Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

 

Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

Ocean literacy: Biodiversity

Why is a healthy biodiversity of the Baltic Sea so important?

What can I do?


Think how you act

Help to protect local habitats and wildlife, also in coastal areas.

Be sure to follow the rules in national parks and nature reserves. Keep to the paths, don’t trample plants and leave animals in peace.
When boating, avoid causing noise and unnecessary waves. Consider establishing a marine protected area.

More reading: Ten ways to protect the Baltic Sea in everyday life (BSAG)


Fish sustainably

Don’t fish for critically endangered species like eels or Baltic Sea cod.

Only catch full-size fish and only take as many as you are going to eat. Please always remember to remove old fishing nets from the water and recycle them properly.
Some of the Baltic Sea’s fish stocks have been endangered by overfishing – and its adverse effects are severe.

More reading: Recreational fishing in the Baltic Sea region (CCB)


Fight climate change

Baltic Sea warms faster than the global average! This impacts all the species living in it.

Reduce your energy consumption by turning the heating down and taking shorter showers, by favoring more ecological means of transport such as trains and other rail traffic, and by opting for other environmental consumer choices in your housing, heating and eating etc.

More reading: UN – Act Now For A Healthy Planet


Other resources


What is HELCOM doing about it?

The Baltic Sea harbours a unique composition of species and landscapes. An estimated 100 species of fish, 450 species of macroalgae, 1000 zoobenthos species, 3000 plankton species and many thousands of unknown species of bacteria and viruses create the unique underwater biodiversity of the Baltic Sea.

Achieving a good status of biodiversity is a HELCOM priority, strengthened by, among other things, the revised Helsinki Convention in 1992 and the Baltic Sea Action Plan. However, many species are still under threat. It is anticipated that biodiversity will show signs of improvement in the coming years, as the effects of recently implemented measures start to be seen, but continued efforts to improve the environmental status of biodiversity are of key importance.

Further reading:

Baltic Sea knowledge: Biodiversity

HELCOM Action Areas:

HELCOM Thematic Assessment of Biodiversity 2016-2021

State of the Baltic Sea 2023 – all results

EG Coastal Fish

HELCOM Expert Group on Coastal Fish

The purpose of the HELCOM Expert Group on Coastal Fish (EG Coastal Fish) is to support the implementation of the Helsinki Convention, including its Baltic Sea Action Plan, and, for those Contracting Parties being EU members, relevant EU legislation (e.g. Habitats Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), etc.).

EG Coastal Fish aims to support ecosystem-based management of coastal fish communities in the Baltic Sea coastal countries through further developing regionally harmonised monitoring and assessment methodologies, conducting harmonised indicator-based status assessments of coastal fish, and by proposing ecosystem-based management measures to support and restore coastal fish communities. In addition, EG Coastal fish serves as a Baltic-wide forum for advancing and disseminating national and regional research projects related to coastal fish.

Coastal fish communities are important components of the Baltic Sea ecosystems, and many species of coastal fish are of a high socio-economic value for coastal societies through small-scale coastal fisheries, recreational fishing as well as cultural value. The status of coastal fish communities serves as an indicator of coastal ecosystem health, reflecting pressures like eutrophication, fishing, and degradation of coastal habitats. The structure of coastal fish communities is also dependent on climate change impacts and the level of natural predation. Species of coastal fish might modify other ecosystem components through ecological interactions. Given the dramatic changes in Baltic Sea ecosystems and coastal fish communities during the last decades, attention and focus should be devoted to this component of the ecosystem.

EG Coastal Fish builds on the Project for Baltic-wide assessment of coastal fish communities in support of an ecosystem-based management (HELCOM FISH-PRO III) which was implemented from 2018 to 2023.

Documents


Contacts

Mock Employee
Jens Olsson

Chair of EG Coastal Fish
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
jens.olsson@slu.se

Mock Employee
Lena Avellan

Professional Secretary
HELCOM Secretariat
lena.avellan@helcom.fi

Mock Employee
Florent Nicolas

Associate Professional Secretary
HELCOM Secretariat
florent.nicolas@helcom.fi


Latest related content

First data call launched for PROTECT BALTIC

HELCOM is seeking information on various aspects, including benthic species, bird presence and absence, bottom organic matter content, chlorophyll-a concentration, coloured dissolved organic matter, fish and decapod crustacean species, hypoxia, sediment maps, sedimentation accumulation rates, fish spawning and nursery areas, and turbidity.

HELCOM has officially launched its first data call for PROTECT BALTIC, inviting stakeholders to share crucial biotic, abiotic, and supporting data on the Baltic region. This initiative aims to boost protection efforts and improve strategic planning.

