In an expert report commissioned by the Danish IPBES collaboration, led by Professor Katherine Richardson at the University of Copenhagen, a number of experts identify potential actions that could help improve the natural and environmental condition of the ocean.
Professor Katherine Richardson says:“The seas around Denmark, with their many habitats on the seafloor and in the open waters, are undergoing rapid change, primarily due to fishing, physical disturbance of the seafloor, climate change, and the negative effects of nutrient enrichment.”
At the same time, the area of shallow waters has been significantly reduced due to land reclamation and the overfishing of reefs, which limits the habitat for bottom-dwelling plants and the production of food.
Katherine Richardson continues:“We need to reverse this trend and make amends for decades of mismanagement of the ocean’s neglected natural environment; that is why, in our statement, we highlight a number of possible courses of action that policymakers can consider.”
These options include:
Fishing: Closing several areas to bottom trawling, allocating quotas to specific gear types and fishing methods, and—through the marine spatial plan—reserving productive marine areas for fishing with passive gear, such as gillnets, which minimize environmental impact.
Climate: Activities that increase the ocean’s release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide should be included in climate plans and in the calculation of Denmark’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Nutrients: Over the past 10 years or so, nitrogen inputs have stagnated and now stand at approximately 58,000 metric tons per year. To achieve good ecological status, inputs must be reduced to 38,000 metric tons. This requires a significant annual reduction of approximately 20,000 metric tons of nitrogen.
Protected areas: Should be larger and enjoy full protection against all significant threats, thereby safeguarding existing biodiversity. This also includes ensuring good connectivity between the various areas so that animals and plants can move freely between them.
Nature Restoration: When protecting the marine environment is not enough to allow nature to recover on its own within the foreseeable future, a number of active measures can help create better conditions. These include, for example, planting eelgrass, creating rock reefs, and removing dikes so that the old salt marshes can return.
