The status of current knowledge on anthropogenic influences in the Irish Sea

At its meeting in March 1985, the UK Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group (MPMMG) agreed that a review should be undertaken of 'the state of knowledge on the Irish Sea in relation to the impact of pollution, monitoring information and monitoring needs'. Some other guidelines were also laid down which supplemented and, in one important way, changed these terms of reference. The review was not to consider radioactive pollutants since a separate Monitoring Management group has responsibility for those. Contributors were to be from the UK only in the initial MPMMG study, but from the outset the intention was to expand that review into the present international study by including major inputs of text and data from the Irish sources and via further review by a range of ICES Standing Committees and Working Groups. The review was to be structured along the guidelines recommended by Bewers et al. ( 1982) for the preparation of regional assessments, which had the effect of broadening the terms of reference to include not only pollution but past, present and prospective anthropogenic effects on physical oceanography, pollution and biology. No specific deadline was laid down but it was suggested that the first draft should be available in about a year.