Author: Eeva Nyyssönen

Three new reports available on beach litter, microlitter, and litter on the seafloor in the Baltic SeaHELCOM marine litter workshop to focus on microlitter sampling and analysisDuring 2017, experts from all over the Baltic Sea region have worked together on how to monitor and assess marine litter in the Baltic Sea, within the EU-financed . The project is now coming to an end, and it is time to share the results. With the support and guidance of the , three reports have been prepared, to be finalized by the end of the year: ;; and.The results of these reports will be discussed in the HELCOM SPICE Workshop on microlitter, to be held on 7–8 November in Helsinki, with the aim to identify gaps and ways forward in marine litter monitoring and assessment in the Baltic Sea. More specifically, the focus of the Workshop will be on sampling and analysing microlitter:sampling environments (such as water surface, water column, sediment, biota), options for sampling (such as manta trawl, Baby-Bongo net, box core), and analytical methods (such as stereo microscopy, Raman, FTIR, chemical digestion, enzyme digestion).The Workshop will be co-chaired by Outi Setälä (Finland), Włodzimierz Krzymiński (Poland), and Per Nilson (Sweden). Key speakers of the event will be Mr. Martin Hassellöv (University of Gothenburg) and Mr. Mikhail Zobkov (P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology), who will talk about their experiences from the BASEMAN project (Defining the baselines and standards for microplastics analyses in European water) and the MARBLE project (MicroplAstics Research in the BaLtic marine Environment projects), respectively.The HELCOM coordinated SPICE project develops marine litter indicators towards operationalization and contributed to the assessment of marine litter in the * * *Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki ConventionThe focuses on nutrient and hazardous substance inputs from diffuse sources and point sources on land, including the follow-up of HELCOM nutrient reduction scheme implementation. The group ensures the necessary technical underpinning and develops solutions for policy-relevant questions and needs. Marine litter and underwater noise are also coordinated by this group. Its official name is the Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area.* * * For more information, please contact:Marta Ruiz Associate Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 6472424 Skype: helcom59 E-mail: marta.ruiz(at)helcom.fi ​

Three new reports available on beach litter, microlitter, and litter on the seafloor in the Baltic Sea – HELCOM marine litter workshop to focus on microlitter sampling and analysis

Data presented at the HELCOM PRESSURE Meeting 7-2017 shows that most of the nutrient input to the Baltic Sea comes from rivers The Meeting called for intensified efforts on tracking microlitter, tackling lost fishing gear, and handling sewage sludgeThe Seventh Meeting of the was held last week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Meeting was combined with three scientific workshops between experts in monitoring of nutrients, marine litter, and waste water management, from the leading scientific institutions and universities of seven Baltic Sea countriesThe key discussion point of the Meeting was inputs of nutrients to the Baltic Sea. The project group of the Sixth HELCOM project on Pollution Load Compilation (PLC-6) has analyzed new data reported by all countries, based on a time series covering the years 1995 to 2014. The data included a new evaluation of the contribution from different sources to the total nutrient load on the Baltic Sea (the previous evaluation being based on data from 2006).These new data show that rivers are major contributors of nutrients to the Baltic Sea, providing about 70% of nitrogen load and 95% of phosphorus load. The air deposition share of total nitrogen load is about 30% and the share of point sources is only 3%, which is in line with previous assessments. For phosphorous, the proportion of point sources in the total load has more than halved in the last decades, and now constitutes only about 5%.However, the Meeting pointed out that none of the HELCOM countries have fulfilled their reduction requirements for phosphorus. The full version of the source apportionment will be available December this yearLost fishing gear. Photo credit: WWF Poland / Sebastian BarszczewskiThe results of two years of implementation of the were also in focus, both at the workshop dedicated to marine litter and at the PRESSURE 7-2017 Meeting. The participants noted that a lot of work has been done in relation to microlitter and riverine litter, and especially on lost fishing gear, which poses one of the most widely recognized threats to marine life. The scientific workshop suggested to start drafting a HELCOM Recommendation on lost fishing gear, building on a knowledge base with contribution from the World Wide Fund For Nature. The final decision on a new Recommendation will be made by countries in mid-November, after national consultation with the authorities that may be involved to this work.The scientists and representatives of national authorities at the Meeting agreed that diffuse sources are the major contributors of microplastics to the marine environment. However, they pointed out that there are currently no suitable harmonized methods available for monitoring microplastics, especially in storm waters, and therefore it is not possible to identify its sources and pathways without ambiguity. As the leading scientists of the region were of the shared opinion that there is not currently enough consistent knowledge to recommend any specific cost-efficient measures to prevent microlitter input to the marine environment, and bearing in mind the HELCOM principle that all decisions should be based on the best available scientific knowledge, the countries agreed to continue working to improve the knowledge base on microlitter in the marine environment and on its sources and pathways.The progress achieved in treatment of waste water in recent years has resulted in growing amounts of sewage sludge, and the countries agreed that it is increasingly essential to ensure that this sewage sludge is handled in a sustainable way. Experts and representatives of national authorities exchanged views on the national sewage practices of sludge handling, and agreed that regular regional seminars on the topic would help promote sustainable solutions and recycling of nutrients from sewage sludge. Countries also agreed to start elaborating a regional palette of solutions to support dialogue within the Baltic Sea region and to promote the sustainable handling of sewage sludgeThe Meeting gathered representatives of nearly all HELCOM contracting parties, as well as of the observer organizations Baltic Farmers’ Forum on Environment, Coalition Clean Baltic, Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, and World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). All documents will be public after the meeting.* * Note for editorsHELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the Helsinki ConventionThe Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area – – focuses on nutrient and hazardous substance inputs from diffuse sources and point sources on land, including the follow-up of the implementation of the HELCOM nutrient reduction scheme. The group ensures the necessary technical underpinning as well as develops solutions to the policy-relevant questions and needs. Marine litter and underwater noise are also coordinated by this group* * For more information, please contact:Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 630 9933 Skype: helcom68 E-mail: dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.f

