Oil slicks and marine litter

The environmental impacts of oil slicks at sea are among the most widely noted pollution problems. For the last few decades, several hundred slicks each year have been observed along the major shipping lanes across the Baltic and the North Sea.

Crude oil is harmful to animal and plant species, even when diluted millions of times in water. Birds are particularly vulnerable to oil slicks and even small amounts of oil can seriously harm bird life.

 

The chart shows number of confirmed oil spills 1970–2008 reported
by the Swedish Coast Guard. Source: The Swedish Coast Guard.

 

 

International measures

The Baltic rim countries have jointly agreed on a strategy to deal with oil residues in port and to reduce discharges at sea. The International Maritime Organization and the European Union are also active in formulating environmental controls and policy to minimize the pollution by marine debris at sea.

Solid waste at sea

Marine solid waste consists of items that have been deliberately discarded into the sea, in rivers or on the beaches or accidentally lost at sea in bad weather, such as fishing gear or cargo. Marine debris at sea causes environmental, economic, safety, health and aesthetic problems. Plastics and polysterene items are consistently found to be a main contributor to marine waste all over the world. However, large amounts of other types of persistent solid material such as metal and glass are also disposed of or abandoned at sea.

Contact: Petra Wallberg, petra.wallberg(a)naturvardsverket.se