Cumulative Effect Assessment in the Marine Environment: A Focus on the London Protocol/ London Convention

Humans have always viewed the marine environment as an important resource including using the marine environment to dispose of their waste. In order to protect the marine environment and manage the activities, various national legislative approaches have been implemented to address the requirements of the international London Protocol/ London Convention (LPLC). The LPLC aims to prevent and reduce pollution of the sea associated with dumping of wastes and other matter. Although not a prerequisite of the London Protocol, regional and national regulatory frameworks require that assessments for disposing waste at sea include a cumulative effects context considering the effects from other marine activities occurring in a given area. Here we review a selection of cumulative effect assessment approaches and principles that could be applied to enhance the assessment requirements of the LPLC. We recommend that those countries that are parties to the LCLP consider which CEA approach is of most applicable to their own country and activities, perhaps a combination, and ensure robust assessments are carried out to ensure the marine environment is as sustainably managed as possible.