Data presented at the HELCOM PRESSURE Meeting 7-2017 shows that most of the nutrient input to the Baltic Sea comes from rivers. The Meeting called for intensified efforts on tracking microlitter, tackling lost fishing gear, and handling sewage sludge.

The HELCOM State & Conservation group meeting endorses the first HELCOM pharmaceutical indicator for testingImproving the effectiveness of the network of important marine areas in the Baltic Sea tied to global processes and management of human activitiesThe Seventh Meeting of the HELCOM (STATE & CONSERVATION 7-2017) took place in Sopot, Poland 23–27 October. The Working Group is set up to thake a two-pronged approach, linking topics related to monitoring with biodiversity and conservation issues. The key theme of the meeting was the continuing work to update and further improve the holistic . The initial version of the report was published in June 2017 and gives a comprehensive overview of the health of the Baltic Sea, ranging from physical to biological to social and economic aspects. Most of the assessment results in the report are based on indicators, and the meeting agenda included a draft for a new indicator on the drug diclofenac – the first HELCOM indicator for pharmaceuticals. The meeting endorsed the use of this indicator as a pre-core test indicator, meaning it will be included in the updated report using a descriptive approach, as opposed to a quantitative approach based on decided threshold values. The final version of the report, including final results based on 2011–2016 data, will be released in June 2018.Another step forward was the agreement to focus efforts on further improving the HELCOM Marine Protected Area (MPA) network, specifically the necessity for updating the guidance provided by HELCOM on how MPAs are to be designated and managed. Clearer guidelines are needed in order to better link the MPA network to the planning of human activities at sea (often referred to as Marine Spatial Planning) and to current international commitments, as well as to ensure that the network lives up to its full potential.  Current network of HELCOM Marine Protected AreasParallel to the continued work to improve the effectiveness of the MPA network, the work on marine spatial planning and MPAs will take another major step forward, both in a regional and a global context, at a high-level workshop aimed at describing Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs). EBSAs are special areas in the ocean that serve important purposes to support the healthy functioning and the many services that the sea provides (for more background information, see ). The designation of EBSAs in the Baltic Sea is an important step in linking the region to the global network of areas already identified under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD). The workshop will take place in Helsinki on 19 to 24 February 2018, hosted by Finland and convened by the Secretariat of the UN CBD in cooperation with HELCOM.The meeting also updated HELCOM Recommendation 19/3 on ‘The Manual for the Marine Monitoring in the Combine Programme of HELCOM’ and HELCOM Recommendation 24/10 ‘Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Management of Human Activities in the Baltic Sea Area’, both of which will be submitted to HELCOM Heads of Delegation 53-2017 in December for a decision.. All documents will be public after the meeting.* * *Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention.HELCOM covers the monitoring and assessment functions as well as nature conservation and biodiversity protection in HELCOM. The group works across the monitoring-indicators-assessment chain for the coordinated development of HELCOM thematic assessment tools, as well as for a coherent holistic assessment of the ecosystems health.* * * For more information, please contact:Jannica Haldin Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel. +358 40 485 5905 E-mail: jannica.haldin(at)helcom.fi ​

