1. Su Painting and Neil Auchterlonie DG ENV Workshop, 6 March 2014
Water Framework Directive
(WFD) & Aquaculture
Su Painting and Neil Auchterlonie
DG ENV Workshop, 6 March 2014

2. Outline WFD introduction WFD & aquaculture: relevance; interactions
Implementation of WFD: key impacts and issues
Regulatory examples

3. Water Framework Directive (WFD)
EU Directive 2000/60/EC
Surface water bodies, coastal waters & groundwater
Scale of relevance
e.g. Mediterranean
The WFD, implemented in 2000, applies to surface water-bodies (rivers, lakes, estuaries), coastal waters (within 1nm for ecological status and 12 nm for chemical status) and groundwater in EU MS
The MAP = Mainland Europe (Mediterranean) – this gives an example of the number and location of fish farms, to indicate ‘the scale of the relevance of the WFD’ (from Trujillo et al Fish farms at sea: the ground truth from google earth. PLoS one 9(2): e30546.doi: /journal.pone )
Trujillo et al. 2012

4. Water Framework Directive (WFD)
To prevent deterioration of status & achieve ‘good status’ by 2015 – sustainable water use; enhancing protection and improvement
The purpose of the Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters (estuaries), coastal waters and groundwaters, which:
prevents further deterioration and protects and enhances the status of water bodies (and to achieve ‘good ecological status’ and ‘good chemical status’ by [the bit in brackets is not in Article 1!]
promotes sustainable water use based on a long-term protection of available water resources
aims at enhanced protection and improvement of the aquatic environment …. e.g. through measures to reduce discharges, emissions, losses of priority substances ..
Ensures progressive reduction of pollution of groundwater and prevents its further pollution
Contributes to mitigating effects of floods and droughts [!!], and thereby contributes to supply of good quality water etc.

5. Water Framework Directive (WFD)
Classifications: - High - Good - Moderate - Poor - Bad
Elements:
GREEN BOX: Classifications are made of Ecological status, based on 3 ‘categories’ – the lowest score ‘goes forward’
PINK BOX: Classifications are made of Chemical Status based on one ‘category’ – the lowest score ‘goes forward’
YELLOW BOX: Final Status = lowest of both scores.
Annex V of the WFD gives elements (i.e. parameters) to be used in each ‘category’ for classifications of status, as well as definitions of how to assign status (e.g. high, good, moderate ecological status in surface waters). The next slide gives examples of elements to be used in classifications of surface water

6. Water Framework Directive (WFD)
e.g. composition & abundance of phytoplankton and/or aquatic flora, invertebrate fauna, fish fauna
e.g. temperature, oxygen, salinity, transparency, acidification, nutrients, specific pollutants
e.g. water flow rates, residence time, connections, water body depth/width, bed/shore structure
For example, for surface water:
Ecological status
Biological quality elements include composition & abundance of phytoplankton and/or aquatic flora, invertebrate fauna and fish fauna. For coastal waters, fish are not included.
General chemical and physico-chemical quality elements – these support biological elements – and include temperature, oxygen, salinity, transparency, acidification, nutrients, specific pollutants - the indicative list of pollutants is in Annex VIII
Hydromorphological quality elements – these support biological elements – and include water flow rates, residence time, connections/connectivity, water body depth/width, bed/shore structure
Chemical status
Determined by effects of pollutants on aquatic biota, notably algae and/or macrophytes, daphnia or representative organisms for saline waters, and fish. Indicative list of pollutants is given in Annex Viii. Some examples shown here. Neg = negative, BOD = biological oxygen demand, COD = chemical oxygen demand
e.g. organophosphorous compounds, substances which contribute to eutrophication (nitrates, phosphates) or have a neg. influence on oxygen balance (e.g. BOD, COD)

7. Water Framework Directive (WFD)
Implementation:
River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs)
Impacts of human activity
Programme of Measures
Protected Areas
Due 2009
Competent authorities
International River Basin Districts
National River Basin Districts
The main instruments for implementation of the WFD are RBMPs for each MS , and competent authorities nominated for each MS. RBMPs include a review of impacts of human activity, designation of Protected Areas (e.g. for drinking water, protection of key species, nutrient vulnerable zones, Natura sites; Article 6 and Annex IV) and a programme of measures (described in Annex VII). RMBPs were due in However the majority of MSs have found it very challenging to develop and/or finalise their RMBPs.