HELCOM is seeking information on a large number of parameters which make up the Baltic Sea ecosystem, including benthic species, birds, bottom organic matter content, chlorophyll-a concentration, dissolved organic matter, fish and decapod crustacean species, hypoxia, sediment maps, sedimentation accumulation rates, fish spawning and nursery areas, and turbidity.

The collected data will be used to update models for both abiotic and biotic parameters, such as species and habitat distribution, as well as mapping ecosystem functions and services.

The deadline for submitting all relevant and up-to-date data, complete with metadata, is 31 March 2024.

All national data collected will be amalgamated into a Baltic-wide dataset, aligning with HELCOM’s commitment to open accessibility in line with its data and information strategy.

The underlying unrestricted data will be made publicly available through the HELCOM Map and Data service and/or HELCOM Biodiversity database, ensuring transparency and facilitating the replicability of assessments.

Contact

Kimmo Koivumäki
GIS Data Specialist for PROTECT BALTIC

kimmo.koivumaki@helcom.fi

+358 44 7071 801

HOLAS 3 thematic assessments unveil Baltic Sea ecosystem health

After several years in the making, HOLAS 3 thematic assessments on the state of the Baltic Sea have been published, covering the period of 2016–2021. The thematic assessments are part of the third HELCOM holistic assessment (HOLAS 3), providing a holistic view of the Baltic Sea ecosystem health. 

The holistic approach highlights the interconnectedness of various environmental factors and their impact on the ecosystem. The five assessment reports each focus on a specific topic, addressing the state of biodiversity, environmental pressures, eutrophication, and the relationship between humanity and nature. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders alike.

The results of HOLAS 3 have been published in stages, commencing in March 2023, and the process will culminate in the publication of the summary report State of the Baltic Sea, expected at the end of October 2023.

A comprehensive holistic assessment on the state of the Baltic Sea is conducted once every six years. The reports result from collaborative efforts among HELCOM member states, scientific experts, and organizations dedicated to the protection of the Baltic Sea. They serve as a cornerstone of HELCOM’s work and policymaking, assisting in the monitoring of the implementation and the effectiveness of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP).

Thematic assessments 2023

HELCOM Thematic assessment of economic and social analyses 2016-2021

HELCOM Thematic assessment of spatial distribution of pressures and impacts 2016-2021

HELCOM Thematic assessment of hazardous substances, marine litter, underwater noise and non-indigenous species 2016-2021

HELCOM Thematic assessment of biodiversity 2016-2021 (Main report compressed)

HELCOM Thematic assessment of eutrophication 2016-2021

Federal Minister of Germany, Steffi Lemke to open the Side Event, Delivering global commitments in the Baltic Sea Region

Ms Steffi Lemke, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Germany will be among the high-level representatives opening the Side Event on 30 June 2022, taking place during the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Ms Lemke will be joined by Ms Terhi Lehtonen, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of the Environment of Finland, as well as Mr. Antti Tooming, Deputy Secretary General, from the Ministry of the Environment of Estonia.

One key aim of the event is to present marine protection as a concrete example of the instrumental role of the regional sea conventions in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life under water – in particular and other global commitments in general, at the macro-regional and sea-basin levels.

HELCOM achievements in delivering global goals

A brand new video exhibits the many sides of HELCOM work, from the vision and goals to strategic tools and concrete work, and how it all delivers to reaching SDG 14 – Life under water.

The 75-minute side event will present HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2021–2030 as a best practice example for an ecosystem-based approach to marine management from science to action. The BSAP provides concrete tools for reaching the regional commitments, such as the establishment of a coherent MPA network, which has made substantial progress in the Baltic Sea Region. Moreover, the growing importance of the so called Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) will be explored as a more novel method to holistically conserve biodiversity.

Main organizers of the event are the Ministries of the Environment of Estonia and Germany (HELCOM Chair).

UN Ocean Conference, postponed due to the covid pandemic, will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from 27 June until 1 July, 2022.

Please find here more information about the event and stay tuned for updates!

Side Event at UN Ocean Conference 30 June: delivering global commitments in the Baltic Sea Region

The success of the Baltic Sea region in nominating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the emerging plans regarding Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) will be in key focus in a side event on 30 June 2022, taking place during the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

The aim is to present marine protection as a concrete example of the instrumental role of the regional sea conventions in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life under water – in particular and other global commitments in general, at the macro-regional and sea-basin levels.

The side event will present HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2021–2030 as a best practice example for an ecosystem-based approach to marine management from science to action. The BSAP provides concrete tools for reaching the regional commitments, such as the establishment of a coherent MPA network, and the “30/10 target” referring to the expansion aim of the MPA coverage to 30 % of the Baltic Sea, with one third being strictly protected. The latter has a straight link to processes under Convention on Biological Diversity as well as the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

In addition to MPAs, the event focuses on the areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside of protected areas, so called Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), as referred to in Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD).