HELCOM State & Conservation group meeting endorses the first HELCOM pharmaceutical indicator for testing – Improving the effectiveness of the network of important marine areas in the Baltic Sea tied to global processes and management of human activities

The XIX “Baltic Sea Day” International Environmental Forum will be organized in St. Petersburg on 22–23 March, 2018The outcome of the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, taking place a few weeks earlier, will form a cornerstone of discussions at the ForumGlobal and regional environmental matters will be in focus during the XIX International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day”, to be held on 22–23 March 2018 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The agenda of the Forum, based on proposals to be developed by key stakeholders, will reflect the latest issues concerning the Baltic Sea environment and current regional activities, including involvement of municipalities, assuring good environmental status of the Sea and environmental safety in the region. Discussion themes of plenaries and roundtables will include the outcome of the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Brussels two weeks earlier, on 6 March. The upcoming 19th Baltic Sea Day Forum will be devoted to the memory of Mr. Leonid Korovin, who passed away in 2017.HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz speaking at Baltic Sea Day 2017.Baltic Sea Day is an esteemed platform for environmental dialogue and a popular live meeting point for representatives of national, regional as well as global organizations working in different sectors. The Forum is the largest event of its kind in the Baltic Sea region, gathering more than 600 participants and broadly reflected in Russian national and international media. The next Forum is organized and supported by HELCOM, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, and the Government of St. Petersburg.* * *For additional information and suggestions please contact:Ms. Natalia Bobyleva Tel: +7 (812) 470-6012 E-mail: bobyleva(at)helcom.ruMr. Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky Professional Secretary, HELCOM Tel: +358 40 630 9933 E-mail: dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.fi* * *Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention.

The XIX “Baltic Sea Day” International Environmental Forum will be organized in St. Petersburg on 22–23 March, 2018. The outcome of the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, taking place a few weeks earlier, will form a cornerstone of discussions at the Forum.

The report summarizes the occurrence, concentrations and pathways of pharmaceuticals into the environment in the Baltic Sea regionTonnes of pharmaceuticals enter freshwater and marine environments yearly, mainly through municipal waste water treatmentNew HELCOM expert group to support policy-making and dialogue on pharmaceuticals in Baltic watersA has been recently published by UNESCO and HELCOM. The report was developed jointly by the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission, HELCOM) and Policy Area Hazards of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). It serves as a case study within the framework of UNESCO Series under UNESCO-IHP’s International Initiative on Water Quality (IIWQ) Project on ‘Emerging Pollutants in Wastewater Reuse in Developing Countries’Photo credit: through Creative Commons. Cropped from original.Out of the eight therapeutic groups included in the report, the available data indicate that the most frequently measured substances in the Baltic Sea marine environment belong to the groups of anti-inflammatory and analgesics, cardiovascular agents, and central nervous system agents. Ninety-one percent of the measured pharmaceuticals were detected in Municipal Waste Water Treatment Plants (MWWTPs), 52% in freshwater and 44% in marine environment.The main pathway of pharmaceuticals into the freshwater and marine environments, according to the collected data, is via the discharges of MWWTPs effluents. Only nine out of 118 assessed pharmaceuticals were removed from wastewater during the treatment processes with an efficiency over 95%, and nearly half of the compounds were removed with an efficiency of less than 50%. Sixteen compounds were found in higher concentrations in effluents from MWWTP than in influentsThe report includes data on 167 pharmaceutical substances sampled in the marine environment, 111 in surface freshwater systems, and 156 pharmaceutical substances and 2 metabolites in influents, effluents and sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Data were reported by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland, Russia (St. Petersburg), and Sweden. The data presented in the report cover the period 2003–2014 and include 47,600 individual samples on pharmaceuticals in MWWTPs and freshwater as well as 4,600 individual samples in the coastal, open sea and transitional areas of the Baltic Sea marine environmentIn order to follow up the findings of the Status report, HELCOM decided to establish an expert group () to provide scientific background for the regional environmental policy regarding pharmaceuticals in the environment and to serve as a platform for regional dialogue for various environmental issues related to pharmaceuticals.The HELCOM group will cooperate with the , launched by Policy Area Hazards of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The cooperation platform is intended to support the implementation of projects and other activities aiming to reduce the emission of pharmaceuticals to the Baltic environment, as well as to support regional policy development and stakeholder cooperationThe case study was funded by UNESCO, HELCOM and PA Hazards.* * * Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention.

