Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D10 / Sweden / Baltic 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 | D10 Litter |
| Member State | Sweden |
| Region/subregion | Baltic Sea |
| Reported by | Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management Gullbergs Strandgata 15, 411 04 Göteborg Box 11930, |
| Report date | 2020-10-16 |
| Report access |
Descriptor |
D10 |
D10 |
D10 |
|---|---|---|---|
Monitoring strategy description |
"By monitoring the ammount of litter on beaches and on the seabed, we can follow trends in quantities and types of marine litter. Such knowledge can form the basis for measures such as preventive measures to reduce the spread of litter or targeted and increased cleaning measures to remove litter from the environment. At present, only macrolitter (> 2.5 cm) is monitored on an regular basis, but monitoring of microlitter (<5 mm) is under development. Mesolitter (5 mm - 2.5 cm) is included to some extent in the monitoring of macro debris.
Monitoring of marine litter on beaches and the seabed helps to assess the progress with the relevant target and measures, since the target has indicators backed up with data and the measures are specifically targeting littering. Target E.1 can however be assessed better depending on the ongoing development of monitoring of microlitter.
Monitoring of beach litter covers the entire coast of Sweden, albeit sparsely on certain stretches of the coast, and includes different types of beaches to represent Sweden's varying coast. Some beaches are visited by bathers during the summer, while others are less affected if there are no beach visitors. On the West Coast, a lot of litter is washed up from the sea, because currents from the North Sea and in the Skagerrak bring with them litter that has been released in other countries and which is eventually washed up on the West Coast's shores. In the Baltic Sea, on the other hand, smaller amounts of litter are washed up from the sea, so there the litter from visitors is more visible.
Within the EU's working group for marine litter, work is underway to try to link litter items to sources/activities more clearly in order to be able to better implement measures where they are needed, but also to be able to follow up if the measures implemented have any effects on what is found in the marine environment.
Monitoring of microlitter is under development in Sweden, as regionally agreed methods for sampling and analysis are still in development. However, Sweden carries out monitoring projects with the aim of testing and developing methods for monitoring in different environments and different matrices. Swedish experts also participate in international expert meetings where methods for monitoring and assessing permits are tested and discussed. OSPAR is in the process of developing an indicator for microlitter in sediments. Indicators for microlitter are also discussed within HELCOM, including in sed |
"By monitoring the ammount of litter on beaches and on the seabed, we can follow trends in quantities and types of marine litter. Such knowledge can form the basis for measures such as preventive measures to reduce the spread of litter or targeted and increased cleaning measures to remove litter from the environment. At present, only macrolitter (> 2.5 cm) is monitored on an regular basis, but monitoring of microlitter (<5 mm) is under development. Mesolitter (5 mm - 2.5 cm) is included to some extent in the monitoring of macro debris.
Monitoring of marine litter on beaches and the seabed helps to assess the progress with the relevant target and measures, since the target has indicators backed up with data and the measures are specifically targeting littering. Target E.1 can however be assessed better depending on the ongoing development of monitoring of microlitter.
Monitoring of beach litter covers the entire coast of Sweden, albeit sparsely on certain stretches of the coast, and includes different types of beaches to represent Sweden's varying coast. Some beaches are visited by bathers during the summer, while others are less affected if there are no beach visitors. On the West Coast, a lot of litter is washed up from the sea, because currents from the North Sea and in the Skagerrak bring with them litter that has been released in other countries and which is eventually washed up on the West Coast's shores. In the Baltic Sea, on the other hand, smaller amounts of litter are washed up from the sea, so there the litter from visitors is more visible.
Within the EU's working group for marine litter, work is underway to try to link litter items to sources/activities more clearly in order to be able to better implement measures where they are needed, but also to be able to follow up if the measures implemented have any effects on what is found in the marine environment.
