On the Environmental Impact of Motor Boating and its Implications Hartmut Mayer ECNI European Confed

1
On the EnvironmentalImpact of Motor Boating and
its Implications Hartmut MayerECNIEuropean
Confederation of NauticalIndustries,
Brusselswww.ecni.org
IWSF-EAME Annual Congress, Zagreb, 7 February 2009
2
The challenge for nautical activities

• Nautical activities have a key role to promote
  environmental protection. The nautical sector is
  heavily dependent on environmental quality,
  crucial as it is to the long-term future of
  recreational marine activities and tourism.
• Or, in other terms, a balance needs to be
  developed, as only a sound environment will
  support both, the fascination of water sports and
  the related economic level.

3
But each stretch of water, each lake, river or
coastline is different each and every boat is
different

• Do we need individual rulesfor each and every
  case?
• No. Uniform legal measures, in the EU as well as
  internationally, are requested to guarantee free
  movement of products and the freedom for the boat
  operator to select a boat and an area for
  navigation at his/her choice.
• There may be local requirements on the type of
  boats and the rules of navigation.
• Awareness of the consumer for a responsible
  navigation and maintenance of his boat and the
  engine are a must!

4
Qualitative and regional classification of
environmental impact (1)

• No relevance for recreational boating
• General relevance for recreational boating

5
Qualitative and regional classification of
environmental impact (2)

• Relevance for water skiing

6
Water sports and boating are characterized by
differences of the areas and their use
7
Engine exhaust emission regulatory status

• Boat engine exhaust emission is on the EU average
  negligible compared to other sources but may be
  locally important.

• The EU RCD has been coming into force by 1st
  Jan 2006 (4stroke and diesel engines) and 1st
  Jan 2007 (2strokes).
• Stage II is under evaluation, coming into force
  by 2012 and aligned with US EPA, no
  distinction between 2stroke and 4stroke
  petrol.

8
Engine exhaust emission - technology

• Engine types Diesel (inboard) and petrol
  4stroke in- and outboard, from 1cylinder, 4kW up
  to 8cylinder, 300kW
• new 2stroke injection technology is equivalent to
  4stroke
• Catalysts to be introduced, in 2008 already in
  California
• Pollutants - HC might be significant for
  drinking water as discussed on Lake Constance,
  but evaporates from water over night - NOx
  relates to local air quality eutrophication not
  measurably influenced by boating neither
  positively nor negatively (average annual
  operation of boats 50 hours only, oxygen may be
  introduced into the water but sediments may be
  stirred up by the propeller, promoting
  eutrophication) - Ground sediments not
  measurably influenced- Particulates from
  diesel kept in the water.

9
Boat noise emission regulatory status

• Noise emitted by the engine and the hull is
  roughly equal (5050).
• Noise emission of recreational craft is regulated
  in the EU by the RCD, it limits the boat
  operational noise - boats with engines above
  40kW lt 75 dB - boats with twin or multiple
  engines lt 78 dB
• The BWS Guide is based on these limits.
• Switzerland lt 72 dB which leads to the
  exclusion of motor scooters.Regulation came into
  force by 1st Dec 2007, it applies to boats new on
  the EU or Swiss market.
• There is no noise limitation in the USA /
  California (yet).

10
Boat noise emission sound level versus
perception

• Noise levels created by jet-skis or other
  high-powered / high-speed craft are not higher
  than those produced by standard craft.
• However, users behaviour may be felt as a
  nuisance (acceleration, tight circles, )
• Noise is perceived as a nuisance when operated
  in sensitive areas as beaches or natural
  protected areas.

11
Boat noise emission problem areas

• Noise is perceived as a nuisance when operated
  in sensitive areas as beaches or natural
  protected areas even when the boat is compliant
  with legislation.
• There are speed limits (10km/h) set near the
  coastline (e.g.300m for Lake Constance) due
  to noise and physical damage.
• Permission of water skiing only during the day.
• General speed limits (Lake Windermere, 10mph).
• Specific control of less disciplined wake
  boarders by boat owners (!) (southwest part
  of Lake Constance) to observe speed limits (10
  km/h) in the 300m-coast-area.
• We observe frictions between types of water
  sports in attractive and therefore, crowded
  areas

12
Physical damage and waves

• Erosion of banks may be observed on lakes and
  inland waterways, it is usually controlled by
  speed limits and the definition of sensitive
  zones (e.g. 300m-zone) for both, commercial and
  recreational navigation.
• Unfortunately, damage occurs by the presence of
  people in sensitive habitats.

• Damage will only occur in shallow and slowly
  flowing waters and if man-made waves are
  higher than natural waves.

13

• Thank you for your attention!
• Good Luck!

14
Appendix 1 Abbreviations
BWS British Water Ski (Federation) ECNI European
Confederation of Nautical Industries EPA US
Environmental Protection Agency EU European
Union HC Hydrocarbons HELCON Helsinki Convention
for the Navigation on the Baltic
Sea IMO International Maritime Organization of
the UN NOx Nitrogen Oxides RCD EU Recreational
Craft Directive SOx Sulphur Oxides
15
Appendix 2 Selected References

• EU Directive 2003/44/EC 0f 16 June 2003 on
  exhaust emission and noise from recreational
  craft, amending Directive 94/25/EC
• IWSF Environmental Handbook for Towed Water
  Sports (1999)
• Code of Practice for Waterskiing and Noise (BWSF,
  2008)
• Swiss Regulation for the Navigation on Inland
  Waters (BSV, Binnenschifffahrtsverordnung), in
  force by1st Dec 2007.
• Nautical Activities What Impact on the
  Environment ?ECNI, 2007 (updated edition 2nd Qu.
  2009)
• Concept for a sustainable use of the open pit
  mining lakes in the region of Leipzig in German
  (City of Leipzig, to be published 2nd Qu. 2009)