HELCOM’s focuses on nutrient
and hazardous substance inputs from diffuse sources and point sources on land,
including the follow-up of HELCOM nutrient reduction scheme implementation. The
group ensures the necessary technical underpinning and develops solutions for policy-relevant
questions and needs. Marine litter and underwater noise are also coordinated by
this group. Its official name is the Working Group on Reduction of Pressures
from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area.For more information, please contact:

Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky Professional Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 630 9933 Skype: helcom68 E-mail: dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.fi

The report summarizes the occurrence, concentrations and pathways of pharmaceuticals into the environment in the Baltic Sea region.

The first meeting of the HELCOM GREEN TEAM strives to
advance sustainable shipping technology and new fuels in the region by
considering effective incentivesJoint session with HELCOM, CBSS, other regional
organisations, and stakeholders considers direction of regional efforts

Promoting sustainable shipping technology and new fuels in
the Baltic Sea is the theme of a full day event co-organised by HELCOM today,
Tuesday 5 September 2017, on the Island of Donsö in the Gothenburg archipelago.
 hoto: ShutterstockThe event is a part of the HELCOM commitment given in the UN
Ocean Conference in July 2017 to follow up the recent regulatory developments
in the Baltic Sea region, including restrictions to nitrogen oxide (NOx)
emissions from ships’ exhaust gases through a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA)The day will kick off with the first meeting of the HELCOM
Maritime Sub-group on Green Technology and Alternative Fuels for Shipping
(GREEN TEAM). The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) expert group
on maritime policy will meet in parallelThe afternoon will feature a dedicated session on a joint
regional agenda for green shipping, technology, and alternative fuels. At the
joint session, the nearly 70 registered participants from the networks of
HELCOM, CBSS, and a number of other participating organisations, as well as
other stakeholders, will consider past progress and identify priorities for
future regional workJust as the HELCOM GREEN TEAM sub-group in general (c.f. and ), the event is intended as a wide cooperation platform which is
open for public sector institutions and governments, maritime business, as well
as civil society (NGOs) interested in working together to advance sustainable
shipping technology and new fuels in the regionThe regional day is organised at the , the
largest shipping event in Sweden* * Note for editors:HELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the
nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its
primary aims as the governing body of the Helsinki Convention are to protect
the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollutionThis includes pollution from ships and safe maritime
navigation, fields where the work involves regional dimensions of IMO
regulations and initiatives. The full official name of HELCOM is the Baltic
Marine Environment Protection CommissionHELCOM Maritime Working Group of HELCOM identifies and
promotes actions to limit sea-based pollution and finds ways for safer
navigation. Established in 1975, the group also deals with the harmonized
implementation and enforcement of international shipping regulationsThe Maritime group has a number of advisory expert bodies
including the HELCOM-OSPAR Task Group on Ballast Water Management (regional
dimensions of implementing the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention), Expert
group on safety of navigation, Working group for mutual exchange and deliveries
of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, Green technology and Alternative
Fuels Platform for Shipping (GREEN TEAM), and HELCOM Cooperation Platform on
Port Reception Facilities (PRF)* * For more information, please contact:Anna PeterssonGREEN TEAM co-chair
Chair of HELCOM Maritime group
Head of Environment Section
Swedish Transport Agency
Tel: +46 10 4953 249
E-mail: anna.petersson(at)transportstyrelsen.se nita
Mäkinen
GREEN TEAM co-chairChief
Adviser to the Director General, Maritime Sector
Finnish Transport Safety Agency (TraFi)
Tel: +358 40 1624592
E-mail: anita.makinen(at)trafi.f ermanni
BackerProfessional
Secretary for Maritime, Response and FisHELCOTel: +358 46 850919Skype:
helcom0E-mail:
hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi

The first meeting of the HELCOM GREEN TEAM strives to advance sustainable shipping technology and new fuels in the region by considering effective incentives.

