Our membersHow we are organised

KIMO has over 120 members in 14 countries, representi ng over 6 million inhabitants in the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Republic of Ireland with associate members in Germany, the Faeroe Islands and the Isle Of Man. Nati onal Networks exist in each country. In 2007, KIMO increased its remit to include all the countries around the Balti c Sea in the biggest expansion in its 17 year history. The expansion saw seventeen municipaliti es from Sweden, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia commit to establish a KIMO Internati onal Balti c Forum. The forum has a Secretariat based in Simrishamn, Sweden.

KIMO’s structure

The spine of KIMO is comprised of an Annual General Meeti ng of Delegates, Internati onal Board and Secretariat. The AGM rules on all major decisions pertaining to policy directi on. The Internati onal Board is the management group that, along with the Secretariat, is responsible for running the organisati on. In additi on meeti ngs of the Nati onal Coordinators focus on the practi cal formaliti es of implementi ng projects, initi ati ves and coordinati ng the expansion of the organisati on. Each nati onal network also has a management board and Coordinator, which report back to the Internati onal Board.

The KIMO network extends from the north east Atlanti c to the Balti c Sea

Our approachKIMO engages with environmental threats using a number of disti nct approachesIMO engages with environmentalThrough lobbying…

KIMO proacti vely lobbies government ministers to acknowledge and take acti on on the issues threatening our marine environment. KIMO promotes its experience and highly-regarded research to persuade ministers to tailor marine legislati on to care for our oceans and protect coastal communiti es. For example, KIMO:

Is a key stakeholder in the development of EU Marine • Strategy Framework Directi veHolds observer status at the OSPAR and HELCOM Regional • Seas Conventi ons Has been involved in the North Sea Ministerial Meeti ngs • processLobbies Nati onal Governments through its Networks, • Forums and Members

Through research…

In order to ensure we have accurate informati on and evidence to back up our lobbying eff orts KIMO undertakes research both internally and in collaborati on with research insti tutes. In the past we have undertaken research into issues such as long-term liabiliti es for the decommissioning of off shore installati ons and the economic and social cost of marine litt er. We are currently developing closer links with research insti tutes to ensure that we can be at the cutti ng edge of research in areas such as polluti on by microscopic plasti c parti cles.

Through demonstrati ve projects…

As we are a local government organisati on we seek practi cal soluti ons to environmental problems. We have been successful in applying for funding to run demonstrati ve projects allowing us to highlight soluti ons to government and policymakers. Fishing for Litt er is an example of where this has been successful where the scheme, which encourages fi shermen to take ashore litt er they catch while fi shing by providing the infrastructure required, has been acknowledged by United Nati ons Environment Programme as one of the tools to reduce marine litt er. KIMO will conti nue to seek funding for projects in the future that will benefi t the coastal communiti es we represent.

Learn more...

Visit www.kimointernati onal.org to learn more about how KIMO is taking acti on on the issues that aff ect our marine environment.

How KIMO works for its members

KIMO is a fully independent environmental group, which is driven by the collecti ve opinions and ambiti ons of its member municipaliti es. The demands of our member municipaliti es moti vate us. If a member of an individual council expresses a specifi c concern regarding a marine polluti on issue, KIMO will provide an open forum for discussion to debate possible acti ons. Opinions and views from our members are warmly welcomed. This improves our ability to demonstrate on the issues that matt er to each coastal municipality. On becoming a KIMO member your council will be represented by an organisati on that has many years of experience in environmental advocacy. In additi on, KIMO has strong connecti ons to a number of highly respected internati onal organisati ons, which provide us with the channels to communicate local requests at the highest politi cal level.

The threats to our marine environment are always evolving. With this in mind KIMO prides itself on a dedicati on to conducti ng pioneering scienti fi c research on marine environmental threats. KIMO authors good practi ce guides and works to develop reports that provide municipaliti es with detailed informati on on how to eff ecti vely tackle marine polluti on threats. This ensures KIMO remains abreast of marine related threats. KIMO is passionate about maintaining, protecti ng and improving the health of Europe’s coastal environments. Together, we can make an enduring impression. Join us.

Work with KIMO

If your local municipality requires any informati on on marine polluti on issues please do not hesitate to contact us. KIMO is eager to expand its membership for the benefi t of all who value Europe’s marine environment. If you would like more informati on on how to apply for KIMO membership or learn more about the benefi ts of becoming a KIMO member, please visit our website or e-mail us directly.