8. WFD and other legislation
Blue Text = Directives (I’m not sure about the ‘groundwater’ and ‘Sevesco, IPCC’). Also, the SWD and FWFD are not shown here… THIS SLIDE IS THEREFORE ‘INDICATIVE’
Annex VI (Part A) of the WFD gives a list of Directives. Their measures are to be included within the WFD programme of measures. Directives listed are:
Bathing Waters, Birds, Drinking Water, Major Accidents, EIA, Sewage Sludge, Urban Waste Water Treatment, Plant Protection Products, Nitrates, Habitats, Integrated Pollution control
Annex VI (Part B) gives examples of supplementary measures which may be included e.g. recreation and restoration of wetland areas, abstraction controls, efficiency and reuse measures (such as promotion of water-efficient technologies in industry)
Previously – SFWD, FWFD
Future - MSFD

9. WFD and Aquaculture WFD = relevant & important Coastal Inland
Aquaculture activities occur extensively throughout Europe, in both coastal and inland waters. In addition to the earlier slide (on the location and number of fish farms in the Mediterranean) these maps show
1. Aquaculture production relative to coastline length (for marine and brackish waters production
Data source: FAO FISHSTAT Plus and World Resources Institute)
2. Inland trout fisheries (freshwater) in the UK - the map shows locations of British Trout Association members. The main concentrations of production are in Scotland, Wessex and the south of England, with smaller but significant industries also found in Northern Ireland, Wales, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (from

10. WFD and Aquaculture: Interactions
Aquaculture environment (water body)
Example: marine finfish aquaculture
Aquaculture activities can potentially have an impact on the ecological and chemical status of the water body in which these activities take place.
For example, these impacts are summarised in a case study on marine finfish aquaculture. They include: release of dissolved and particulate wastes. These can potentially affect water quality, and seabed processes.
WFD impacts on Aquaculture are not shown. A major concern is that the WFD is/will be too restrictive e.g. will limit fish production (through limiting fish densities, feeding, pond fertilisation). Also, that the industry is easier to target than other industries, such as agriculture (diffuse sources of nutrients), sewage (point sources of nutrients), renewable energy forestry…
Sanz-Lázaro and Marín 2008

11. WFD and Aquaculture: Interactions
Pressures and impacts:
Hydro-morphological quality
Physico-chemical quality
Biological quality
In summary,
• The aquaculture industry … exerts quantitative and qualitative pressure and impacts on water resources.
• Pressures and impacts of different aquaculture systems depend on multiple factors, including farm location, type of cultured organism, methods used, and the sensitivity of the environment.
• Pressures from aquaculture which may impact upon WFD status include:
• hydro-morphological quality – through abstraction and infrastructure
• physico-chemical quality – through discharges of dissolved and particulate nutrients, and chemical contaminants (e.g. disinfectants, antibiotics)
• biological quality – through eutrophication, escapees, diseases/parasites
• Aquaculture activities therefore need to be monitored and managed.

12. WFD and Aquaculture Key Aquaculture Principles:
non-consumptive use of water
reliant on good water quality
mitigation measures can be adopted (e.g. Aquabest recommendations for the Baltic Sea)
However, the key principles of sustainable aquaculture are that the industry:
Makes non-consumptive use of water
Is reliant on good water quality
Also, that mitigation measures can be developed and adopted. These measures may have additional benefits, such as habitat restoration oor creation, creation of flood defenses etc.

13. WFD and Aquaculture Key Issues: discharges flow management
protection of water quality
containment effects, escapees, pathogens
ecological continuity
biodiversity
species introductions
There are a number of issues in regulating aquaculture under the WFD.
Some of the key issues are given here. For example:
Discharges – water quality parameters of the discharged water; distance from point of abstraction to point of discharge
Flow management – may alter hydromorphology
Protection of water quality - relevant elements and parameters need to be identified, e.g. dissolved oxygen, phosphorus and nitrates
Containment effects, escapees, pathogens – identification and justification of which are ‘pollutants’ or alien species
Ecological continuity – e.g. do changes in hydromorphology allow free passage of migratory fish, or exchanges of water with adjacent water bodies
Biodiversity – multiple examples. Including protection of predators (cormorants, otters) vs aquaculture needs; creation of habitats (due to retention of water);
Species introductions – introducing new species for aquaculture; restocking – issues under Alien Species Regulations

14. WFD and Aquaculture Key Issues Continued: development of aquaculture
coherence between EU regulations and within MS
administrative burdens on the industry
Development of aquaculture – encouraged under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and Blue Growth initiatives
Coherence between regs and within MS – topic of workshop/s – objective of the Commission is to develop a guidance document

15. WFD and Aquaculture: Regulatory Examples
England, Wales and Scotland - finfish:
Competent authorities = EA and SEPA
Permits required for abstraction & discharge
Limits on fish biomass; monitoring
Medicines - licences and discharges
Fish health
Regulatory examples of implementation of WFD for finfish aquaculture sector
• The designated competent authority is the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland.
• Practitioners are required to get permits from the EA/SEPA to abstract or discharge surface or groundwater. SEPA sets limits on the biomass of fish that can be grown in cage sites. Compliance is determined from routine monitoring.
• Medicines are licensed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and on-farm use (discharge) is consented by EA/SEPA.
• Other competent authorities (for fish health) regulate fish and shellfish health, and inspect to ensure satisfactory containment.
We need examples from other MSs
Other MS?

16. WFD and Aquaculture
Thank you!