Author: Eeva Nyyssönen

​​​An efficient and more transparent is now set up by the coastal countries for producing assessments online on Baltic-wide eutrophication, a major environmental threat to the sea. The new automatized process, exceptional in
environmental assessments, combines and calculates monitoring data such as on
nutrients, into resulting indicators and assessments.​ Moreover, the system incorporates an online review by nominated experts for improved quality check and transparency. The HELCOM assessment system, hosted by and developed together with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (), will provide straight access to up-to-date maps and country-wise data, to be released as part of the HELCOM Second Holistic Assessment of the Baltic Sea in 2017. Screenshot from the new Dataview. ​The new, more detailed information on the level of eutrophication in different basins of the Baltic Sea will enable much faster overall assessment of the status of the sea and the distance to Good Environmental Status, helping to make accurate management decisions for the benefit of the marine environment. The system pilots similar automated procedures foreseen by HELCOM for assessments of hazardous substances and biodiversity planned.  The online , established for testing the new assessment process, is published for demonstration purposes and may be of interest by experts and managers in other sea areas affected by eutrophication in Europe and beyond. The site includes a of the data submissions, data stations and test indicator products, providing for documentation of the review. The dataview also shows details on country-specific submissions of data on eutrophication-related parameters – phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorophyll-a and Secchi depth – as well as assessment products. The automated assessment workflow is the main deliverable of the finalized 2-year HELCOM . Other outcomes include a concise assessment explaining all the protocols of the assessment, to be used by experts involved in the assessments as well as any party interested in learning details about the assessment methodology. The project has also developed forthcoming HELCOM on eutrophication and improved updating the existing ones; proposed how to combine assessment of coastal and open waters stemming from different legislative frameworks; proposed for improved usage of satellite data along with the in-situ samples collected from monitoring points; and suggested a method on harmonizing coastal and open-sea assessments, among others.Links​ * * *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.​ * * *For more information, please contact:Vivi Fleming-LehtinenProject Manager, EUTRO-OPER (until end of 2015)Finnish Environment Institute – SYKETel: +358 50 5984238E-mail: vivi.fleming-lehtinen(at)environment.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

An efficient and more transparent work flow is now set up by the coastal countries for producing assessments online on Baltic-wide eutrophication.

​​​​​​​​​​For the first time, an effort is being made by seven Baltic coastal countries to coordinate the counting of all the waterbirds wintering in the Baltic Sea, a long-term challenge as monitoring of the highly mobile animals requires scheduled cooperation between the states. The shallow waters of the Baltic Sea are important for wintering waterbirds such as diving ducks, divers and alcids.Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) migrates from the Arctic to the Baltic Sea winter. Photo: Bettina Mendel. Monitoring of birds requires international coordination in order to procure reliable estimates of the number of birds wintering in the Baltic Sea. If countries were to conduct surveys in different months, the same individual might be counted in several countries which would impair the abundance estimation.​Describing the Baltic-wide bird distributions and abundances will be attempted jointly for the first time during January and February 2016 by Estonia (University of Life Sciences), Denmark (Aarhus University), Finland (SYKE), Germany (Kiel University), Latvia (Latvian Ornithological society), Poland (various institutes) and Sweden (Lund University). The coordinated survey is conducted from aircrafts or ships, covering a pre-defined network of monitoring transect lines. Successful monitoring requires good weather conditions with low winds and good visibility.Reliable information on the number of waterbirds wintering in the Baltic Sea, as well as the distribution of the birds at sea are important for conservation efforts and for assessing the status of the marine environment. The Baltic Sea is an important wintering ground for species that breed in the region as well as for species breeding in the high Arctic.The long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) is one species for which the Baltic Sea is a critically important wintering ground, and it is listed as threatened under the International and the HELCOM Red List (). The long-tailed duck migrates from the Arctic breeding grounds to the Baltic Sea where it congregates in flocks in the open sea. Monitoring these dense aggregations of birds provides the best information about the population abundance, which has seen alarming decrease in recent years.The need for a coordinated survey effort as well as coordinated handling of data on seabirds has been identified as an important area of cooperation in HELCOM, which has recently adopted joint monitoring guidelines.The planning of the coordinated survey on wintering seabirds among the above partners started over a year ago. The aim is to continue the collaboration in the future, regardless of different monitoring schemes in the countries involved.During January and February 2016 the collaborating partners will report about progress with the survey across the Baltic. Frequent updates of the map, indicating which areas have been surveyed will be made available.Figure. 1: Planned monitoring transects to be covered during the seabird survey in winter 2015/2016, mostly referring to aerial surveys (ship-based surveys in Poland). * * * 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. * * *For more information, please contact:Lena Avellan Project Manager HELCOM Tel: +358 40 162 2054 E-mail: lena.avellan(at)helcom.fi Ib Krag PetersenSurvey CoordinatorDepartment of BioscienceAarhus University, DenmarkTel: +45 242 11614E-mail: ikp(at)bios.au.dk

