Environmental impact of nutrients from nordic fish farming

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Enell
Keyword(s):  
Major Part ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Feed Composition ◽  
The North ◽  
Comprehensive Development ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Inland Water Bodies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Feed Coefficient

During the last 20 years there has been an interesting development of the Nordic fish farming, with regard to the feeding and farming technology and to the increase in production quantities. During the period 1974-1994 the production increased from 15,800 to about 250,000 tonnes/year. In 1974 the major part of the production was in Denmark, and in 1994 the major part was in Norway. The nutrient impact of fish farming on surrounding sea areas is mainly a function of the feed coefficient, the feed composition and metabolic processes in the fish. The comprehensive development of the feed composition and the feeding technology has resulted in reduced load of unmetabolized nutrients from fish farms, calculated per tonne fish produced. In 1974 the mean Nordic feed coefficient was 2.08 and in 1994 the coefficient was 1.25. Feed coefficients of 1.0-1.1 are now reported for Danish and Norwegian freshwater and marine fish farms. The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content of the feed has decreased, in addition the quality of the nutrient substances in the feed has changed, especially for N. The N content has decreased from 7.8 to 6.8% during the period 1974-1994 and the content of P has decreased from 1.7 to 0.7% during the same period. This development of the feed coefficient and the feed composition has resulted in a present load from a typical Nordic fish farm of 55 kg N and 4.8 kg P/t fish produced. The figures for 1974 were 132 kg N and 31 kg P/t fish produced. The Nordic fish farming production in 1994 resulted in a load of about 13,750 t N and about 1,200 t P on the actual recipients. The load from the Swedish, Finnish and Danish fish farming operations, with the Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak as the recipients, is negligible in comparison with other pollution sources. The quantities of N and P from the fish farming are equal to 0.5% of the atmospheric deposition on the sea surface and 3% of the atmospheric P load. Norwegian, Icelandic and the Faroe Islands fish farming operations are using the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea as the recipients. However, the nutrient load from single fish farms in certain coastal and inland water bodies can be significant and must be considered in the impact assessment together with other sources.

Fish farming in Denmark: environmental impact of regulative legislation

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Iversen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Local Impact ◽  
The Impact

The main environmental problems associated with fish farming in Denmark are attributable to the dam, the “dead reach” and nutrient and organic matter discharge. The environmental regulation of fish farming in Denmark started with the Environmental Protection Act of 1974, the Statutory Order of 1985 forbidding wet feed, and the Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment of 1987. In the case of freshwater fish farms, the latter was implemented through the measures stipulated in the 1989 Statutory Order on Fish Farms. The impact of Danish legislative measures to reduce and regulate the environmental effects of freshwater fish farms can be summarized as follows: - the number of fish farms has been reduced from about 800 in 1974 to about 500 at present; - production has tripled since 1974 and has been stable since 1989; - a change from wet to dry feed has reduced the environmental impact of the farms; - the national goals of the Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment of 1987 for reducing fish farm discharges of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus have been fulfilled. The main remaining problems are that: - the local impact of fish farms on downstream stream quality is still much too high in about 15% of cases; - the problem of the passage of migrating invertebrates and fish is still unsolved at some farms; - the problems posed by “dead reaches” are still unsolved. It is concluded that sustainable fish farming is possible in Denmark, but with the present technology production will have to be significantly reduced.

scholarly journals The impact of ship emissions on air quality and human health in the Gothenburg area – Part 1: 2012 emissions