Monitoring of microlitter is under development in Sweden, as regionally agreed methods for sampling and analysis are still in development. However, Sweden carries out monitoring projects with the aim of testing and developing methods for monitoring in different environments and different matrices. Swedish experts also participate in international expert meetings where methods for monitoring and assessing permits are tested and discussed. OSPAR is in the process of developing an indicator for microlitter in sediments. Indicators for microlitter are also discussed within HELCOM, including in sed |
"By monitoring the ammount of litter on beaches and on the seabed, we can follow trends in quantities and types of marine litter. Such knowledge can form the basis for measures such as preventive measures to reduce the spread of litter or targeted and increased cleaning measures to remove litter from the environment. At present, only macrolitter (> 2.5 cm) is monitored on an regular basis, but monitoring of microlitter (<5 mm) is under development. Mesolitter (5 mm - 2.5 cm) is included to some extent in the monitoring of macro debris.
Monitoring of marine litter on beaches and the seabed helps to assess the progress with the relevant target and measures, since the target has indicators backed up with data and the measures are specifically targeting littering. Target E.1 can however be assessed better depending on the ongoing development of monitoring of microlitter.
Monitoring of beach litter covers the entire coast of Sweden, albeit sparsely on certain stretches of the coast, and includes different types of beaches to represent Sweden's varying coast. Some beaches are visited by bathers during the summer, while others are less affected if there are no beach visitors. On the West Coast, a lot of litter is washed up from the sea, because currents from the North Sea and in the Skagerrak bring with them litter that has been released in other countries and which is eventually washed up on the West Coast's shores. In the Baltic Sea, on the other hand, smaller amounts of litter are washed up from the sea, so there the litter from visitors is more visible.
Within the EU's working group for marine litter, work is underway to try to link litter items to sources/activities more clearly in order to be able to better implement measures where they are needed, but also to be able to follow up if the measures implemented have any effects on what is found in the marine environment.
Monitoring of microlitter is under development in Sweden, as regionally agreed methods for sampling and analysis are still in development. However, Sweden carries out monitoring projects with the aim of testing and developing methods for monitoring in different environments and different matrices. Swedish experts also participate in international expert meetings where methods for monitoring and assessing permits are tested and discussed. OSPAR is in the process of developing an indicator for microlitter in sediments. Indicators for microlitter are also discussed within HELCOM, including in sed |
Coverage of GES criteria |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Gaps and plans |
"The monitoring of litter on beaches and seabed provides enough data for assessing D10C1, but the geographical coverage of the monitoring of litter on seabed is partly deficient. Bottom litter is monitored only in connection with the monitoring of demersal fish within the programs IBTS (International bottom trawl survey) in the North Sea, and BITS (Baltic international trawl survey) in the Baltic Sea. In the Baltic Sea, the BITS survey area only covers the Baltic Proper, so the Gulf of Bothnia lacks monitoring.
It is being discussed within Helcom whether Finland and Sweden will cover this with a supplementary monitoring in the Gulf of Bothnia. The only problem is that bottom trawling in the shallower areas is not suitable, and the introduction of another method (for example drop video) would not give comparable results with those obtained with BITS. However, as it is necessary to also follow time trends for litter concentrations in areas that should not or cannot be trawled, it is a monitoring that is being considered despite the real need for a different type of sampling methodology.
During the 2020 monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments, samples were also collected with the aim of analyzing microlitter. Depending on the results, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency will investigate the possibilities of including microlitter in the ongoing monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments.
In Sweden, it is currently not considered to be a major problem with impacts of litter on animals. Research is underway to investigate the possible effects of litter and microlitter on marine animals, but so far no significant effects that could justify ongoing monitoring have been identified.
" |
"The monitoring of litter on beaches and seabed provides enough data for assessing D10C1, but the geographical coverage of the monitoring of litter on seabed is partly deficient. Bottom litter is monitored only in connection with the monitoring of demersal fish within the programs IBTS (International bottom trawl survey) in the North Sea, and BITS (Baltic international trawl survey) in the Baltic Sea. In the Baltic Sea, the BITS survey area only covers the Baltic Proper, so the Gulf of Bothnia lacks monitoring.
It is being discussed within Helcom whether Finland and Sweden will cover this with a supplementary monitoring in the Gulf of Bothnia. The only problem is that bottom trawling in the shallower areas is not suitable, and the introduction of another method (for example drop video) would not give comparable results with those obtained with BITS. However, as it is necessary to also follow time trends for litter concentrations in areas that should not or cannot be trawled, it is a monitoring that is being considered despite the real need for a different type of sampling methodology.
