Oil pollution in the North Sea: the impact of governance measures on oil pollution over several decades

Oil pollution entering the marine environment has been an issue of concern for many decades. It can come from riverine or land-based sources, accidental and intentional discharges from ships, or as a by-product of offshore oil extraction. Growing awareness of the impact of oil pollution on the marin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrobiologia 2019-11, Vol.845 (1), p.109-127
Main Author: Carpenter, Angela
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agreements
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cooperation
Ecology
Environmental protection
Frameworks
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Governance
International agreements
International cooperation
Life Sciences
Marine environment
Marine pollution
Natural gas
North Sea Open Science Conference
Ocean dumping
Offshore
Oil and gas industry
Oil installations
Oil pollution
Petroleum in submerged lands
Petroleum industry
Petroleum mining
Pollution
Pollution control
Regional development
Sailors
Sea pollution
Shipping
Ships
Training
Zoology
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Summary:Oil pollution entering the marine environment has been an issue of concern for many decades. It can come from riverine or land-based sources, accidental and intentional discharges from ships, or as a by-product of offshore oil extraction. Growing awareness of the impact of oil pollution on the marine environment has led, since the late 1960s, to the introduction of measures to reduce or eliminate pollution from shipping and the offshore oil industry. A framework for environmental protection of the North Sea has developed over many decades through international agreements, regional cooperation, and national measures, while education has also played an important role with modern-day sailors being given due training to understand that dumping waste at sea is illegal in many areas, and is harmful to the marine environment. This paper presents data on trends in pollution from ships and oil installations. While significant reductions in oil pollution have been identified over more than two decades, there remain some areas where action is needed to reduce inputs still further, especially from oil and gas platforms. This paper illustrates that international cooperation can result in a reduction in marine pollution leading to a cleaner environment.
ISSN:0018-8158
1573-5117
DOI:10.1007/s10750-018-3559-2