Member State report / Art8 / 2012 / D7 / Belgium / NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 8 Initial assessment (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2012-10-15
GES Descriptor D7 Hydrographical changes
Member State Belgium
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea
Reported by FPS Health, Food Chain safety and Environment - Service Marine environment
Report date 2012-08-16
Report access MSFD8bPressures_20130514.xml

Belgian Part of the North Sea

GES component
GESOther: See ThresholdValue
GESOther: Assessments under BHD and in EIAs, fit in with criterion 7.2
GESOther: Assessments under BHD and in EIAs, fit in with criterion 7.2
GESOther: Assessments under BHD and in EIAs, fit in with criterion 7.2
Feature
LevelPressure
ImpactPressureWaterColumn
ImpactPressureSeabedHabitats
ImpactPressureFunctionalGroup
Assessment Topic
Hydrological7_1
HydrologicalWaterColumnHabitats7_2
HydrologicalSeabedHabitats7_2
HydrologicalFunctionalGroups7_2
Element
MarineCoast, MarineShelf
ShallMud, ShelfMxdSed, ShelfSand
NotRelevant
Element 2
ThresholdValue
Conditions related to the bottom stress on a 14 days spring tide/neap tide cycle
Compliance with the existing regulatory regime (e.g. EIA, SEA, Bird and Habitat Directives) and regulatory assessments to avoid impact
Compliance with the existing regulatory regime (e.g. EIA, SEA, Bird and Habitat Directives) and regulatory assessments to avoid impact
Compliance with the existing regulatory regime (e.g. EIA, SEA, Bird and Habitat Directives) and regulatory assessments to avoid impact
Threshold value/Value unit
Proportion threshold value
Status of criteria/indicator
OtherStatus
OtherStatus
OtherStatus
OtherStatus
Status trend
Unknown_NotAssessed
Unknown_NotAssessed
Unknown_NotAssessed
Unknown_NotAssessed
Status confidence
Description (status of criteria/indicator)
Assessments under BHD and in EIAs
Assessments under BHD and in EIAs
Assessments under BHD and in EIAs
Assessments under BHD and in EIAs
Limitations
Assessment period
Description
Hydrographical changes resulting from human activities have been ongoing for many centuries. Examples of such human activities are the Zeebrugge port expansion and the deepening of the sea lanes towards the ports of Ostend, Zeebrugge and the Scheldt estuary. These changes in hydrodynamics have in turn caused or enhanced other phenomena, including the silting up of the Paardenmarkt east of Zeebrugge (Van den Eynde et al. 2010). In the second half of the 20th century, the number and scope of hydrographical interventions increased significantly: sand extraction for coastal defences and filling sand, dredging of waterways to seaports, construction of wind farms, installing cables.
Hydrographical changes resulting from human activities have been ongoing for many centuries. Examples of such human activities are the Zeebrugge port expansion and the deepening of the sea lanes towards the ports of Ostend, Zeebrugge and the Scheldt estuary. These changes in hydrodynamics have in turn caused or enhanced other phenomena, including the silting up of the Paardenmarkt east of Zeebrugge (Van den Eynde et al. 2010).
Input load
Unknown_NotAssessed
Unknown_NotAssessed
Unknown_NotAssessed
Unknown_NotAssessed
Load unit
Unknown_NotAssessed
Confidence
Non related GES component
Non related GES component
Non related GES component
Non related GES component
Trends (recent)
Trends (future)
Description (activities)
Activity type
  • Dredging
  • LandClaimDefence
  • MiningSandGravel
  • Dredging
  • LandClaimDefence
  • MiningSandGravel
  • Dredging
  • LandClaimDefence
  • MiningSandGravel
  • Dredging
  • LandClaimDefence
  • MiningSandGravel
Information gaps