Address

KIMO Internati onalShetland Islands CouncilInfrastructure ServicesGrantf ield, LerwickShetland, UKZE1 0NT

Tel: 0044 (0)1595 744800Fax: 0044 (0)1595 744804

Email address info@kimo.shetland.orgWebsite www.kimointernati onal.org

Image Informati on

‘Ital Florida vessel - stack collapse’ image: © Dragan (www.shipspotti ng.com)‘Atlanti c Osprey vessel/Radioacti ve fl ag’ image: © Greenpeace‘Submerged muniti ons’ image: © James W. Porter / University of Georgia

YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOICE ON MARINE POLLUTION

Sweden

Latvia

Faeroe

UK

Isle of Man

Norway

Germany

Netherlands

Denmark Lithuania

EstoniaRussia

Belgium

PolandIreland

A Growing ConcernThe future holds signifi cant marine environmental threats

Over 90% of cargo is transported by sea. With increasing amounts of road cargo now being transported by sea

emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides from shipping are expected to be greater than all land-based sources in the EU by 2020 contributi ng to

acid rain, air polluti on and health problems. In additi on a combinati on of inadequate onboard health and safety standards, weather, commercial pressure and communicati on failure results in 10,000 cargo containers being lost overboard annually. Whilst the Balti c Sea has recently seen an increase in oil traffi c of 160 million tonnes a year causing an increase in accidents which now results in a major shipping accident occurring every year.

An increase in nuclear energy and decommissioning. Over 40 nuclear reactors are currently being constructed in 11 countries. The transportati on and emission of nuclear waste pose a threat to the health of our oceans. Increased reprocessing of radioacti ve waste and its subsequent transportati on by sea increases the chance that a serious nuclear accident may occur. The impact of a nuclear cargo vessel running aground on our coastlines is inconceivable - threatening our marine ecosystem and the health of our coastal communiti es.

Concentrati ons of microscopic plasti c parti cles in the marine environment are increasing. Following exploratory

research, scienti sts have established that highly toxic chemicals may be concentrated on the surface of microscopic fragments of

discarded plasti c. These hazardous fragments can then be ingested by animals, which are then consumed by humans. The research

into this issue must be conti nued to ascertain the true impact on the marine environment and the signifi cant threat to human health this

poses.

KIMO is passionate about tackling these criti cal threats. Read how we intend to solve these problems in Our Acti on Areas.

Fishing for Litt er: A practi cal measure to reduce marine litt er

Our Acti on AreasWe work to fi nd enduring soluti ons to a variety of marine environmental problems

The Nuclear Issue: Emissions and Transportati onKIMO works toward the objecti ve of eliminati ng the discharges of ultra-hazardous radioacti ve materials into Europe’s oceans. KIMO has been vociferous in its protests against the transportati on of nuclear waste through European waters and has been lobbying for the use of ‘Best Available Technology’. KIMO believes nuclear waste must be contained and concentrated responsibly at its original source. KIMO persistently lobbies internati onal organisati ons to encourage the use of non-reprocessing opti ons for spent fuel to reduce emissions into the marine environment.

Polluti on from the Oil and Gas IndustryDespite improvements in environmental management the recent expansion of the oil and gas sector has resulted in an increase in the polluti on produced by this industry. KIMO has worked toward the reducti on of polluti on from off shore installati ons since successfully lobbying, along with other environmental groups, to ensure the Brent Spar and other faciliti es like it were not dumped into the northeast Atlanti c. KIMO now works to ensure:

The safe and responsible removal of structures from the seabed that • have reached the end of their working livesThe implementati on of a strict long-term management regime to cover • future liabiliti es of existi ng platf ormsThe reducti on of operati onal polluti on from off shore installati ons such • as the oil contained in produced water

Hazardous SubstancesChemical pesti cides are increasingly being employed with the desire to regulate the growth of agricultural products. These hazardous chemicals oft en run off into the sea. These can cause serious harm to various types of sea life. KIMO acti vely encourages the eliminati on of pesti cide inputs into the marine environment from KIMO member authoriti es’ areas. KIMO has published a good practi ce guide, which outlines what measures local authoriti es can take to reduce the possibility of pesti cides being deposited into our seas.

