North Sea

Handling of fertilisers in German ports can cause nutrients to enter coastal waters. This can lead to oxygen depletion in the waters and have a severe adverse effect on living organisms. During transshipment, between 0.025 and 0.00000083 per cent of fertiliser can end up in the water. Protective covers between the ship and the quay wall and cleaning of the transshipment areas can counteract this.

The German Environment Agency has commissioned a project to study the effects of discharge water from exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) of ships on the marine environment. Scrubber discharge contains pollutants such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are classified as extremely hazardous. Discharge bans - at least regional - are recommended.

More and larger ships are sailing the world's oceans. Due to their high tonnages, ocean-going vessels can be a comparably environment-friendly means of transport. There is still considerable potential to design and construct them in such a way that they pollute the environment less. Proposals need to be developed and implemented at all levels of maritime policy..

Oceans know no boundaries. This also applies to marine life and the spread of pollution. Effective marine protection can therefore only be achieved through intergovernmental cooperation.

Seagoing vessels are a relatively energy-efficient mode of transport but they also cause a lot of air pollution. How great is air pollution at sea and along the coast? How can shipping become environmentally friendly in the future? The UBA is hosting an international conference in Berlin on 17-18 November 2016 to answer these questions. The conference will focus on the North and Baltic Seas.