HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 7/2

(supplemented by HELCOM Recommendations 9/3, 13/7, 13/2 and 14/4) 

Adopted 11 February 1986, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention 

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING MEASURES AIMED AT THE REDUCTION OF DISCHARGES FROM AGRICULTURE 

THE COMMISSION, 

RECALLING that according to Article 6 of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), the Contracting Parties undertake to take all appropriate measures to control and minimize land-based pollution of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area,

NOTING the increasing concentrations of nutrients in the marine environment causing negative effects on ecosystems including eutrophication and oxygen depletion,

RECOGNIZING the importance of discharges from agriculture as sources of pollution of the marine environment by nutrients,

DESIRING to limit this pollution by accomplishing special measures concerned,

RECOMMENDS to the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention that:

a)         the farming practice should be managed under the following conditions:

(i)         the storage facilities for manure and silage should be improved, including effluent control;

(ii)        the cultivation practice should be carried out with optimum use of nutrients, e.g. fertilization plan, soil mapping, timing, dosage, spreading technique, crop rotation;

(iii)       in animal husbandry, a certain area of farmland should be designated per animal to avoid harmful leaching to the environment as a consequence of manure spreading and/or animal pasturing;

(iv)       water protecting zones should be established along specified eutrophication sensitive water bodies, taking into account local conditions;

(v)        household wastewater, washing water from milking, cleaning of machines etc. should be controlled;

b)         the knowledge about agricultural practice and environmental problems should be improved, i.e. by:

(i)         informing and educating farmers and advisors on environmental effects of the use of fertilizers and agricultural practices

(ii)        carrying out research work on environmental effects of farming management, cultivation practice, choice of crops, and developing the best cultivation practice from an environmental point of view;

(iii)       monitoring the losses of nutrients;

c)         it should also be stressed that the Contracting Parties should have close cooperation and exchange of experience with regard to environmentally sound agricultural practice;

RECOMMENDS FURTHER that the Contracting Parties should report on their national measures taken in accordance with paragraphs a) and b) above by 1 March 1988.