No oil discharge from ships in the North Sea in 2021

The Coast Guard detects pollution from ships at sea with the help of a “sniffer plane”, an aircraft that can detect oil spills and measure the emissions from ships with sensors. This makes it possible to work in a more targeted manner than with arbitrary checks in ports, it sounds like. “We see that stricter rules and control work,” says Van Quickenborne.

For example, the number of identified oil pollutions has been decreasing since the start of the measurements in the early 1990s. Not even a single discharge was found last year. The number of violators of the sulfur emission standards also shows a downward trend: from 16.7 percent of inspected ships in 2015 to 5.4 percent in 2021.

More expensive diesel

Last year there were slightly more minor violations than the year before, possibly because ultra-low sulfur diesel became more expensive. “For economic reasons, some ships continue to sail longer on diesel with higher sulfur contents (which is allowed in certain areas outside the North Sea, ed.), before they start the switchover procedure.”

Since 2021, the sniffer aircraft can also measure the nitrogen emissions of ships. “Of the 1,004 ships whose nitrogen emissions were monitored in 2021, 23 showed suspicious values,” it sounds. The Belgian results will help to establish stricter rules at international level.

Positive effect on fauna and flora

According to the minister, the decrease in pollution is good for the fauna and flora of the North Sea. The number of porpoises and seals spotted during the flights is higher than ever, it is said. For example, an estimated 2,700 harbor porpoises are currently swimming in Belgian waters. And recently the European flat oyster was spotted in the Belgian North Sea for the first time in twenty years. “We must cherish our North Sea. It is the largest nature reserve in Belgium”, concludes Van Quickenborne.