SDG 14 Life below water

• The quality of seawater and natural life in and around Dutch marine waters are improving.
• The Clean Water Index is trending upwards, although in relative terms Dutch water quality is poor. The Netherlands is trailing in the EU on this indicator, with a score of 58.8 on a scale of 0 to 100.
• Four of the five monitored fish species had populations above the sustainability threshold in 2023. Populations of herring, plaice, pollack and haddock were large enough to constitute a sustainable fish stock.
• North Sea biodiversity is trending upwards. The average trend in population sizes of 156 saltwater species is rising.

Dashboard and indicators

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

SDG 14 focuses on the protection of seas and oceans and on the sustainable use of marine resources. Human life relies heavily on seas and oceans: they are indispensable for global CO2 capture and for producing oxygen. They are also crucial to the climate, biodiversity, food and transport. Seawater covers around three-quarters of the planet and oceans constitute the world’s largest ecosystem. The increasing negative effects of climate change, overfishing and pollution are major threats to both the health of the ecosystem itself, and to how people use it. The dashboard focuses on water quality in the North Sea and the sustainability of fishery.

Although many data are available on the various Dutch marine areas and transitional waters (part of the North Sea, the Wadden Sea and the estuaries), they are often not kept updated or not measured regularly and so do not comply with the criteria to be included here. As a result, filling these data gaps and being able to present a broader picture of Dutch progress on SDG 14 – and its contribution to well-being – are still on the wish list of the monitor. To kick-start improved monitoring of sustainable use of the North Sea, in 2023 CBS published a report on the economy of the Dutch North Sea and coastal area on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat. The report provides insight into the economic value of activities at sea, in the seaports, and in coastal areas of the Dutch North Sea from 2015 to 2021. The study shows that economic activity at sea decreased during this period, especially as a result of the reduction in oil and gas extraction.

In addition, at the request of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, CBS has published the ecosystem accounts for the Dutch marine environment, which consist of a number of linked tables (accounts) describing the interaction between nature and human/economic activity in the Dutch part of the North Sea. The report gives a detailed overview of the various North Sea ecosystems, including their quality. A number of biodiversity indicators have also been developed to present a comprehensive picture of population changes for various species of birds, fish, molluscs and crustaceans. The accounts also specifically address pressure on the North Sea as a result of human activity: both external activities (on land, for example) as well as activities directly connected to the use of nature, such as fishery, wind energy and recreation. Lastly, the accounts examine how people use ecosystem services provided by the North Sea. No new indicators were completed in time to be included in the dashboard.

Resources and opportunities concern the size of the marine area and the resources used to maintain and protect it. Although much of Dutch marine territory is located within protected areas, a lot of human activity still takes place there. As different forms of protection and use overlap, protection measures are not implemented everywhere they should be, and it is not yet possible to get a clear picture of relevant developments.

Use relates to how we use the sea for economic activities and for recreational purposes and how we protect marine wildlife. Dutch marine waters are used intensively for shipping, fishing and recreation. Energy companies are constructing wind farms in more and more locations in the North Sea, and also conducting experiments with other forms of sustainable energy. No indicators fulfilling the quality requirements of this report are yet available to describe these uses for the whole marine area of the Netherlands.

Outcomes describe the quality of seawater and natural life in and around Dutch marine waters. Fish stocks constitute a natural resource used by many countries.

Subjective assessment relates to people’s concerns about pollution and marine life. No indicators are available for this category.