Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D2 / Netherlands / NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea
Report type | Member State report to Commission |
MSFD Article | Art. 11 Monitoring programmes (and Art. 17 updates) |
Report due | 2020-10-15 |
GES Descriptor | D2 Non-indigenous species |
Member State | Netherlands |
Region/subregion | NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea |
Reported by | Rijkswaterstaat Water, Verkeer en Leefomgeving Zuiderwagenplein 2 8224 AD Lelystad Postbus 2232 3500 |
Report date | 2020-11-17 |
Report access |
Descriptor |
D2 |
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Monitoring strategy description |
The principal purpose of the MSFD monitoring programme is to review the progress that has been made towards achieving good environmental status prescribed for each criterion in the Marine Strategy Part I (2018). This review is based on established indicators. The monitoring can also be used to evaluate the environmental targets defined for each descriptor. The environmental targets are operational in nature and are linked to specific actions and/or measures in the Marine Strategy Part 3. The effects of individual measures cannot generally be linked directly to environmental status or the criteria. Monitoring data can, however, indirectly give an indication of the effectiveness of measures.
The monitoring (methods, spatial and temporal coverage) aims to achieve sufficient statistical confidence in the assessment. The risk of not achieving GES or deterioration from GES is addressed in the Marine Strategy, Parts 1 and 3.
The European Commission requests that the electronic reports explain how the DPSIR cycle is monitored and to which part of the cycle the monitoring surveys are linked. The MSFD monitoring programme helps to generate better insight into the relationships between the use of the sea and the marine ecosystem. This can be accomplished by monitoring pressures and the underlying activities (D1C1: incidental bycatch, D2: non-indigenous species, D3C1: fish mortality, D5: eutrophication, D6C1/D6C4: physical loss of seabed/habitats and D6C2: fisheries intensity and sand extraction, D8 and D9: pollutants, D10: litter, D11: underwater noise), and by monitoring species and habitats (D1: biodiversity (with the exception of D1C1), D3C2: spawning stock biomass, D4: food web, D6C3/D6C5: habitats ) and hydrographical characteristics (D7). The numerous relationships between the various elements of the marine ecosystem are complex, and many are still not known. Consequently, it is often only possible to give an indication of the impact of specific activities on the marine ecosystem.
Experts generally derive DPSIR relationships from the monitoring of pressures/activities and of species and habitats (from the MSFD monitoring programme), in combination with data derived from permits and research programmes. However, some surveys have been established to measure pressures and their effects and/or to learn more about the effectiveness of measures. In designing the monitoring survey for benthic animals (habitats), the Netherlands explicitly took account of the need to |
Coverage of GES criteria |
Adequate monitoring was in place in 2014 |
Gaps and plans |
The Netherlands takes a pragmatic approach, whereby there are no monitoring surveys specifically set up for D2 and the assessment is based on data collected for other purposes. Hence, strictly spoken, there are no gaps in the MSFD monitoring programme.
Because all available observations are used for the assessment, the full scale of the monitoring effort is not known. As a result, firm quantitative judgements of the introduction rates of non-indigenous marine species might be more difficult to substantiate. |
Related targets |
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Coverage of targets |
Adequate monitoring was in place in 2014 |
Related measures |
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Coverage of measures |
Adequate monitoring was in place in 2014 |
Related monitoring programmes |
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Programme code |
ANSNL-D02-Sub1 |
Programme name |
Non-indigenous species - from specific sources |
Update type |
Modified from 2014 |
Old programme codes |
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Programme description |
Monitoring must provide insight into the number of non-indigenous species that are introduced into the Dutch section of the North Sea in each six-year planning period. To establish the effectiveness of regulatory and other measures, it is important to ascertain the route by which these species have been introduced (the pathway approach). In view of the small chance of their discovery at the introduction stage and the lack of options for intervention if non-indigenous species are discovered, the Netherlands currently opts for assessment on the basis of the best available knowledge. All observations of non-indigenous marine species in the Dutch North Sea are considered together, including those from sources other than regular monitoring surveys.
The regular monitoring surveys include the biological measurements by Rijkswaterstaat (MWTL: macrozoobenthos and phytoplankton) and for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (WOT: macrozoobenthos and fish). An additional feature compared with 2014 is the additional use of project-based monitoring (construction of wind farms, impact of beach nourishment) and well-documented observations by the public (divers and beach working groups of the Dutch Natural History Society (KNNV), for example).
The MWTL benthos monitoring is carried out once every three years; the monitoring of phytoplankton is conducted annually, as are the WOT-Shellfish and CFP-Fisheries monitoring. For further details, see D6 (macrozoobenthos), D1C6 (phytoplankton) and D3 (fish).
The MSFD monitoring is linked to developments in OSPAR and any changes that ensue from the European Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species (EU 1143/2014) and the Ballast Water Management Convention (2017). |
Monitoring purpose |
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Other policies and conventions |
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Regional cooperation - coordinating body |
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Regional cooperation - countries involved |
NL |
Regional cooperation - implementation level |
Agreed data collection methods |
Monitoring details |
The MWTL (benthos and phytoplankton), the Statutory Research Tasks (SRT) for shellfish and the monitoring of fisheries for the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are the regular monitoring surveys used to detect non-indigenous species in the Dutch section of the North Sea. Project-based monitoring (construction of wind farms, impact of beach nourishment) and well-documented observations by the public (divers and beach working groups of the Dutch Natural History Society (KNNV), for example) are also used.
The MWTL benthos monitoring is carried out once every three years; the monitoring of phytoplankton is conducted annually, as are the SRT-Shellfish and CFP-Fisheries monitoring. |
Features |
Newly introduced non-indigenous species
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Elements |
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GES criteria |
D2C1 |
Parameters |
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Parameter Other |
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Spatial scope |
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Marine reporting units |
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Temporal scope (start date - end date) |
2014-9999 |
Monitoring frequency |
Other |
Monitoring type |
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Monitoring method |
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Monitoring method other |
All observations of non-indigenous marine species in the Dutch North Sea are considered together, including those from sources other than regular monitoring surveys. The regular monitoring surveys include the biological measurements by Rijkswaterstaat (MWTL: benthos and phytoplankton) and for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (WOT: benthos and fish).
An additional feature compared with 2014 is the additional use of monitoring of specific projects (construction of wind farms, effects of beach nourishment) and of well-documented observations by members of the public (including divers). The MSFD monitoring is linked to developments in OSPAR and any changes that ensue from the European Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species (2014) and the Ballast Water Management Convention (2017). |
Quality control |
Every six years, the Netherlands assesses the rate of introduction of non-native species based on the best available knowledge. All available observations of non-native marine species (including from regular monitoring) are considered together (GIMARES,2017). All available data are assessed using a method developed by GiMaRIS. GiMaRIS uses ISO 9001 certified working methods.
Reference: https://www.noordzeeloket.nl/publish/pages/138273/non-indigenous_marine_species_in_the_netherlands.pdf |
Data management |
Marine Information and Data Centre
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Data access |
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Related indicator/name |
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Contact |
https://www.informatiehuismarien.nl/uk/secundaire-navigatie/contact/ |
References |