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Marine pollution is focus for international conference

Local authorities from around Europe with an interest in addressing marine pollution will gather in Aberdeen this weekend. (Oct 7,8,9)

Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils are members of KIMO (Kommunenes Internasjonale Miljøorganisasjon) and will host the organisation’s AGM and conference.

KIMO is an organisation of European coastal local authorities established in 1990 to address the issue of pollution of the Northern Seas.

Since then membership has grown to over 100 local authorities drawn from all countries with a North Sea coastline.

Membership also includes local authorities in Ireland and the Faroe Islands and has been extended to a grouping of local authorities in the Baltic region.

KIMO aims to engage with the most serious environmental threats using practical, diplomatic and research based approaches.

More than 70 delegates and partners are expected to attend the event in Aberdeen, from the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Faroes, Germany and the Baltic Sea.

The majority of delegates are councillors and the KIMO President is Albert de Hoop, Mayor of Ameland in the Netherlands.

Aberdeen City Council's KIMO representative Councillor John Corall said: "It is essential that local authorities with a vested interest in the North Sea take urgent action on the issues threatening our marine environment.

"The recent oil spill from Shell's Gannet Alpha platform shows that complacency can set in, despite all the warnings and messages.

"Scotland has 60% of the UK's coastline of 20,000 miles to protect. The importance of safeguarding this vital resource for future generations cannot be overstated."

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee Peter Argyle said: “The last year has seen a lot of lobbying for KIMO including concerns over the future of our coastguard stations and the uncertainty over the future of the UK’s Emergency Towing Vessels.

“Aberdeenshire’s role in promoting the KIMO fishing for litter campaign has resulted in over 200 tonnes of rubbish beign recovered from the North Sea, emphasising the importance of the coastal environment to Scotland’s economy.”

On Friday, there will be meetings at Marischal College in Aberdeen for the international representatives.

On Saturday, a conference will be held in the Council Chamber at Aberdeenshire Council’s headquarters with Stewart Stephenson MSP as keynote speaker.

Other speakers will cover: offshore oil and gas oil pollution emergency planning;

how the UK would respond to major offshore oil spill; oil spill waste management for local authorities, plastic contamination in the decapod crustacean Nephrops Norvegicus (langoustine); and the marine impact of the Fukushima incident and implications for Europe.

Study tours will then take place in the afternoon, including visits to Sands of Forvie Nature Reserve, Aberdeen Maritime Museum and the Aberdeen Harbour Coastguard

There will be a civic reception in the evening at Aberdeen Town House and the KIMO AGM will take place in the Council Chamber, Woodhill House on Sunday.

For further information on KIMO, please see: www.kimointernational.org

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