Dumping at Sea: Chemical and conventi onal muniti ons Aft er World War II, Allied forces dumped 300,000 tonnes of chemical muniti ons into the northeast Atlanti c at 148 dumpsites. These muniti ons are a signifi cant threat to users of the sea as corrosion over ti me may have allowed chemical agents to leak out or cause explosions. KIMO in collaborati on with the Irish Government successfully campaigned for all records of dumpsites to be placed into the public domain and the implementati on of an ‘OSPAR Monitoring Programme’. Of the encounters reported 15% were with chemical weapons and over half the encounters were recorded by fi shermen.

Mariti me Safety and Polluti onKIMO works towards the implementati on of legislati on that will raise health, safety and environmental standards in the shipping industry. The organisati on also campaigns against threatening proposals and for adequate compensati on for coastal communiti es aff ected by polluti on. This has included:

Campaigning for the eliminati on of all operati onal discharges of polluti on from shipping such as oil, hazardous and • noxious substances and air polluti on through the Clean Ship ApproachPressing for the implementati on of a Conventi on on Liability and Compensati on for Non-Toxic Polluti on and a • reducti on in the number of containers lost overboardDemonstrati ng against the ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil out with suitable harbour areas due to the increased • risk of oil polluti on

Marine Litt er Despite recent eff orts marine litt er levels remain dangerously high and this harms countless marine species. KIMO is dedicated to fi nding methods to reduce the volume of litt er discharged into our seas. To that end KIMO is:

Working with the EU, OSPAR and Nati onal Governments to raise marine litt er up the politi cal agenda• Implementi ng Fishing for Litt er one of the few practi cal measures that actually removes litt er from the marine • environmentUndertaking research on the economic and social impact of marine litt er highlighti ng the impact on coastal • communiti esUndertaking assessment of marine litt er such as that of North East Atlanti c for the United Nati ons Environment • ProgrammeUndertaking research into highly toxic micro-plasti cs that may transport • hazardous chemicals into the food chain

Our vision for the future

There are many threats to the survival of our vulnerable oceans; the steady increase in the uti lisati on of the sea has been matched by increases in marine polluti on. Through demonstrati ve projects, lobbying and research KIMO will conti nue to work passionately to encourage the implementati on of legislati on that tackles current problems, such as marine litt er and to prevent future problems, such as ocean acidifi cati on. To ensure that marine polluti on does not overwhelm Europe’s oceans, commercial companies, local government and nati onal government’s must work in close collaborati on to ensure all serious threats are addressed. By being more environmentally responsible now we can reduce the volume of work for the next generati on.

Many well intenti oned environmental policies fail to navigate their way through the confl icti ng agendas of the legislati ve process without becoming diluted and blunted. KIMO is passionate about implementi ng legislati on that will have a positi ve eff ect on Europe’s marine environment in the long-term. Economic pressures must not be ranked above environmental concerns; without a healthy environment Europe’s economies cannot operate eff ecti vely.

Our work has just begun.

An Introducti onWho We Are

For two decades Kommunenes Internasjonale Miljøorganisasjon (Local Authoriti es Internati onal Environmental Organisati on) has worked to protect, preserve and enhance northern Europe’s marine environment. The organisati on, which represents coastal communiti es on marine polluti on issues, started life with a membership of just 4 authoriti es but now represents over 120 municipaliti es.

The impetus for the establishment of the organisati on originated from a need to fi nd enduring soluti ons to the many polluti on related issues which threaten the long-term health of northern Europe’s marine environment. As marine polluti on is a complex problem, which does not adhere to nati onal boundaries it was necessary to create an organisati on that could be co-ordinated on an internati onal basis. Kommunenes Internasjonale Miljøorganisasjon (KIMO) was founded in Esbjerg, Denmark, in August 1990 to protect, preserve and enhance northern Europe’s oceans.

Despite many initi ati ves to reduce marine litt er it remains one of the most signifi cant environmental problems aff ecti ng the marine environment. 20,000 tonnes of litt er is dumped into the North Sea alone every year. KIMO’s Fishing for Litt er project is an imaginati ve yet simple initi ati ve that aims to reduce marine litt er by involving one of the key stakeholders, the fi shing industry. KIMO directly provides fi shing boats with large bags to collect marine litt er that is then recycled or disposed of on land. This reduces the volume of debris washing up on our beaches and also reduces the amount of ti me fi shermen spend untangling their nets. The initi ati ve not only involves the direct removal of litt er from the sea, but also raises awareness of the problem in the fi shing industry.