A group of countries working together to prevent marine pollution.
OSPAR comprises 15 countries covering the North East Atlantic region. It was formed from the:
- 1972 Oslo Convention on the prevention of marine pollution from ships and aircraft
- 1974 Paris Convention on the prevention of marine pollution from land
Under the North East Atlantic Environmental Strategy, OSPAR covers five key themes:
- ecosystem and biological diversity
- hazardous substances
- radioactive substances
- eutrophication (lack of oxygen in the water)
- offshore industry
It is vital that we continue to work together to protect our marine environment.