Category: SOURCE TO SEA

The recently updated HELCOM State of the Baltic Sea report is now , providing a complete insight about the ecological state of the Baltic Sea and the pressures affecting it. Overall, despite improvements, the sea is not yet in a good state, with eutrophication causing the major stress.Approved by all , the report is based on verified scientific evidence stemming from a recently concluded HELCOM assessment – the , or HOLAS II. It is the most comprehensive baseline currently available on the Baltic Sea.”The report holds a wealth of information about the ecological state of the Baltic Sea and the pressures affecting it, making it an important knowledge and decision-making tool for environmental policy makers, researchers and Baltic Sea stakeholders such as industries and businesses,” said Lena Bergström, the HELCOM HOLAS II Project Coordinator who led the publication of the report.For the first time, economic and social analyses (ESA) and the evaluation of cumulative impacts have also been included in the assessment, to help quantifying the benefits we get from the sea and the economic losses due to inadequate ecological status. “We gain a lot from the Baltic Sea: food, jobs, recreational activities among others. But the report also shows that our actions have a big impact on the ecological state of the sea,” said Bergström, further stressing on the correlation of healthy Baltic Sea resources and human welfare.According to the report, improvements are seen in the reduction of inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances into the Baltic Sea. The progress made so far shows that concerted Baltic Sea regional collaboration leads to tangible results.However, the ecological objectives set by the  seeking to attain a healthy Baltic Sea by 2021 have not yet been attained.The major pressure on the Baltic Sea remains eutrophication, affecting 97 percent of the waterbody. The current total losses attributed to eutrophication – excessive growth of algae that upsets the sea’s ecosystem – are estimated to be in the range of EUR 3.8 to 4.4 billion annually for the region.Plastic pollution – especially from microplastics –, pharmaceutical residues, underwater noise and effects from climate change are some of the current additional pressures.The report also finds that the Baltic Sea’s biodiversity is not in a good state. Fish stocks, marine habitats and mammals such as the harbour porpoise and the ringed seal are particularly affected.More actions are needed to improve the Baltic Sea’s environmental status. “It is very clear what needs to be done,” and who chaired the HOLAS II Core Team, the international HELCOM group preparing the report. “We need to work on implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the further actions that have been agreed upon in the .”The  (BSAP) is the region’s strategic tool to attain a healthy Baltic Sea by 2021, focussing primarily on eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and maritime activities. Essentially based on the findings of the report, efforts are currently underway to update the BSAP beyond its due date in 2021. Go to the report:   — For immediate releaseFor more information, please contact:Dominik LittfassCommunication Secretarymedia(at)helcom.fi 

The recently updated HELCOM State of the Baltic Sea report is now publicly available, providing a complete insight about the ecological state of the Baltic Sea and the pressures affecting it. Despite improvements, the sea is not yet in a good state.

