Marine litter monitoring by Northern Fulmars in the Netherlands 1982-2003

Earlier studies on litter contents in stomachs of Fulmars have shown that this seabird species can be used as a suitable monitor of levels of marine litter pollution in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. This report updates the earlier data with monitoring results for the years 2002 and 2003 and discusses trends in the light of shipping regulations and the EU inititiative to reduce littering by ships through improvements in systems for Port Reception Facilities. The Dutch research is closely linked to the European Fulmar study conducted in the 'Save the North Sea (SNS)' project 2002-2004 which is co-funded by the EU Interreg IIIB program. Dutch and SNS Fulmar studies form the basis for the development of an Ecological Quality Objective on marine litter as requested by OSPAR