North Sea. Together we can keep our seas and oceans clean”, concluded Minister Philippe De Backer.

Text: FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a new report in Geneva on 7 May 2019 examining the views of various stakeholders on the sustainability challenges of sand extraction and use. With this report, UNEP aims to stimulate a global debate on sand extraction, following the recent adoption of a new resolution on better governance of mineral resources by the 4th UN Environment Assembly.

Sustainability Challenges of the Global Extraction and Use of Sand Resources

The scale of sand and gravel extraction worldwide makes it one of the major sustainability challenges of the 21st century. An estimated 40 to 50 billion tonnes of sand is extracted annually from quarries and wells, in rivers, along coasts and in the marine environment. The growing world population, urbanisation, shifts in our consumption patterns, and the associated development of infrastructure, are important factors that have tripled the extraction of easily available sand resources over the past two decades. Without sand, there is no concrete, no asphalt, no glass, … and therefore no schools, hospitals, roads, solar panels or other necessary infrastructure. Water purification and land reclamation are also major users. Sand is even used in the industrial production of electronics and cosmetics … After water, it is nowadays the most reclaimed natural resource. Furthermore, dams and extraction have reduced the sediment supply from rivers to many coastal areas, leading to reduced deposits in river deltas and accelerated beach erosion.

The growing trend of unsustainable and illegal sand extraction in marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems has far-reaching environmental, social and economic consequences (e.g. tourism, fisheries). However, scientific research and monitoring, as well as adequate policies to support responsible extraction and consumption, are lagging behind in many parts of the world. In the meantime, international trade in sand and gravel continues to grow. Due to the high demand in regions without local sand and gravel stocks, this business activity is expected to increase by 5.5% per year. As a result of international sand extraction bans, sand extraction for land reclamation projects, and the effects of unregulated sand extraction in international rivers, sand and gravel extraction has also become a rapidly growing transboundary issue.

New Solutions for Better Governance of Global Sand Reserves

The United Nations Environment Programme recognizes the need to reconcile global policies and standards with local sand availability, development needs and enforcement realities, and is committed to highlighting these challenges in order to improve governance, together with all stakeholders. The organisation therefore looks forward to the further development of effective tools that will enable better monitoring of the extraction and use of sand resources and efficient decision making in relation to the mitigation of the consequences of sand extraction.

The new report ‘Sand and Sustainability: Finding New Solutions for Environmental Governance of Global Sand Resources’ is based on this theme. It draws attention to the sustainability challenges and solutions for sand extraction and consumption, and recommends joint actions to update existing standards, set up monitoring programmes and initiate a dialogue throughout the value chain. In addition, it calls for the avoidance of unnecessary sand consumption, the use of more recycled and alternative materials, and the reduction of environmental impacts through more responsible mining practices. The report was produced in October 2018 during an expert dialogue facilitated by UNEP/GRID-Geneva (GRID = Global Resource Information Database) and the University of Geneva with funding from the Swiss Federal Ministry of Environment.

UN Resolution on Better Governance of Mineral Resources

The ‘Sand and Sustainability’ report follows the recent adoption (April 2019) of a new resolution on better governance of mineral resources by the 4th UN Environment Assembly, and was officially presented on 7 May 2019 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, in the presence of Ms Joyce Msuya, UNEP’s acting director. The resolution focuses on gathering information on sustainable practices and knowledge gaps, and on listing implementation strategies and assessment methods. The report is to be submitted to the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

Marine Sand Extraction in Belgium

In the meantime, Belgium is continuing to invest in better management of its mineral resources. For more than 40 years, sand has been extracted in Belgian marine waters under the authority and control of the FPS Economy, S.M.E.s, Self-employed and Energy. “In order to support long-term management, a geological knowledge base has been developed for the Belgian and southern Dutch parts of the North Sea, which makes the available quantities per sand quality available for consultation.” explains Vera Van Lancker of the research group ‘Suspended Matter and Seabed Monitoring and Modelling’ of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. “In addition, a link with a numerical toolkit makes it possible to calculate different impact scenarios of extraction.” The final report of the project TILES or ‘Transnational and Integrated Long-term Marine Exploitation Strategies’ is available on the website of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO). As the stocks are not inexhaustible, there is a call for more thoughtful exploitation strategies.