Member State report / Art9 / 2012 / D9 / Greece / Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 9 Determination of GES (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2012-10-15
GES Descriptor D9 Contaminants in seafood
Member State Greece
Region/subregion Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea
Reported by APC S.A.
Report date 2012-10-15
Report access MALGR_MSFD9GES_20130430.xml
GES component
D9
9.1 Levels, number and frequency of contaminants
9.1.1 Levels of contaminants in seafood
Method used
MAL-EL-MS-AL: For descriptors 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 it is attempted to approach GES quantitatively using environmental thresholds/limits to describe the desired state of GES. For descriptors 1, 2, 4,7 and 10 a qualitative description of what GES will be like is provided.
MAL-EL-MS-AL: For descriptors 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 it is attempted to approach GES quantitatively using environmental thresholds/limits to describe the desired state of GES. For descriptors 1, 2, 4,7 and 10 a qualitative description of what GES will be like is provided.
Marine reporting units
  • Hellenic Republic's marine waters part of the Aegean-Levantine subregion
  • It constitutes the assessment area South Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
  • Hellenic Republic's marine waters part of the Aegean-Levantine subregion
  • It constitutes the assessment area South Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
  • Hellenic Republic's marine waters part of the Aegean-Levantine subregion
  • It constitutes the assessment area South Aegean Sea belonging in the subregion Mediterranean sea:Aegean-Levantine sea
Feature
  • BirdsInshoreBenthic
  • BirdsInshorePelagic
  • BirdsInshoreSurface
  • BirdsIntertidalBenthic
  • CephalopodsCoastShelf
  • Coastal fish
  • FishDemersal
  • FishPelagicElasmobranchs
  • IntroHazSubstOther
  • IntroNonSynthSubst
  • IntroRadioNuclides
  • IntroSynthComp
  • MarineCoast
  • MarineOceanic
  • MarineShelf
  • NutrientLevels
  • OxygenLevels
  • ShallCoarseSed
  • ShallMud
  • ShallMxdSed
  • ShallSand
  • ShelfCoarseSed
  • ShelfMud
  • ShelfMxdSed
  • ShelfRock
  • pH
  • BirdsInshoreBenthic
  • BirdsInshorePelagic
  • BirdsInshoreSurface
  • BirdsIntertidalBenthic
  • CephalopodsCoastShelf
  • Coastal fish
  • FishDemersal
  • FishPelagicElasmobranchs
  • IntroHazSubstOther
  • IntroNonSynthSubst
  • IntroRadioNuclides
  • IntroSynthComp
  • MarineCoast
  • MarineOceanic
  • MarineShelf
  • NutrientLevels
  • OxygenLevels
  • ShallCoarseSed
  • ShallMud
  • ShallMxdSed
  • ShallSand
  • ShelfCoarseSed
  • ShelfMud
  • ShelfMxdSed
  • ShelfRock
  • pH
Criterion/indicator
D9
9.1
9.1.1
GES description
To assess if an area is in GES, it is necesssary for fish and other seafood contaminant concentrations to remain below certain regulatory levels. In this way public health is protected. Generally, the concentrations of contaminants traced in fish and foodstaff fished or cultured in the waters of the subregion rarely exceed the maximum levels set by the regulation of the EU No 1881/2006. In addition, there is not an increasing trend of bioaccumulation in the biota and functional groups used as bioindicators (Mytilus Galloprovincialis and Mullus Barbatus/ Boops Boops respectively). Nevertheless, there are some top predators which occasionally have been found to exceed maximum permitted levels for certain contaminants, due to bioaccumulation. To conclude, marine waters in the subregion of Ionian -Central Mediterranean Sea are in Good Environmental Status and effort has to be made to maintain such condition.
Levels of contaminants
Threshold values
  • Hellenic Republic's marine waters part of the Aegean-Levantine subregion = To achieve GES, contaminants in fish and seafood should not exceed the threshold values set by the regulation of the EU No 1881/2006
  • Hellenic Republic's marine waters part of the Aegean-Levantine subregion = not exceed the threshold values set by the regulation of the EU No 1881/2006
Threshold value unit
Proportion of area to achieve threshold value
Reference point type
LimitReferencePoint
Baseline
The baseline/background concentrations used to establish the threshold values is that of the pristine state of open sea water/ sediments/ marine organisms/ functional groups: Metals (μg/kg ww): Cd 25, Hg 35, Pb 25, PCBs (μg/g): Total PCB 0
Assessment method
The asessment method involves the monitoring of the paramaters mentioned and the comparison of the measured values to the thresholds set.
Development status
Fully operational