Seven Baltic coastal countries have just started scheduled and coordinated counting of all the waterbirds wintering in the Baltic Sea.

​​​​​​​Six waste water treatment plants were approved for deletion from the HELCOM list by the high-level Baltic coastal country representatives, ending their meeting last Friday in Helsinki, Finland. The six Hot Spots, listed as significant pollution sites in the Baltic Sea catchment area, are all located in the Polish terrain: three in Warsaw area and the rest in Krakow, Lublib and Poznan. The Heads of Delegation also pushed forward a large amount activities pursued within the HELCOM regional framework, covering the key segments of the Baltic Sea Action Plan: eutrophication, biodiversity, hazardous substances and maritime activities.Baltic Sea gets cleaner with the improvements made in waste water treatment. Photo: Metsähallitus NHS/Janos Honkonen  The HELCOM list of Hot Spots, with 162 sites identified as very major pollution sources originating from municipal and industrial waste water treatment, agriculture, as well as industrial sites, has only one quarter of Hot Spots left. The list was originally established as a part of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP, 1992–2013). The six cleaned up pollution sites are all large urban waste water treatments plants, leaving only four HELCOM listed waste water treatment plants left in Poland.  Improving municipal waste water treatment is a highly cost-efficient measure to reduce phosphorus loads, a major cause of pollution in the Baltic Sea. This sector still has potential for achieving reductions in the overall inputs to the sea. Many cities in the Baltic Sea region have improved their treatment standards in recent years, and are meeting the requirements set by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. HELCOM has recommended even stricter standards to save the sensitive marine environment of the Baltic Sea which needs to be fulfilled in order for a municipal Hot Spot to be mitigated. As there are also hazardous substances in municipal and industrial waste water, concern has increased for minimizing the impact of substances such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics. All documents can be accessed shortly after the meeting. * * * Note for editorsThe Heads of Delegation (HOD) of HELCOM usually meet few times a year. While the Annual Meeting of HELCOM remains the Commission’s highest decision-making body, the Heads of Delegation have a relatively high authority over most major issues.  The working structure of HELCOM, supported and administered by the Secretariat, comprises of the Helsinki Commission, the Heads of Delegation, and eight main working groups, together with tens of expert groups, correspondence groups and projects. The 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. * * * For more information, please contact:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​​

Six large urban wastewater treatments plants have been upgraded to meet HELCOM standards and deleted last week from the so-called Hot Spot list.

Starting tomorrow, the country delegates of HELCOM will gather to decide upon a great amount of issues concerning the Baltic Sea and the protection of its marine environment. Heads of Delegation of HELCOM possess a high degree of power over the proposed topics, among the top ones approving the Roadmap on underwater noise and the Recommendation on sustainable aquaculture, and follow-up on the protection of threatened and endangered species.

Starting tomorrow, the country delegates of HELCOM will gather to decide upon a great amount of issues concerning the Baltic Sea and the protection of its marine environment.