 Maria Laamanen is the Head of the Finnish Delegation to HELCOM and works at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. She answers questions about the process that led to the report.What was your involvement in the State of the Baltic Sea report?I was the chair of the Core Group, which was kind of a steering group for developing the second holistic assessment. What were the main reasons for making the report?HELCOM published its first holistic assessment in 2010 and there was an agreement that there should be another holistic assessment to follow up on the state of the Baltic Sea and effectiveness of . Those contracting parties that are EU members needed this second holistic assessment for implementation of the . Can you tell us more about the process of making the report, how it came together?We started in the end of 2015. When you start a new project, it tends to be at first a little bit chaotic. I think it took one or two meetings that we got a better idea where we are aiming at and how to do it. We had quite lengthy discussions in what areas we are going to address for example relating to the Kattegat and how we should address different themes on the report. We had the example of the first holistic assessment as a basis of our work and the themes of the state of the Baltic Sea Action Plan gave the basic structure to the report. In addition, we decided to go deeper in to the theme of socio-economics of protecting the Baltic Sea because it was important to be able to show what the economic value of the Baltic Sea is and how it relates to a cost of protecting the Baltic Sea. We also improved some of the methods and tools we had, worked on further developing some and worked on the index that we use for assessing cumulative pressures on the sea. We got support from the EU that made it possible to conduct supporting projects for making the State of the Baltic Sea report. During the project, a number of thematic reports were developed, and indicators and data were updated. All of that is published but not all of it is dealt with in detail within the since there is so much material and the report aims to provide an overview. The report pulls together much of the relevant research that has been done and puts it in a simpler form to present it in an understandable fashion. If someone wants to go deeper than the report, one should go to read the thematic reports and check the data from the project.All in all, I am very proud of the report and the wide coverage of issues HELCOM achieved with it.What are the key findings and main outcomes?The State of the Baltic Sea report shows the status of the Baltic Sea in 2011—2016. It shows that we still have not reached an overall good status of the Baltic Sea. Our main challenges relate to eutrophication and changes in biodiversity that partly stem from the harm that eutrophication causes as well as pressures such as changes in fishing and variability in climate. On the other hand, we are going toward better status in many aspects. HOLAS II report trend graphs show for example that we have been able to decrease our loads of phosphorus and nitrogen. From the 1980s—1990s the phosphorus load has been cut by more than half and nitrogen load has been cut by almost a third.In addition, in terms of hazardous substances the situation is getting much better. To some extend our graphs may give a darker view of where we stand with hazardous substances because the criteria are rather tough and if even one indicator which has lower status than the standard for good status is sufficient to yield an overall assessment of the theme as non-good.We have also compiled information about marine litter. However, we have not been able to make assessments of whether the status is good or not because we have not agreed on the technical details of what is the standard for a good status yet.What needs to be done now? How can we achieve a good environmental status for the Baltic Sea?It is very clear what needs to be done: We need to work on implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the further actions that have been agreed in HELCOM ministerial meetings, most recently in March of 2018.Due to some ecosystem related lags in the Baltic Sea, it is clear that we cannot reach a good status on all aspects of the environment by 2021, which is the target year of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Nevertheless, we have three more years to go to 2021 and we need to use those years well and implement the agreed actions to make the status of the Baltic Sea as good as possible. After that an updated action plan which was agreed to be drafted by HELCOM Ministerial Meeting 2018 should ensure that we reached the good status by 2030.How will the results of the report affect the update of the Baltic Sea Action Plan?The report provides us the baseline information on the status of the Baltic Sea and tells us what are the pressures affecting the status. Wherever we have a non-good status, we need to look in the causes: what pressures we need to address with our measures and where are we with our implementation. After that, we can look into what updated or new measures we might need.The report does not give any specific measures but it points out what is important. For example, it points out that it is crucial that we reach nutrient load reduction targets that we have agreed upon in HELCOM. It is also very important that we enhance cross-sectoral aspects in sectors such as shipping and agriculture. It is important that there is coordination, coherence and cross reading between the different sectors.How will the outcomes affect future actions of HELCOM?Through the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan, for which the report serves as a basis. Through the report, we also have a very detailed and shared view on what the good status of the Baltic Sea means. We have quantified for very detailed technical aspects of the sea what is good and non-good and we have indicators for follow-up. I think that is great starting point. To my knowledge, no other international sea in the world has that. The report can offer an example how international cooperation can provide good knowledge of the state of the sea.What are the implications for the Finnish chairmanship?We have identified the updating of the Baltic Sea Action Plan as our . The State of the Baltic Sea report is very important to us, since it works as a basis for that work.The interview was conducted by Alisa Vänttinen from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.

Maria Laamanen is the Head of the Finnish Delegation to HELCOM and works at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. She answers questions about the process that led to the State of the Baltic Sea report.

​Agricultural
practices and their effects on the Baltic Sea were the main focus of the Sixth
Meeting of the (AGRI 6-2018) that was held at
the Ministry of Agriculture in Riga, Latvia from 15 to 16 May 2018. This HELCOM group consists of representatives from environmental
and agricultural national authorities and observer organizations from HELCOM
countries.According to recent
HELCOM assessments,
– caused by oversupply of nutrients mainly from land-based sources – remains a major
threat to the Baltic Sea environment. Earlier in March, the recognized agriculture as one of the main contributors
to the total input of nutrients into the Baltic Sea. The HELCOM countries
therefore committed to improve cooperation with the agricultural sector in the
Baltic Sea region. The
discussed various aspects of sustainable agricultural practices in the region
and measures to reduce nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea environment. Among
them are smart nutrient management in agriculture, innovative water management
in rural areas, revitalization of wetlands and paludiculture – agriculture on
peatlands. The decision taken
by the group on drafting regional recommendation for the use of national manure
standards addressing nutrients in manure is an important step towards better
nutrient management in the agricultural sector. The key themes of
the meeting were (i) organization of the work on regional nutrient recycling
strategy and (ii) the revision of Part 2 of – the section about the prevention of pollution
from agriculture. The group agreed on the practical steps towards elaboration
of the regional nutrient recycling strategy by 2020 under the lead of Finland.
The group decided to establish an international drafting group for revision of Annex
III in accordance with the earlier agreed scope of the revision and with the
timeframe extending to 2020.Participants also
discussed possible reasons for growing ammonia emissions in the region reported
by
(EMEP). The group decided to take a closer look into measures to reduce these
emissions applied in the countries and potential to elaborate related regional
recommendations.Read the AGRI 6-2018
meeting outcome document .