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 7509-7530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Tang ◽  
Martin O. P. Ramacher ◽  
Jana Moldanová ◽  
Volker Matthias ◽  
Matthias Karl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Ship Emissions ◽  
The North ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Abstract. Ship emissions in and around ports are of interest for urban air quality management in many harbour cities. We investigated the impact of regional and local ship emissions on urban air quality for 2012 conditions in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, the largest cargo port in Scandinavia. In order to assess the effects of ship emissions, a coupled regional- and local-scale model system has been set up using ship emissions in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea as well as in and around the port of Gothenburg. Ship emissions were calculated with the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM), taking into account individual vessel characteristics and vessel activity data. The calculated contributions from local and regional shipping to local air pollution in Gothenburg were found to be substantial, especially in areas around the city ports. The relative contribution from local shipping to annual mean NO2 concentrations was 14 % as the model domain average, while the relative contribution from regional shipping in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea was 26 %. In an area close to the city terminals, the contribution of NO2 from local shipping (33 %) was higher than that of road traffic (28 %), which indicates the importance of controlling local shipping emissions. Local shipping emissions of NOx led to a decrease in the summer mean O3 levels in the city by 0.5 ppb (∼2 %) on average. Regional shipping led to a slight increase in O3 concentrations; however, the overall effect of regional and the local shipping together was a small decrease in the summer mean O3 concentrations in the city. In addition, volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from local shipping compensate up to 4 ppb of the decrease in summer O3 concentrations due to the NO titration effect. For particulate matter with a median aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm (PM2.5), local ship emissions contributed only 3 % to the annual mean in the model domain, while regional shipping under 2012 conditions was a larger contributor, with an annual mean contribution of 11 % of the city domain average. Based on the modelled local and regional shipping contributions, the health effects of PM2.5, NO2 and ozone were assessed using the ALPHA-RiskPoll (ARP) model. An effect of the shipping-associated PM2.5 exposure in the modelled area was a mean decrease in the life expectancy by 0.015 years per person. The relative contribution of local shipping to the impact of total PM2.5 was 2.2 %, which can be compared to the 5.3 % contribution from local road traffic. The relative contribution of the regional shipping was 10.3 %. The mortalities due to the exposure to NO2 associated with shipping were calculated to be 2.6 premature deaths yr−1. The relative contribution of local and regional shipping to the total exposure to NO2 in the reference simulation was 14 % and 21 %, respectively. The shipping-related ozone exposures were due to the NO titration effect leading to a negative number of premature deaths. Our study shows that overall health impacts of regional shipping can be more significant than those of local shipping, emphasizing that abatement policy options on city-scale air pollution require close cooperation across governance levels. Our findings indicate that the strengthened Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs) fuel sulphur limit from 1 % to 0.1 % in 2015, leading to a strong decrease in the formation of secondary particulate matter on a regional scale was an important step in improving the air quality in the city.

scholarly journals Wild salmonids are running the gauntlet of pathogens and climate as fish farms expand northwards

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knut Wiik Vollset ◽  
Robert J Lennox ◽  
Jan Grimsrud Davidsen ◽  
Sindre Håvarstein Eldøy ◽  
Trond E Isaksen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cold Water ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Northern Areas ◽  
Infection Pressure ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Research Questions

Abstract Salmon farming has multiplied from a side business of coastal farmers to one of the world's major aquaculture species. This has dramatically altered the disease dynamics between farmed and wild salmonids. As salmon fish farming has increased, new restrictions have been enforced to combat emerging density-dependent impacts of pathogen spillover. In most northern and arctic regions, the effects of pathogens from fish farms on wild salmonids have been minimal for two key reasons: (i) relative low density of fish farms in the north and (ii) cold water temperatures. However, both factors are set to change dramatically. On one side, there is an increasing interest in utilizing northern areas for fish farming due to limited capacity for expansion in mid-latitude regions. On the other side, climate change is rapidly changing these northern ecosystems. High-latitude regions inhabit some of the largest remaining wild Atlantic salmon populations in the world along with sea trout and Arctic charr. Wild salmonids in the north have most likely seldom been exposed to high infection pressure, and we question how these populations will cope with changes that are coming. We identify 12 research questions emerging from these imminent changes and discuss methodologies for addressing them. We conclude that policies related to fish farming must consider uncertainties with respect to pathogen dynamics in the north until these research questions are fully addressed.