​​​Progress of the Baltic Sea countries in conserving seals is being discussed by the  of HELCOM Seal expert group continuing today in Berlin, Germany. The group, consisting of experts, administrators and interest groups, will also discuss the new HELCOM core indicators for assessing the status of mammals in the Baltic Sea. Other major meeting items are the updating of national seal management plans, as well as following up on the effectiveness of the HELCOM Recommendation on conservation of seals (). Photo: ShutterstockMarine mammals of the Baltic – grey seal, ringed seal, harbour seal and harbour porpoise – are reflecting well the health status of marine ecosystem. They are on top of the food web and indicate the state of the environment. They also accumulate many poisonous substances and are affected by human disturbance such as incidental catch.  Whether the countries are conserving seals effectively and meeting the standards agreed in the HELCOM Recommendation (27/28-2) are also addressed by the meeting. Such assessment is to be done every five years and the next round is in 2016.   Linked to the Recommendation follow-up, new assessment tools – HELCOM core indicators on mammals – are soon to be launched.  The core indicators must be regularly updated and this will be provided for by improved data and data flow on Baltic seals, another item of the meeting. Moreover, the mammal indicators have been designed so that they feed into the next HELCOM Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea.   Furthermore, national management plans for seals will be reviewed by the meeting. Such plans are needed as part of the measures taken to safeguard the long-term viability of the Baltic seal populations, as agreed in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.  . All documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Notes for editorsHELCOM Ad Hoc Seal Expert has met annually since 2006 and consists of researchers, administrators and interest group representatives from the entire Baltic Sea region. The Seal Group has established a common scientific basis on what is a healthy status of the Baltic seals populations, and it regularly follows up on the management plans and other actions as required by the HELCOM requirements. The work is carried out in three teams: population size, distribution, and health teams. The 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.  * * * For more information, please contact:Petra KääriäAssistant Professional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 630 9933Skype: helcom68E-mail: petra.kaaria(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Progress of the Baltic Sea countries in conserving seals is being discussed by the meeting of HELCOM Seal expert group continuing today in Berlin, Germany.

​​​​​​​​​National maritime traffic authorities from the Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union will meet at the annual of the HELCOM working group on maritime issues starting today.Emissions from ships is one workimng area of HELCOM Maritime group. Photo: Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services/Jan Ekebom​One of the more recent issues on the agenda is to consider the drafting of a comprehensive HELCOM assessment of maritime activities in the Baltic Sea area by 2016, as producing such an assessment was agreed by the coastal countries and EU during the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial .Based on national submissions, HELCOM updates annually a number of datasets on maritime activities in the Baltic Sea area covering issues such as spills observed via aerial surveillance, shipping intensity () and accidents, response operations, fisheries activities and dredging. The HELCOM Maritime Assessment, anticipated to be approved for release in December 2016, will synthesize this kind of information and utilize other sources to get a comprehensive overview of maritime activities as well their environmental effects. The publication will particularly focus on developments during the last ten years, from 2005 until 2015.Besides the regular data collection, the Maritime Assessment will also use results of other ongoing assessment activities such as the initiative to draft an HELCOM assessment on hazardous objects dumped or lost in the Baltic Sea by 2016. Moreover, the Maritime Assessment will support other activities within the HELCOM framework and eventually be an opportunity to consider the long term effects of shipping regulations in the region.The Meeting will also cover several other issues of more operational nature such as regional implementation of the Ballast Water Convention, implementation of the Baltic Sulphide Oxide Emission Control Area (SECA), Baltic Sea as a MARPOL Annex IV Sewage Special Area, as well as revised recommendations for harmonized fines.The Meeting will be hosted by the Lithuanian Maritime Authority in Klaipeda, Lithuania, and chaired by Ms. Anna Petersson, Sweden, Chair of HELCOM Maritime. . All documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Note for editorsThe , originally established in 1975, identifies and promotes actions to limit sea-based pollution and ways for safer navigation. It also works to ensure enforcement and harmonized implementation of IMOs international shipping regulations in accordance to the 1992 Helsinki Convention. Sub-groups include the HELCOM-OSPAR Task on Ballast Water Management (regional dimensions of implementing the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention), Expert on Safety of Navigation, Expert Working for Mutual Exchange and Deliveries of Automatic Identification System (AIS) Data, and HELCOM Cooperation on Port Reception Facilities (PRF).​The 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. * * * For more information, please contact:Hermanni Backer Professional Secretary for Maritime, Response and Fish groups HELCOM Tel:  +358 46 8509199 Skype: helcom02 E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

National maritime traffic authorities from the Baltic Sea coastal countries and EU will meet at the annual meeting of the HELCOM Maritime group starting today.