During the 2020 monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments, samples were also collected with the aim of analyzing microlitter. Depending on the results, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency will investigate the possibilities of including microlitter in the ongoing monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments.
In Sweden, it is currently not considered to be a major problem with impacts of litter on animals. Research is underway to investigate the possible effects of litter and microlitter on marine animals, but so far no significant effects that could justify ongoing monitoring have been identified.
" |
"The monitoring of litter on beaches and seabed provides enough data for assessing D10C1, but the geographical coverage of the monitoring of litter on seabed is partly deficient. Bottom litter is monitored only in connection with the monitoring of demersal fish within the programs IBTS (International bottom trawl survey) in the North Sea, and BITS (Baltic international trawl survey) in the Baltic Sea. In the Baltic Sea, the BITS survey area only covers the Baltic Proper, so the Gulf of Bothnia lacks monitoring.
It is being discussed within Helcom whether Finland and Sweden will cover this with a supplementary monitoring in the Gulf of Bothnia. The only problem is that bottom trawling in the shallower areas is not suitable, and the introduction of another method (for example drop video) would not give comparable results with those obtained with BITS. However, as it is necessary to also follow time trends for litter concentrations in areas that should not or cannot be trawled, it is a monitoring that is being considered despite the real need for a different type of sampling methodology.
During the 2020 monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments, samples were also collected with the aim of analyzing microlitter. Depending on the results, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency will investigate the possibilities of including microlitter in the ongoing monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments.
In Sweden, it is currently not considered to be a major problem with impacts of litter on animals. Research is underway to investigate the possible effects of litter and microlitter on marine animals, but so far no significant effects that could justify ongoing monitoring have been identified.
" |
Related targets |
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Coverage of targets |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Related measures |
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Coverage of measures |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024 |
Related monitoring programmes |
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Programme code |
SE-D10-beachlitter |
SE-D10-microlitter |
SE-D10-seabedlitter |
Programme name |
Litter on coast |
Litter micro-particles |
Litter on seabed |
Update type |
Modified from 2014 |
New programme |
Modified from 2014 |
Old programme codes |
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Programme description |
The purpose of the monitoring is to measure the amount of litter that has ended up on beaches either by input from the sea, or from land. There are geographical differences in the type of litter found, but ropes, strings and fishing lines as well as cigarette butts, plastic bags, disposable plastic items and wrappers for sweets and ice cream, etc. are common litter items on beaches. Plastic pieces of different sizes that cannot be traced to a specific object are also common. The majority of the litter consists of plastic material (approximately 70-95%). The effects of litter have been demonstrated by, for example, entanglement of marine animals and by ingestion of litter by birds, fish and invertebrates. However, the extent and impact of the effects are still a subject of research. Monitoring can also help to measure the effects of human impact and measures, by analyzing in detail the presence of different categories of litter.
Monitoring in the North Sea started in 2001 while in the Baltic Sea it started in 2014.
Monitoring should be carried out four times a year on each beach, but due to possible ice and snow, measurements are not carried out during the winter in Sweden. The beaches are monitored during spring (April), summer (mid-June to mid-July) and autumn (mid-September to mid-October). |
The development of internationally standardized methods for sampling and analysis of microlitter is ongoing, which is why no ongoing monitoring have yet started in Sweden. The Swedish EPA and SwAM participate with experts in international expert groups and research projects to develop internationally common standards for sampling and analysis of microlitter. This work also includes developing indicators with threshold values in order to be able to assess status.
Several studies have been conducted to map the amount of microlitter in water, sediment and on beaches. During the spring of 2020, monitoring of hazardous substances in sediments was carried out (see programme Hazardous substances in sediments) and for the first time additional samples were collected with the purpose of analyzing microlitter. The results of the effort will be evaluated and, if successful, microlitter will be added to the ongoing monitoring, which is repeated every six years. The starting year 2020 is therefore preliminary, as we do not yet know whether the monitoring will be repeated in 2026. |
Litter that ends up in the sea can float around, get washed up on beaches or end up on the seabed. In order to get as comprehensive information as possible of the presence of marine litter, macro litter on the seabed is monitored within the framework of international trawl surveys to estimate fish stocks, where demersal trawls are used. Examples of litter objects found on the bottom are fishing lines, synthetic ropes, fishing nets, plastic bags and cans. Plastic objects are most common. The Skagerrak-Kattegat includes litter monitoring in the national coastal trawl trawling and in the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS). In the Baltic Sea, it is part of the international program BITS (Baltic International Trawl Survey).