A new species of Ophryotrocha (Annelida: Dorvilleidae) associated with fish farming at Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, Australia

Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2509 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
HANNELORE PAXTON ◽  
ADAM DAVEY
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
A New Species

Ophryotrocha shieldsi, sp. nov. is described from Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, Australia, where it occurs in high densities beneath the sea cages of fish farms. SCUBA and ROV underwater observations revealed closely spaced mounds of aggregations of the new species. It is closely related to O. lobifera Oug, a species reported from fish farms and whale-falls in the North Sea, from which it can be distinguished by its ovate rather than triangular dorsal lateral lobes, palps with small globular rather than longer digitate palpostyles, and additional jaw differences.

scholarly journals Longitudinal evaluation of the impact of traditional rainbow trout farming on receiving water quality in Ireland

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Tahar ◽  
Alan M. Kennedy ◽  
Richard D. Fitzgerald ◽  
Eoghan Clifford ◽  
Neil Rowan
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Independent Data ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
River Quality ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
The Impact

In the context of future aquaculture intensification, a longitudinal ten-year evaluation of the current traditional rainbow trout production in Ireland was performed. Publically available and independent data obtained from local authorities were gathered and analysed. Inlet and outlet concentrations of parameters such as BOD5, ammonium, nitrite, dissolved oxygen and pH for four consecutive flow-through fish farms covering the four seasons over a ten-year period (2005–2015) were analysed. The objectives of the study were (i) to characterize the impact of each fish farm on water quality in function of their respective production and identify any seasonal variability, (ii) to quantify the cumulative impact of the four farms on the river quality and to check if the self-purification capacity of the river was enough to allow the river to reach back its background levels for the analysed parameters, (iii) to build a baseline study for Ireland in order to extrapolate as a dataset for expected climate change and production intensification. For most of the parameter analysed, no significant impact of the fish farming activity on water quality/river quality was observed. These results, the first ones generated in Ireland so far, will have to be completed by a survey on biodiversity and ecotoxicology and compared after production intensification and the likely future introduction of water treatment systems on the different sites.

A Comparative Study on SECA Compliance Options for Maritime Fuel Producers

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunice Omolola Olaniyi ◽  
Gunnar Prause
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Fuel Price ◽  
The North ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Compliance Strategy ◽  
Contracting Model ◽  
The Impact

In January 2015, the Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA) regulations changed so that ships that ply the Baltic Sea and the North Sea can no longer use bunker fuel that exceeds 0.1 per cent v/v of sulphur. Many changes have been seen in the maritime sector, especially in the Baltic Sea region (BSR). From studies, the impact is still somewhat negative for some maritime stakeholders, such as small-scale fuel producing companies who must produce fuel that complies with the SECA requirements. The impact analysis of their compliance options shows that hydrodesulphurisation (HDS) option is the most viable option with a commensurable investment return rate, but it is highly risky and expensive considering the incessant plummeting of fuel price and the financial status of such companies. However, even though the situation looks bleak for the small-scale maritime fuel producers, a deeper probe revealed a chance for exceptional opportunities for growth and profit through a change of business model to the maritime energy-contracting model (MEC). The study zooms in on a case study of a fuel producing company and empirically compares the operating costs of the MEC model (as a decentralised option) and the HDS process (as a centralised option) to determine which option will be most economically worthwhile if adopted as a SECA compliance strategy to ensure a rounded and robust choice-making process for maritime stakeholders in such situations.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of modeled atmospheric nitrogen species and nitrogen deposition to variations in sea salt emissions in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 2921-2942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Neumann ◽  
Volker Matthias ◽  
Johannes Bieser ◽  
Armin Aulinger ◽  
Markus Quante
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Surf Zone ◽  
Sea Salt ◽  
Atmospheric Nitrogen ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Coarse sea salt particles are emitted ubiquitously from the ocean surface by wave-breaking and bubble-bursting processes. These particles impact the atmospheric chemistry by affecting the condensation of gas-phase species and, thus, indirectly the nucleation of new fine particles, particularly in regions with significant air pollution. In this study, atmospheric particle concentrations are modeled for the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions in northwestern Europe using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system and are compared to European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) measurement data. The sea salt emission module is extended by a salinity-dependent scaling of the sea salt emissions because the salinity in large parts of the Baltic Sea is very low, which leads to considerably lower sea salt mass emissions compared to other oceanic regions. The resulting improvement in predicted sea salt concentrations is assessed. The contribution of surf zone emissions is considered separately. Additionally, the impacts of sea salt particles on atmospheric nitrate and ammonium concentrations and on nitrogen deposition are evaluated. The comparisons with observational data show that sea salt concentrations are commonly overestimated at coastal stations and partly underestimated farther inland. The introduced salinity scaling improves the predicted Baltic Sea sea salt concentrations considerably. The dates of measured peak concentrations are appropriately reproduced by the model. The impact of surf zone emissions is negligible in both seas. Nevertheless, they might be relevant because surf zone emissions were cut at an upper threshold in this study. Deactivating sea salt leads to minor increases in NH3 +  NH4+ and HNO3 +  NO3− and a decrease in NO3− concentrations. However, the overall effect on NH3 +  NH4+ and HNO3 +  NO3− concentrations is smaller than the deviation from the measurements. Nitrogen wet deposition is underestimated by the model at most stations. In coastal regions, the total nitrogen deposition (wet and dry) is considerably affected by sea salt particles. Approximately 3–7 % of atmospheric nitrogen deposition into the North Sea is caused by sea salt particles. The contribution is lower in the Baltic Sea region. The stations in the EMEP network provide a solid basis for model evaluation and validation. However, for a more detailed analysis of the impact of sea salt particles on atmospheric nitrogen species, size-resolved measurements of Na+, NH4+, and NO3− are needed.

