Copenhagen,
Monday, 3rd July, 2006 - Impacts assessed as millions
begin annual pilgrimages to the sea
Europe's unique coastal environment
is under increasing threat from its own popularity,
according to a new report from the European Environment
Agency (EEA), released today in Copenhagen.
'The changing face of Europe's
coastal areas', warns that a rapid acceleration
in the use of coastal space, mostly driven by
the recreation and tourism industries, threatens
to destroy the delicate balance of coastal ecosystems.
For example, approximately two
thirds of Europe's wetlands (most of which are
coastal) have been lost since the beginning of
the 20th century. Development along the Mediterranean
has created the 'Med wall' where more than 50%
of the coast is dominated by concrete, the report
says.
"Our coastlines are the
richest ecosystems in terms of the number and
variety of plants and animals. Coasts also act
as economic gateways to Europe; they are part
of the fabric of many societies and are crucial
to our quality of life," said Professor Jacqueline
McGlade, executive director of the EEA.
"However, to protect our
coastal areas, we need to value them not as playgrounds
or transport lanes with unlimited building, living,
recreational and shipping potential but as fragile
systems that underpin landscapes and amenities
at the core of many communities," Professor
McGlade said.
Population densities along European
coast are higher and continue to grow faster than
those inland, the report says. Between 11000 and
2000 artificial surfaces (primarily roads and
buildings) in coastal zones increased in almost
all European countries.
The fastest development occurred
in Portugal (34 % increase in ten years), Ireland
(27 %), Spain (18 %), followed by France, Italy
and Greece. The most affected regional seacoast
is the Western Mediterranean. Economic restructuring,
much of it driven by EU subsidies has been a driver
for infrastructure development, which in turn
has attracted residential sprawl.
Climate change, an ageing, more
affluent population, increased leisure and cheaper
travel compound these pressures leading to a crises
for Europe's coastline, the report says.
"Think of the infrastructure
required to get one family from Northern Europe
to a beach in Spain: transport policies and subsidies,
passport agreements, and funding, to name a few.
Now think of the impacts on the final destination.
As tourists we may contribute to local income
and employment, but we also bring pollution and
eco-system degradation to areas that have little
policy protection and are ill suited to withstand
such an intense level of use. While the impacts
may be local, the pressures and solutions need
to be on a pan-European scale," Professor
McGlade said.
Despite this challenging situation,
new opportunities are being offered to tackle
coastal issues in a more holistic way that views
our coastlines as mosaics of rivers and their
catchments, coastal zones and marine regions.
The on-going implementation of 'integrated coastal
zone management' (ICZM), reviewed by the European
Commission in 2006, is to be welcomed, the report
says.
"There is a long history
of policy initiatives to protect Europe's coastline
but these have never been implemented in an integrated
manner. ICZM involves all relevant stakeholders
and takes a long-term view of the coastal zone
in an attempt to balance the needs of development
with protection of the very resources that sustain
coastal economies. It also takes into account
the public's concern about the deteriorating environmental,
socio-economic and cultural state of the European
coastline," Professor McGlade said.
Notes to the editor:
To view the full report, follow this link to the
EEA Website: http://reports.eea.europa.eu/eea_report_2006_6/en
To find out more about the EEA,
visit our website: http://www.eea.europa.eu
Fact Box on Europe's Coast
80 % of ocean pollution comes
from land-based human activities
Population densities are higher on the coast than
inland. For Europe, population densities of coastal
regions (NUTS3) are on average 10 % higher than
inland. However, in some countries this figure
can be more than 50 %. There are many regions
where the coastal population is at least five
times the European average density.
Artificial surfaces spread by
190 km2 per year between 11000 and 2000. Due to
the irreversible nature of land cover change from
natural to urban and infrastructure development,
these changes are seen as one of the main threats
to the sustainability of coastal zones. 61 % of
total land uptake by artificial surfaces was due
to housing, services and recreation.
The number of invasive creatures
in Europe's seas increased substantially between
the 1960s and 1980s, particularly in the Mediterranean.
Their effect on native coastal ecosystems is becoming
difficult and costly to control. The jellyfish
Mnemiopsis leydyi is a common example. An explosive
growth in its population occurred after its arrival
in ships' ballast waters in the late 1980's. This
caused devastation in Black Sea fish stocks, oyster
and even the indigenous jellyfish population (EEA,
2005b). The jellyfish even found its way into
the land locked Caspian sea, causing serious changes
to the whole ecosystem (Karpinsky et al., 2005).
The global sea surface temperature
has warmed by a mean of 0.6 °C since the late
19th century. The result of sea surface warming
is redistribution and loss of marine organisms
and a higher frequency of anomalous and toxic
phytoplankton bloom events.
Brendan Killeen / Marion Hannerup