The annual Baltic Sea exercise on pollution response BALEX DELTA 2017 was held off Kaliningrad in the Russian Federation last week. Sixteen ships and three helicopters from five Baltic coastal states formed the HELCOM fleet, simulating a real-time search and rescue operation and an oil spill response. The scenario of the exercise was a fire on an oil production platform, involving a risk of loss of human life as well as a leak of 5,000 tons of crude oil threatening the nearby highly sensitive nature areas. “This amount of crude oil is too big for any Baltic country to combat alone”, said exercise Commander Mr Andrey Khaustov, head of the Marine Rescue Service of Rosmorrechflot, Russian Federation.A large-scale national on-shore exercise was organized simultaneously, rehearsing deployment of the clean-up units and coordination between all the actors involved. Almost 30 persons, some from outside the region, signed up as observers of the exercise.

Vessels working to extinguish the simulated fire on the
platform C-9 “LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft” and to cover the fire
fighting tug with water spray. The HELCOM BALEX DELTA 2017 exercise was hosted this year by the Marine Rescue Service of Rosmorrechflot in cooperation with Rosmorport, the Russian state enterprise that promotes safe navigation to Russian seaports. The news material provided by the hosts can be found via the following links (in Russian):BALEX DELTA has been a regular HELCOM practice for almost thirty years. It forms part of the cooperative work for response to pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea, one of the most vulnerable and busiest sea areas in the world. All HELCOM member states take turns in hosting the annual exercise, which is the largest maritime counter-pollution drill of its kind and one of the largest worldwide.The aim of BALEX DELTA is to test the alarm procedures and the response capability of the HELCOM countries. Cooperation between combating units as well as staff functions are tested and rehearsed. The exercise also targets communication between the involved units and all the participating countries, as well as the interaction between offshore response units and shoreline clean-up units. At the same time, thanks to this year’s large onshore response exercise, the national capabilities and alert procedures concerning shoreline clean-up were also tested.BackgroundBalex Delta operational response exercises have been held annually since 1989. Throughout this time HELCOM has steadily improved the readiness of the countries around the Baltic to jointly respond to oil spills at sea. Regional cooperation on preparedness and response to pollution incidents has however much longer roots, being a part of the first 1974 Helsinki Convention and followed by a series of related Recommendations right at the start of the permanent HELCOM activities in the early 1980s. The first meeting of the expert group on pollution response took place in 1977.

Today, with
over 80 per cent of global merchandise trade by volume carried by sea and
handled by ports worldwide,
the economic importance of maritime transport – and the risk of collisions and
other accidents – cannot be overemphasized. In the Baltic Sea, ship traffic is
dense and maritime transport has been in the increase in the recent past.* * *Note to Editors:The Baltic Marine
Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki
Commission, or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organisation of all the
nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine
environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. HELCOM is
the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine
Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” known as the Helsinki Convention.* * *For more information, please contact:Heli HaapasaariChair of HELCOM Response Working GroupFinnish Environment Institute – SYKETel: +358 40 1793050E-mail: heli.haapasaari(at)environment.fiValtteri LaineProject Manager (OPENRISK)HELCOM+358 40 352 7689E-mail: valtteri.laine(at)helcom.fi
UNCTAD, Review of Maritime Transport 2015.

The annual Baltic Sea exercise on pollution response BALEX DELTA 2017 was held off Kaliningrad in the Russian Federation last week.

​​​ On behalf of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, the HELCOM Secretariat and all the members of the HELCOM family, in particular the Heads of Delegation, we would like to express our heartfelt condolences on the passing away of Leonid Korovin, the Russian Federation representative in HELCOM. This loss is felt very deeply in the HELCOM community, particularly because of Leonid Korovin’s remarkable contribution to HELCOM work and personal dedication to the protection of the Baltic Sea environment. For many years, Leonid Korovin wisely chaired one of the most important HELCOM groups – LAND – which was responsible for mitigation of land based pollution of the Sea. The Saint-Petersburg Public Organization “Ecology and Business” that he headed contributed to various HELCOM activities inside and outside Russia. Another remarkable milestone was the successful international EU-financed BASE project which supported implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan in Russia. The results of the project are actively used for various HELCOM tasks.Thanks to his energy and inspiration the International Forum “Baltic Sea Day” has become one of the most important, long-standing and appreciated environmental events in the region. But most of all, Leonid Korovin was a dear colleague and a true friend, who will be missed by the HELCOM family very much.​HELCOM would also like to express our deep sympathy to his colleagues and family.​

We would like to express our heartfelt condolences on the passing away of Leonid Korovin, the Russian Federation representative in HELCOM.

