1. Oil Spills and the Baltic Environment
Olof Linden
World Maritime University
(former Chair CCB)
15/11/2018
May 2004

2. Content Oil Spills Globally - trends Oil Spills in the Baltic
The fate of the oil
Environmental impacts
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3. The Issues What makes the Baltic different?
What environmental impacts can we expect?
What will the clean-up of a spill cost?
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4. Baltic Spills Antonio Gramski Tsesis José Marti Sefir Volgoneft
Fu Shang Hai
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7. Risk for spills increase
2000 ships at all times
Doubling of annual cargo transport by 2017
Soon doubling of oil transport compared to 1995
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8. Baltic characteristics
Low temperature
Limited water exchange
Extensive archipelagos
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9. Figure 15: Fate of oil spilled at sea showing the eight main processes that cause oil to weather (ITOPF, 2002).
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13. Fate of spilt oil in the Baltic
Weathering is slow
Degradation minimal
Emulsification limited
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14. The result More oil on the surface of the sea More oil on the shores
More damage to seabirds/waders
Less damage to sub-surface life
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15. A spill in the Baltic:
May threaten endangered species (guillemot, razorbill, long-tailed duck, greater scaups, smew) and ecosystems (e.g. saltmarshes with waders)
May contaminate large distances of shoreline (hundreds of km)
May cause long-term contamination (several years)
May affect the ecosystem over extended periods (several years)
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16. What This Means The Baltic is particularly sensitive to oil spills
Spills here cause more damage to shorelines, animals and ecosystem
Spilt oil will remain a threat for longer periods time
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17. A spill of 25,000 tons Will affect several thousand km of shoreline
Will affect several thousand seabirds
Will cause impact on the littoral ecosystem
Will affect toursim
Will affect fisheries
Will affect quality of life
Infrastructues
Employment
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18. A spill of 25,000 tons 15 vessels 100,000 E/day
Air surveillance 800 E/day
Equipment, booms
Total 10 million E
80,000 man-days for shore clean-up = 25 million E
Waste handeling 150,000 ton = 10 million E
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19. Total Cost Tourism 160 milj E Fishing 17 milj E Jobs +
Property values -
Quality of life -
Accidents -
Cost for the state 50 milj E
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20. Action
Minimize risks for spills by separating traffic, monitoring vessels, ensure highest standard of ships and manpower (EU Directive and IMO PSSA)
Identify and develop “Places of Refuge” (EU Directive and IMO Guidelines)
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