​​​Significant opportunities for nutrient recycling as well as decreasing nutrient losses to the Baltic Sea can be achieved through effective manure management, the topic of the 2-day starting today in Vantaa, Finland.National standards for manure would be the basis for smart nutrient management in agriculture and also for reducing nutrient losses in the region.​ Photo: Helena Rosenlew.The aim of the workshop, organized by HELCOM and the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), is to help further develop national standards for manure and also put them in practice. This is much needed as such national system for nutrient content in manure will be the basis for smart nutrient management in agriculture and also for reducing nutrient losses in the region. Developing national standards for manure, as well as recommendations on using such standard, were among the key targets set in the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial for regional work on agriculture.Creating a system of manure standards, as in evaluating the nutrient content values of different types of manure, is an opportunity to unify understanding on manure quality and thus build a joint basis for manure management and fertilizer use. Examples of national manure standards already exist in some Baltic Sea countries. The workshop participants – representatives of agricultural and environmental authorities and research organizations in the Baltic Sea countries; as well as HELCOM Observers – share their national experiences and work together to find the next steps towards developing guidelines for the use of national manure standards.  * * * Note for editorsThe HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices () deals with agriculture in relation to the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach and involves representatives from agriculture and environment authorities of the Baltic Sea countries, as well as EU, and HELCOM Observers. The group provides a platform for agri-environmental policy measures and instruments and joint discussion on the Baltic agriculture in the context of the protection of the marine environment, in order to address nutrient inputs and emissions from agriculture​.The 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. * * * For more information, please contact:Susanna Kaasinen Agri-Environment Coordinator HELCOM Tel: +358 40 536 5819 Skype: helcom85 E-mail: susanna.kaasinen(at)helcom.fiJohanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

National standards for manure are the focus of the 2-day workshop, as it is the basis for smart nutrient management in agriculture and also for reducing nutrient losses in the region.

​​Inter-regional cooperation on marine birds moves ahead this week as the first meeting of the new joint working group on marine birds is convened in Copenhagen. The group consists of concerned representatives from the two neighbouring Regional Sea Conventions, and , as well as of experts from International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (). The meeting will discuss how to assess the status of bird populations in the Baltic Sea and the North East Atlantic and how to handle different threats to the birds stemming from human activities.Marine birds are sensitive to environmental changes thus considered as good indicator species for evaluation the status of the environment. Photo: Elena Bulycheva.Experts are joining forces since marine birds fly back and forth over the borders between the conventions covering the Baltic Sea and the North East Atlantic. The highly mobile species require inter-regional coordination to ensure that best available information is used for ensuring efficient and sufficient protection of the species. Marine birds are sensitive to changes in the environment and are considered as good indicator species for evaluation the status of the environment in both conventions. By joining forces in the continued development of environmental core indicators, HELCOM and OSPAR will explore synergies that will ensure support also for the ongoing pan-European assessment processes. The meeting will update the HELCOM core indicators for the abundance of both wintering and breeding birds to evaluate how much progress has been made in the region in achieving a good environmental status.Human pressures threatening the marine bird populations include alterations to birds’ migration routes, important feeding and breeding areas being affected by windfarms, as well as birds drowning in fishing gear. The meeting will consider the latest available knowledge on seabird ecology related to windfarms that can be used in the upcoming management work. Moreover, birds drowning in fishing gear as incidental catch is known to be a severe problem for some species, however very little data are currently available. The meeting will discuss how data could be effectively gathered based on common fisheries policy landing obligations so that fishing practices in the future could be changed to better protect marine birds. * * * 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. * * * For more information, please contact:Lena Avellan Project Manager HELCOM Tel: +358 40 162 2054 Skype: helcom35 E-mail: lena.avellan(at)helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Neighbouring Regional Seas Conventions HELCOM and OSPAR together with ICES establish a joint working group on marine birds.