Agricultural practices and their effects on the Baltic Sea were the main focus of the Sixth Meeting of the HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices (AGRI 6-2018) that was held at the Ministry of Agriculture in Riga, Latvia from 15 to 16 May 2018

The HELCOM PRESSURE group met in Berlin to discuss the reduction of pollution loads on the Baltic Sea.Specific attention was placed on river basins, input of nutrients, and hazardous substances.The progress at the Krasni Bor HELCOM hot spot was also addressed.HELCOM came closer to its goals of reducing pollution loads on the Baltic Sea, as acknowledged during a key event held in Berlin from 18 to 20 April 2018, the Eighth Meeting of the HELCOM Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area (). The PRESSURE group is responsible for devising solutions to reduce land-based pollution affecting the Baltic Sea.The group discussed potential measures to advance towards the maximum allowable inputs set by the . Specific attention was paid to the cooperation with river basin management authorities and to possible ways of elaborating nutrient reduction targets for river basins. These will be useful for developing river basin management plans. It is expected that this broader approach at the river basin level will increase the readiness of upstream municipalities to support the implementation of the (BSAP).Due to the cross-cutting nature of nutrients management, and bearing in mind that the agricultural sector is a main source of land-based nutrient input to the Baltic Sea, the PRESSURE group also worked out a proposal for close cooperation with , the HELCOM group responsible for agricultural matters.With regard to the implementation of the , the central emphasis was placed on the planning of a regional strategy for nutrients recycling. The PRESSURE group also started planning the implementation of the new commitment, with the aim to develop a risk assessment framework for the management of internal nutrient reserves.Furthermore, PRESSURE 8-2018 addressed the input of hazardous substances (HS) into the Baltic Sea, acknowledging the steady decrease of inputs of conventional pollutants such as mercury, lead and cadmium. However, it also noted the worrying rise of new HS such as pharmaceuticals and persistent organic compounds. The group endorsed a draft assessment for the input of selected hazardous substances as well as for a new HELCOM pre-core indicator on diclofenac. In addition, participants considered to look into off-shore sources of pollutants and, as a first step, into the potential adverse effects of anti-fouling systems. They also followed up of the implementation of the Regional Action Plan (RAP) on marine litter. Dredging and depositing operations at sea, under water noise and other topics were also discussed. One specific theme of the meeting was the current state of the toxic landfill Krasny Bor located in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Russia. Participants welcomed the comprehensive update by Russia on the current status of this “HELCOM hot spot”, including the work undertaken so far to minimize environmental risks and to monitor the site. The results of international cooperation and support on Krasni Bor were presented by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) which is the coordinator of the international efforts currently taking place at the site.A group of German experts also presented the results of the verification of the environmental monitoring system at the landfill. In the past two years, international experts have continuously visited the site, doing environmental sampling and inspecting the maintenance and monitoring procedures.The meeting in Berlin was the first consultation of the group after the adoption of the earlier this year in Brussels, where HELCOM countries notably renewed their commitment to the BSAP.

HELCOM came closer to its goals of reducing pollution loads on the Baltic Sea, as acknowledged during a key event held in Berlin from 18 to 20 April 2018.

PRESSURE 8-2018 meets in Berlin to devise solutions to reduce land-based pollution affecting the Baltic Sea.Key focus will be on discussing measures to reduce nutrient input, in line with the 2018 HELCOM Ministerial Declaration.The
Eighth Meeting of the HELCOM Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the
Baltic Sea Catchment Area () will be held in Berlin from
18 to 20 April 2018. The group is responsible for
devising solutions to reduce land-based pollution affecting the Baltic Sea.It will be the first consultation of the group after the
adoption of the earlier this year in
Brussels, where HELCOM countries notably renewed their commitment to the (BSAP). In Berlin, the PRESSURE group will focus on enhancing
the implementation of the BSAP.The
central emphasis will be placed on devising measures to reduce input of
nutrients, and on how to advance towards the maximum allowable inputs set by
the . The group will start the
planning phase of the implementation of the new Ministerial Commitments. In
particular, it will discuss the components needed to develop a regional
strategy for nutrients recycling, as well as kick of
work on a
risk assessment framework for the management of internal nutrient reserves. In line with the other BSAP
goals, the Meeting will also address pollution of the Baltic Sea environment by hazardous substances, and
expand its efforts to eradicate pollution hot spots in the Baltic Sea region
(“HELCOM hot spots”), including assessing the progress in mitigating the
environmental risks posed by the Krasny Bor toxic landfill in Russia.For more information, please contact:Mr. Dmitry Frank-KamenetskyProfessional Secretary(, , )dmitry.frank-kamenetsky(at)helcom.fi

The Eighth Meeting of the HELCOM Working Group on Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area (PRESSURE 8-2018) will be held in Berlin from 18 to 20 April 2018. The group is responsible for devising solutions to reduce land-based pollution.