The effects of litter have been demonstrated through, for example, the entaglement of marine animals and the ingestion of litter by birds, fish and invertebrates. However, the extent and impact of the effects are still the subject of research. Monitoring can also help to measure the effects of human impact and measures, by analyzing in detail the presence of different categories of litter. |
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 |
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Regional cooperation - implementation level |
Common monitoring strategy |
Coordinated data collection |
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Monitoring details |
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Features |
Litter in the environment
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Micro-litter in the environment
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Litter in the environment
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Elements |
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GES criteria |
D10C1 |
D10C2 |
D10C1 |
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) |
2001-9999 |
2020-9999 |
2011-9999 |
Monitoring frequency |
Other |
Unknown |
6-monthly |
Monitoring type |
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Monitoring method |
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Monitoring method other |
https://www.hsr.se/sites/default/files/appendix1_measurement_method.pdf |
No method is yet decided.
The methods used to this day are:
Manta trawl and pump for sea surface
Sediment cores for sediment. |
http://ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Expert%20Group%20Report/HAPISG/2018/01%20WGML%20-%20Report%20of%20the%20Working%20Group%20on%20Marine%20Litter.pdf |
Quality control |
Intercalibration exercises and workshops are conducted to practice and compare the categorization of litter |
As the risk of contamination of microlitter samples is high, blank samples are always used and handled in the same way as other samples in order to be able to take into account any contamination from the time the sample was collected until it was analyzed.
Since samples are processed by breaking down organic material before analysis, a check to control if plastic particles are affected by the treatment is carried out by exposing a selection of plastic particles and plastic fiber for the same treatment. In the sampling comparison in 2017, the methods pump and trawl were compared, both of which proved to have advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of the pump is that the volume of water collected is accurate, while the volume of filtered water in the trawl is more uncertain. With the trawl, however, more water can be filtered in a shorter time, which means that more particles are collected, which provides a more reliable result. The mesh size of the trawl is hydrodynamically limited to about 300 µm while the pump can be used down to 50 µm.
The ongoing development of monitoring methods takes into account uncertainties in the data, and the goal is to develop a reliable method that provides reliable results that can be used for monitoring environmantal status and effects of measures. |
Methodology and appropriate litter categories to register have been revised at international BITS and IBTS meetings and on ICES's website there is information on litter category codes and size ranges for reporting of data to ICES's Datras database. In 2018, ICES held its first international working group meeting focusing on marine litter. The meeting resulted in, among other things, detailed advice on methodology for collecting litter and how different types of litter should be registered. Within the working group, work is also underway to produce a photo guide, as litter can look different in different sea areas.
http://ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Expert%20Group%20Report/HAPISG/2018/01%20WGML%20-%20Report%20of%20the%20Working%20Group%20on%20Marine%20Litter.pdf |
Data management |
All Swedish data is collected in a Swedish database run by Keep Sweden Tidy. To gain access to data, you need a password that you get by contacting Keep Sweden Tidy. Raw data can be obtained on request and selected results will be presented on the website. Data may be used freely. OSPAR data is also delivered to OSPAR regional database, no later than one month after each measurement. Keep Sweden Tidy delivers Swedish data to HELCOM and the EU when they are requested for international compilations. All Swedish data is also reported to the European database EMODnet. |
Data are currently only available from the contractors who carried out the monitoring projects. There is still no national data host for microlitter, but the goal is for it to be in place when ongoing monitoring is started. Within the EU, EmodNet is being developed to also include marine litter, including microlitter. |
The raw data collected is stored at SLU and updated annually. Raw data from all participating countries is also stored at ICES. At ICES, however, there are no data from the national coastal trawling. |
Data access |
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Related indicator/name |
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Contact |
miljoovervakning@havochvatten.se |
miljoovervakning@havochvatten.se |
miljoovervakning@havochvatten.se |
References |