​​Protection of biodiversity and assessing the state of the environment will be addressed this week by the meeting of the HELCOM State & Conservation in Helsinki, Finland. The participants arriving from the whole Baltic region represent the member countries of HELCOM as well as observer organizations.HELCOM  displays real-time locations of Baltic research vessels that are used for monitoring.​In its biannual meeting the group is expected to finalize the draft HELCOM Recommendation on Co-operation and coordination of research vessel based monitoring (12-1). Once passed, the Recommendation will improve coordination of cruises carried out under the HELCOM coordinated monitoring programme and facilitate the granting of permits of such cruises. Another recent tool for improving coordination is the HELCOM on-line for sharing information on planned and completed cruises, also showing the real time vessel positions based on HELCOM Automatic Identification System () for ships. Another major topic of the meeting, after the recent launch of the fully modernized of the Baltic Sea coastal and marine protected areas (HELCOM MPAs), is to agree on the methodology for assessing the ecological coherence of these sites. Ecological coherence of the HELCOM MPA network is important as it contributes significantly to biological diversity through e.g. increasing representation and connectivity of species and biotopes. HELCOM has agreed to achieve a coherent and effectively managed network of marine protected areas and the upcoming assessment of ecological coherence will show the progress towards reaching this goal. Moreover, the development of Baltic wide maps of species and biotopes will be agreed at the meeting. Maps informing on the spatial distribution of Baltic Sea biodiversity features will​serve multiple purpose in future HELCOM activities such as the upcoming 2nd HELCOM holistic assessment and Red list assessment.  Furthermore, the meeting will continue the diligent task to review and revise HELCOM monitoring guidelines, a task that will continue to ensure quality assured and comparable data in the Baltic Sea region.  The meeting will be co-chaired by Urmas Lips, Marine Systems Institute at Tallinn University of Technology, and Penina Blankett, Ministry of the Environment of Finland.  All documents will be public after the meeting. * * *Note for editors The 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 State & Conservation 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:Ulla Li ZweifelProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel. +358 46 850 9198Skype: helcom64E-mail: ullali.zweifel(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Regional coordination of research vessel cruises and ecological coherence of protected areas among key topics of the HELCOM State and Conservation group meeting.

​​​​​​Easier access to more detailed information on coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas (HELCOM MPAs) will be available for anyone by today’s launch of the modernized HELCOM MPA . As there are currently already 174 HELCOM covering 12% of the marine area, making the Baltic Sea a pioneering region, a more sophisticated search function as well as map interface are important improvements to the database. New data sections have also been added: information on human pressures to MPAs, such as damage to seabed or input of sound, and regulated human activities, such as aquaculture, tourism or urban developments. Information details added in the database concern threat categories and monitoring of species, biotopes and biotope complexes within HELCOM MPAs. Another practical feature is direct links which have been added for each MPA to other relevant databases such as Natura 2000, OSPAR, Important Bird Areas (Birdlife), World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and Ramsar. The HELCOM MPA database is among the first ones where information on several management plans can be displayed for one MPA, which fits a clear need as many of these MPAs have several management plans established for different purposes. Another new feature in the database is information about national protection status, which is important for understanding the different legal aspects provided by overlapping national protection networks. Moreover, HELCOM MPA database stands out among other similar databases on regional and global levels, particularly since the information is current and has a vast coverage.    HELCOMs persistent work on coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas will now continue as the assessment of ecological coherence of MPAs is expecting release early next year. The assessment of ecological coherence is made possible through the information compiled in the MPA database.  The HELCOM MPA database can be accessed through .  Please note that HELCOM MPAs are former BSPAs (Coastal and Marine Baltic Sea Protected Areas).Map of HELCOM MPAs and their management plans as of September 2015. * * * Note for editorsThe area of HELCOM marine has increased threefold since 2004 and now, at 12% of the Baltic marine area, exceeds the target of 10% spatial coverage set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Baltic Sea was one of the first regional seas in the world to reach this target. The next goal is to reach 10% protection in each sub-basin of the Baltic Sea. The aim of the coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas (HELCOM MPAs) is to protect valuable marine and coastal habitats in the Baltic Sea. This is done by designating sites with particular nature values as protected areas, and by managing human activities within those areas. Each site will have its unique management plan. The 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. * * * For more information, please contact:Janica BorgProject Coordinator (ECONET)HELCOMTel: +358 40 662 0101Skype: helcom57E-mail: janica.borg(at)helcom.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

Easier access to more detailed information on coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas (HELCOM MPAs) will be available for anyone from today omwards.