The history of the great northwest European rivers during the past three million years

1988 ◽  
Vol 318 (1191) ◽  
pp. 559-602 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Drainage System ◽  
River System ◽  
Estuarine Sediments ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
River Valleys ◽  
Continental Glaciation ◽  
The Impact

This paper is based on a review of the histories of the Rivers Elbe, Saale, Weser, Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, Thames, Somme and Seine. Two further rivers no longer in existence, the Baltic and Channel rivers, are also included. The histories of these rivers illustrate how the interplay of tectonics and climate have influenced the northwest European drainage system through the late Cainozoic. The foundations of the modern drainage system were laid in the Miocene when earth movements associated with Alpine orogenesis and the opening of the North Atlantic were at their height. In general, these early rivers occupied shallow valleys and transported only chemically resistant minerals and lithologies. The Pleistocene was marked by the appearance of cold climates. These climates resulted in fluvial dissection of the landscape, which stripped first regolith, then fresh material derived by periglacial processes. This material accumulated in the river valleys as gravel and sand deposits, which make up the overwhelming bulk of Pleistocene fluvial sediments. The rivers generally adopted braided courses during cold stages. The deeply incised modern valley system has developed largely as a result of rapid climatic changes over the past 2.4 Ma or so. Throughout this period the river system has undergone repeated adjustments in response to continental glaciation. These responses are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the Anglian-Elsterian glaciation that blocked the southern North Sea to produce a vast ice-dammed lake, the overspill from which initiated the Dover Straits. By contrast, interglacial sedimentation comprises predominantly fine, often fossiliferous sediments with rivers normally adopting single-thread channels, while estuarine sediments were deposited in areas invaded by high eustatic sea levels. The impact of sea-level change on the length of rivers and their courses is considered.