Main organizers of the event are the Ministries of the Environment of Estonia and Germany (HELCOM Chair).

UN Ocean Conference, postponed due to the covid pandemic, will be held in Lisbon, Portugal. from 27 June until 1 July, 2022.

Please find here more information about the event and stay tuned for updates.

UN Ocean Conference Side Event

Delivering global commitments in the Baltic Sea Region – Marine Protected Areas and the success of Regional Seas Conventions

#UNOceanConference #UNOC2022

Date and time: 30 June 2022 11.30 – 12.45 GMT+1

Location: Side event room 2, Altice Arena

Summary outcome

Audience sent in many questions and comments throughout the panel discussion.

What were the key take-outs of the key note speakers and, in particular, the lively panel discussion? Please find the key messages of the event below:

Why this topic?

The Baltic Sea region has not only achieved but actually surpassed the 10 % target of MPA coverage. Now the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) is becoming a frontrunner in using Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), which promote biodiversity conservation outside of protected areas.

The side event highlights Marine Protected Areas (MPA) as a concrete example of the instrumental role of the regional seas conventions in implementing SDG14 in particular and other global commitments in general, at the macro-regional and sea-basin levels.

HELCOM staff explains about a few key features of HELCOM achievements and how they deliver in reaching SDG 14 – Life under water.

The Set-Up

Moderator: Lilian Busse, HELCOM Chair

I Opening remarks

High level representatives of Germany, Finland and Estonia:

  • Ms Steffi Lemke, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Germany
  • Ms Terhi Lehtonen, Secretary of State/Vice-Minister of the Ministry of the Environment, Finland
  • Mr. Antti Tooming, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of the Environment, Estonia

II Key-note speakers: where are we now?

  • Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of HELCOM
  • Imèn Meliane, Vice President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (WCPA); Marine OECM Lead with the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
  • Mikhail Durkin, Executive Secretary of CCB

III Panel: Critical view: where should we go?

  • Mikhail Durkin, Executive Secretary of CCB
  • Jannica Haldin, Deputy Executive Secretary of HELCOM
  • Imèn Meliane, Vice President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (WCPA); Marine OECM Lead with the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
  • Dominic Pattinson, Executive Secretary of OSPAR
  • Sebastian Unger, Research Group Leader, Ocean Governance, IASS Potsdam

IV Concluding Remarks

Moderator: Lilian Busse, HELCOM Chair


Introducing the moderator, speakers and panelists


Background notes

The connection between SDG 14 and the MPAs and OECMs is clear. They are directly addressed in targets 14.2 and 14.5, but they also a prerequisite for attaining a few others, such as those on fisheries and fish stocks.

The side event will present HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 2021–2030 as a best practice example for an ecosystem-based approach to marine management from science to action. The BSAP provides concrete tools for reaching the regional commitments, such as the the establishment of a coherent MPA network, and the “30/10 target” referring to the expansion aim of the MPA coverage to 30 % of the Baltic Sea, with one third being strictly protected. The latter has a straight link to processes under Convention on Biological Diversity as well as the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

In addition, experiences from updating the BSAP, which contains several specific actions related to spatial conservation measures, will be shared in the event.


Co-organizers of the event

  • Ministry of the Environment of Estonia
  • Ministry of the Environment of Finland
  • Ministry of the Environment of Germany
  • Ministry of the Environment of Latvia
  • Ministry of the Environment of Sweden
  • Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)
  • World Commission on Protected Area (WCPA)
  • Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB)
  • Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR)
  • Commission for the Protection of the Baltic Sea Marine Environment (HELCOM).

OECMs: HELCOM investigates alternative marine protection measures

To investigate the potential of protective measures in the Baltic Sea beside marine protected areas (MPAs), HELCOM, in cooperation with the FAO and IUCN WCPA, held a workshop on other effective area-based conservation measures, or OECMs, on 1-3 February 2022.

“OECMs, a relatively novel conservation approach, are an important part of the HELCOM agenda as well, as reflected by the 2021 Baltic Sea Action Plan, which contains no fewer than seven actions related to spatial conservation measures, and which explicitly refers to OECMs in several places,” said Rüdiger Strempel, the Executive Secretary of HELCOM, adding that OECMs could, among other things, contribute to strengthening the overall coherence of the HELCOM MPA network.

The workshop contributed to developing a common understanding of the applicability of the OECM criteria to the specific situation in the Baltic Sea, as well as a better comprehension of the potential of OECMs for supporting the attainment of the HELCOM objectives on marine conservation, including their interplay with existing MPAs.