​The comprehensive HELCOM overview of the state of the Baltic Sea follows up on the status of the Baltic Sea environment, saying that management is improving but that the environmental objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan will not be reached in time.The ‘State of the Baltic Sea’ assessment, now made available as a first version for consideration, is an outcome of a large scale collaboration among Baltic Sea countries. It provides a scientific evaluation of the environmental status of the Baltic Sea during 2011-2015, and assesses pressures and impacts from human activities, as well as social and economic dimensions, in the entire Baltic Sea.The summary report, and its underlying material, can be accessed via its . The next step will be to subject it to a regional consultation carried out by HELCOM. The final report will be published by June 2018, and will include one additional year of monitoring data.The assessment is based on an extensive set of materials, including the HELCOM core indicators and Baltic-wide maps, covering aspects such as eutrophication, contamination, marine litter, underwater noise, fishing, hunting, and effects of habitat loss. The assessment of benthic and pelagic habitats, fish, marine mammals, and birds indicate that biodiversity status is inadequate for most assessed species, and that continued efforts to support biodiversity are of key importance.The results are made available for use in analysing progress in relation to the goals of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, namely: to achieve a good environmental status in the Baltic Sea. They will also provide background for negotiations in the next HELCOM Ministerial Meeting to take place on 6 March 2018 in Brussels under the European Union chairmanship of HELCOM.Additionally, the assessment results are available for national consultation in EU Member states, forming a regional umbrella report for reporting under the EU Marine Strategy Framework directive. The assessment can also provide a baseline for future work to reach UN Sustainable Development Goals.The ‘State of the Baltic Sea’ is a regionally coordinated assessment and a major undertaking of all Baltic Sea countries as well as the European Union. The results are the outcome of the committed work of HELCOM experts and national representatives, whom have developed and worked to improve a regionally agreed on monitoring and assessment system, used as a shared knowledge base for developing Baltic Sea environmental management.The results and materials underlying the assessment can be accessed at .* * *Note for editors:The State of the Baltic Sea assessment is carried out by the  (2014–18). The project develops common concepts and methods for the status assessment based on core indicators, creates and tests the tools for aggregated results, and performs assessments at a regional scale. The development of the assessment methods is supported by other projects, including a number of EU-co-financed projects.HELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the .HELCOM Heads of Delegation, nominated by the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention, which are the nine Baltic coastal states as well as the EU, usually meet twice a year. The highest decision-making body of HELCOM, the Annual Meeting, convenes usually in March. Approximately every three years the Commission meets at .* * *For more information, please contact:Lena BergströmHOLAS II Project CoordinatorHELCOME-mail: lena.bergstrom(at)helcom.fiTel: +358 40 080 3428Jannica HaldinProfessional Secretary for Gear and State and Conservation groupsHELCOME-mail: jannica.haldin(at)helcom.fiTel: +358 40 485 5905​​

The comprehensive HELCOM overview of the state of the Baltic Sea follows up on the status of the Baltic Sea environment, saying that management is improving but that the environmental objectives of the Baltic Sea Action Plan will not be reached in time.

The HELCOM Map and Data Service, which has been serving as one of the largest hubs of spatial data for the Baltic Sea marine environment since 2010, has been completely redesigned and rebuilt. The new system consists of two components, which are seamlessly interlinked:1. : A map viewer user interface for visualizing datasets related to the Baltic Sea, each dataset linked to a metadata record in the new HELCOM Metadata catalogue2. : A searchable catalogue containing a description and lineage of each map made available by HELCOM, enabling user to find and download spatial data, and linking to HELCOM Map and Data Service for viewing the specific datasetCompared to the previous version of HELCOM Map and Data Service, the new version provides the following key improvements:Searchable table of contents in the map viewer user interfaceFaster and more user-friendly map viewer, thanks to a more light-weight user interface which can run on any hardware platform (PC, Mac)Searchable metadata repository and keywords for filtering datasets in the metadata catalogueINSPIRE compliant metadata record for each datasetWith the current set of spatial data collected for assessments, HELCOM provides free access to more than 600 map layers in total, with maps ranging from biodiversity and species distribution to information on maritime traffic. The amount of available map layers will grow in the very near future, once the data used for the 2017 version of the State of the Baltic Sea report is published.  ***Note for editorsHELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the .***For more information, please contact:Joni KaitarantaData coordinatorHELCOMTel: +358 46 850 9206Skype: helcom37E-mail: joni.kaitaranta(at)helcom.fi​

The HELCOM Map and Data service, which has been serving as one of the largest hubs of spatial data for the Baltic Sea marine environment since 2010, has been completely redesigned and rebuilt.