scholarly journals The impact of ship emissions on air quality and human health in the Gothenburg area – Part I: 2012 emissions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Tang ◽  
Martin O. P. Ramacher ◽  
Jana Moldanová ◽  
Volker Matthias ◽  
Matthias Karl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Ship Emissions ◽  
The North ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Abstract. Ship emissions in and around ports are of interest for urban air quality management in many harbour cities. We investigated the impact of regional and local ship emissions on urban air quality for 2012-year conditions in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, the largest cargo port in Scandinavia. In order to assess the effects of ship emissions, a coupled regional and local-scale model system has been set up, using ship emissions in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, as well as in and around the port of Gothenburg. Ship emissions are calculated with the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM) model taking into account individual vessel characteristics and vessel activity data. The calculated contributions from local and regional shipping to local air pollution in Gothenburg were found substantial, especially in areas around the city ports. The local shipping contribution of NO2 to annual mean concentrations was up to 3.3 ppb, together with contribution from regional shipping at the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, the contribution was up to 4.3 ppb. In an area close to the city terminals, the contribution of NO2 from local shipping was higher than that of the road traffic, which indicates importance of controlling the local shipping emissions. The local shipping emissions of NOx decreased the summer mean O3 levels in the city by 0.5 ppb on annual mean. The regional shipping lead to a slight increase in the O3 concentrations, however, the overall effect of the regional and the local shipping together was a small decrease of the summer mean O3 concentrations in the city. For PM2.5, the local ship emissions contributed with 0.1 μg m−3 to the annual mean concentrations on the city-domain average, regional shipping was under 2012 conditions a larger contributor to the local PM2.5 than the local shipping, with an annual mean contribution of 0.5 μg m−3 on the city-domain average. Based on the modelled local and regional shipping contributions, the health effects of PM2.5, NO2 and ozone were assessed using the ALPHA-RiskPoll (ARP) model. An effect of the shipping-associated PM2.5 exposure in the modelled area was a mean loss of the life expectancy by 0.015 years per person. The relative contribution of the local shipping to the impact of total PM2.5 was 2.2 % which can be compared to 5.3 % contribution from the local road traffic. The relative contribution of the regional shipping was 10.3 %. The mortalities due to the exposure to NO2 associated to shipping were calculated to be 2.6 premature deaths/year. The relative contribution of the local and the regional shipping to the total exposure to NOLsub>2 in the reference simulation was 14 % and 21 %, respectively. The shipping related ozone exposures were due to the NO titration effect, leading to negative number of premature deaths. Our study show that overall health impacts of regional shipping can be more important than those of local shipping, emphasising that abatement policy options on city-scale air pollution require close cooperation across governance levels. Our findings indicate that the strengthened Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA) fuel sulphur limit from 1 % to 0.1 % in 2015, leading to strong decrease in formation of secondary particulate matter on regional scale, has been an important step in improving of the air quality in the city.

scholarly journals Distribution and bioavailability of mercury in the surface sediments of the Baltic Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urszula Kwasigroch ◽  
Magdalena Bełdowska ◽  
Agnieszka Jędruch ◽  
Katarzyna Łukawska-Matuszewska
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Gotland Basin ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Arkona Basin ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe study aimed to determine the level of mercury (Hg) and its labile and stable forms in the surface sediments of the Baltic Sea. The work considers the impact of current and historical sources of Hg on sediment pollution, together with the influence of different environmental parameters, including water inflows from the North Sea. Surface sediments (top 5 cm) were collected in 2016–2017 at 91 stations located in different areas of the Baltic Sea, including Belt Sea, Arkona Basin, Bornholm Basin, Gdańsk Basin, West Gotland Basin, East Gotland Basin, and the Bothnian Sea. Besides, the particulate matter suspended in the surface and near-bottom water was also collected. The analysis of total Hg concentration and individual Hg forms in collected samples was carried out using a 5-step thermodesorption method. This method allows for the identification of three labile and thus biologically available, fractions of Hg, which are mercury halides, organic Hg, mercury oxide and sulphate. Two stable fractions, mercury sulphide and residual Hg, were also determined. The highest Hg concentrations, reaching 341 ng g−1, were measured in the highly industrialised Kiel Bay, which was additionally a munition dumping site during and after World War II. High Hg level, ranging from 228 to 255 ng g−1, was also recorded in the surface sediments of the Arkona Basin, which was a result of the cumulative effect of several factors, such as deposition of Hg-rich riverine matter, favourable hydrodynamic conditions and military activities in the past. The relatively elevated Hg concentrations, varying from 60 to 264 ng g−1, were found in the Gdańsk Basin, a region under strong anthropopressure and dominated by soft sediments. The sum of labile Hg in sediments was high and averaged 67% (with the domination of organic Hg compounds), which means that a large part of Hg can be released to the water column. It was found that the water inflows from the North Sea intensify the remobilisation of Hg and its transformation into bioavailable labile forms. As a consequence, the load of Hg introduced into the trophic chain can increase. Despite the significant reduction of Hg emission into the Baltic in the last decades, surface sediments can be an important secondary Hg source in the marine ecosystem. This is especially dangerous in the case of the western Baltic Sea.

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