“OECMs should have a spatial component, bring clear biodiversity benefits that are long lasting, and should not cause any significant harm to other biodiversity attributes as a consequence of their implementation,” explained Jannica Haldin, the Deputy Executive Secretary of HELCOM.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the distinguishing criterion between MPAs and OECMs is that the former have a primary conservation objective, whereas OECMs deliver effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity regardless of their primary objectives.

“From the perspective of biodiversity in the sea, labels do not matter – what matters is the effect a measure has on the environment,” said Haldin. “The main principle of OECMs is that they must provide a positive outcome for biodiversity.” 

“Using a measure as a starting point is what differentiates the OECM process from traditional conservation approaches, and enables us to consider the effect of measures that weren’t initially put in place for conservation purposes,” added Haldin. 

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines other effective area-based conservation measures as areas other than protected areas including MPAs that “achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity”, which in turn contributes to preserving “ecosystem functions and services” and in some cases “cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values”.

The workshop was attended by a broad range of stakeholders dealing with issues related to the marine environment, bringing together representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organization and academia.  

On 16 May 2021, we’re celebrating the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise

The “International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise” is celebrated on the third Sunday in May of each year, to raise awareness of the alarming situation of the harbour porpoise, a rather unique marine mammal. And indeed: it is the only cetacean that calls the Baltic Sea its permanent home. 

In the Baltic Sea region, harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were actively hunted until the end of the 19th century. Although this practice has stopped, their populations declined rapidly since the middle of the 20th century. They are now heavily impacted by other human pressures, most notably by-catch in fishing gear, but also pollutants, habitat deterioration and disturbance caused by underwater noise. 

The “International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise” (IDBHP) was declared an international observance by the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (UNEP/ASCOBANS).

Read more about the harbour porpoise:

#HarbourPorpoise

Watch the video address by Rüdiger Strempel on the occasion of the “International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise” 

HELCOM launches its BLUES project to support attaining good environmental status in the Baltic Sea

Good environmental status, or GES, and a Baltic Sea in healthy state are at the core of the HELCOM BLUES project that was officially launched online from 2 to 4 February 2021. Co-funded by the European Union and led by HELCOM, the Baltic-wide effort will run through 2022, for a total period of two years. 

To help attaining GES in the Baltic Sea, the HELCOM BLUES project will support the development of new and regionally coordinated measures addressing various pressures affecting the sea. It will also back assessments of the state of the Baltic through improved monitoring, notably on biodiversity, marine litter and underwater noise. 

“HELCOM BLUES is an opportunity to fill the gaps we have identified so far during our journey towards good environmental status in the Baltic Sea,” said Jannica Haldin, the overall project manager and HELCOM senior expert dealing with biodiversity matters. HELCOM is concluding its first analysis ever of the sufficiency of measures (SOM) currently in place for easing the pressures on the sea, with the results expected to inform the work of the new project.

“GES is a Baltic-wide objective, and we can only achieve it through a collective effort and regional cooperation,” said Jana Wolf, the HELCOM project coordinator in charge of the day-to-day operations of HELCOM BLUES. In total, 14 partners and seven subcontractors  with various backgrounds such as policy, research, academia or civil society and hailing from six Baltic Sea countries are involved in the project.

“The project also closely links to the big processes related to GES in the Baltic such as the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MFSD), the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and the next Holistic Assessment of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS III),” said Haldin.

On the MFSD, the specific requests expressed by the EU in its initial call for project proposals – which is at the origin of HELCOM BLUES – were taken into account, notably on the development of effective regional measures to reduce existing pressures to the Baltic Sea, with a focus on biodiversity, marine litter and underwater noise. Furthermore, all results of the project will be made accessible to the Baltic Sea countries who are also EU member states to support their national obligations under the MSFD.

The outcomes of the project will also underpin the implementation of the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan that is due to be adopted in October 2021 by providing monitoring data and guidance on the implementation of measures. 

It will also support HELCOM’s next Holistic Assessment of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS III) covering the period of 2016 to 2021. The project will notably provide improved assessment data, for instance by improving the capacity for biodiversity reporting and the development of indicators on marine litter and underwater noise. 

Project activities

The project is built around seven activities:

  • Activity 1 – Analyses to support effective regional measures
  • Activity 2 – Improved regional assessment of biodiversity  
  • Activity 3 – Support for, and harmonisation of, regional work on MSFD Descriptor 10 (marine litter)  
  • Activity 4 – Support for, and harmonisation of, regional work on MSFD Descriptor 11 (underwater noise) 
  • Activity 5 – Data accessibility 
  • Activity 6 – Dissemination 
  • Activity 7 – Project Coordination 

More info

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.