Eutrophication caused by oversupply to the Baltic Sea of nutrients remains the major environmental pressure on the marine ecosystem. The major sources and pathways of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Baltic marine environment have been assessed in a HELCOM report released today. The illustrates the contribution of various sources of nitrogen and phosphorus to total loads in 2014 (2012 for Germany and Poland). The assessment also illustrates changes in proportion of different pathways since 1995, including the three major pathways of nutrients – riverine, airborne and direct discharges. The detailed analysis of sources of riverine load includes an evaluation of the contribution of diffuse sources, with specific focus on agriculture, indirect point sources, and natural background.The newly published report shows that a major reduction of both phosphorus and nitrogen inputs was achieved for direct point sources, while the share of the diffuse sources, in which agriculture plays dominating role, increased in the pattern of total input. Besides agriculture, indirect (upstream) point sources and transboundary loads also constitute a significant part of the total input.The new assessment is a vital part of the HELCOM and one of the main products of the HELCOM . The previous (PLC-5) assessment, published in 2013, was based on the data on nutrient inputs in 2006.* * * 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. The 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   ​

Eutrophication caused by oversupply by nutrients remains the major environmental pressure on the Baltic marine ecosystem. Major sources and pathways of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Baltic marine environment have been assessed in a HELCOM report.

Nutrient recycling and rural water management discussed at HELCOM AGRI meeting last weekIncreasing ammonia emissions require attentionRepresentatives of national environmental and agricultural authorities as well as scientific institutions and NGOs gathered in Helsinki last week, to discuss the environmental impact of agricultural production in the Baltic Sea region along with various measures to mitigate it. Held in Helsinki on 9–10 November 2017, the 5th HELCOM Meeting focused on the opportunities for recycling nutrients, which serves both to prevent nutrients leaching into waterways and to sustain food security. Participants highlighted that despite different countries having different means and drivers to work for closing nutrients loops, the work done in all Baltic countries serves towards the common goals of sustainable development in the region. The Meeting also pointed out the significance of efficient water management in rural areas. The participants recommend shifting the focus in water management from the individual field to comprehensive solutions within river basins, incorporating land use planning and close involvement of local stakeholders, while taking into account adaptation to climate change. Another environmental aspect discussed at the Meeting was the increase in ammonia emissions, along with the resulting deposition of nitrogen on the water surface of the Baltic Sea. The participating HELCOM members agreed that the matter requires specific attention of the HELCOM society, as agriculture remains the major source of ammonia in the region.​The fifth meeting of the HELCOM Agri group was held in Helsinki on 9–10 November.. 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 Convention.The deals with agriculture related to the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach. It includes representatives from agriculture and environmental 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, as well as for the joint discussion of agricultural effects on the marine environment, namely nutrient inputs and emissions. Its official name is the HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices.* * *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 

Nutrient recycling and rural water management discussed at HELCOM AGRI meeting last week – Increasing ammonia emissions require attention

Nutrient flow and recycling in focus at the HELCOM Agri Group meeting this weekSmart nutrients management in agriculture is in focus at the HELCOM meeting, which is currently being held in Helsinki, Finland, on 9–10 November 2017. Recent results of HELCOM assessments show that an oversupply of nutrients to the Baltic Sea from various land-based sources remains the major environmental pressure on the marine ecosystem. The largest share of nitrogen and phosphorus comes from diffuse sources, and of these, agricultural production is the most significant. Participating in the meeting are representatives of the Baltic Sea countries and the EU, among them experts from environmental and agricultural authorities and research institutions, as well as from farmers associations and environmental NGOs. Discussions will focus on drivers and obstacles for nutrient recycling in the region, including nutrient flows and means to return nutrients to the agricultural production, aimed at preventing them from leaching into the aquatic environment. Among the specific themes of the Meeting are further steps on nutrient accounting at farm level in the region, as well as innovative water management in rural areas. . 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 Convention.The deals with agriculture related to the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach. It includes representatives from agriculture and environmental 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, as well as for the joint discussion of agricultural effects on the marine environment, namely nutrient inputs and emissions. Its official name is the HELCOM Group on Sustainable Agricultural Practices.* * *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 ​

Nutrient flow and recycling in focus at the HELCOM Agri Group meeting this week

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.