Tag: Monitoring and assessment

Best measures to monitor and assess underwater noise and marine litter in the Baltic Sea, and especially the development of indicators, were discussed in Oslo during the 3-day of HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Group () ending yesterday. Noise and litter have damaging impacts on marine ecosystems and immediate attention is needed to define suitable mitigation measures, as well as follow-up on the effectiveness of actions. The long-running MONAS Group consists of representatives from all the Baltic coastal countries, from the fields of research and policy-making alike.  A dedicated thematic session at the meeting focused, among others, on planning the way forward for the development of indicators for underwater noise, which may be used for monitoring ambient and impulsive underwater noise in the Baltic Sea. Human-introduced noise from e.g. wind farm construction and shipping is increasing. Such sounds, highly challenging to measure and manage, may have a significant negative impact on animals in a number of ways, on both individual and population levels.  Moreover, another session at the MONAS meeting considered latest research initiatives and available information on sources and amounts of marine litter in the Baltic Sea as well as existing methods for monitoring. The session provided inputs towards development of a Regional Action Plan for marine litter by 2015. The Action Plan has the aim to significantly reduce marine litter by 2025. Marine litter from land and sea-based sources, with a dominance of plastics of different sizes ranging from macro- to microparticles, causes harmful impacts not only on habitats and species, but also on various economic sectors, such as fisheries, shipping or tourism.  The agenda of the MONAS meeting, which started on Tuesday, has otherwise focused on the extensive revision of the HELCOM monitoring programmes; the development and operationalization of core indicators; and planning of the execution of a second holistic assessment. he Meeting was chaired by HELCOM MONAS Chair Ms. Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Finland. Note for editors:The Monitoring and Assessment Group () looks after one of HELCOM’s key tasks by assessing trends in threats to the marine environment, their impacts, the resulting state of the marine environment, and the effectiveness of adopted measures. This work forms the basis for the work of HELCOM’s other main groups, and helps to define the need for additional measures. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation 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:Ulla Li Zweifel Professional Secretary – GEAR, HABITAT & MONASHELCOM Tel. +358 46 850 9198  Skype: helcom64E-mail: ullali.zweifel(@)helcom.fiJohanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 E-mail: johanna.laurila(@)helcom.fi

Best measures to monitor and assess underwater noise and marine litter in the Baltic Sea, especially developing indicators, were discussed in MONAS Meeting.

High
quality assessing of the entire Baltic Sea’s eutrophication status is expected
to greatly improve through a new Project, soon wrapping up its kick-off meeting
in Helsinki, Finland. During the 2-year project , the whole assessment process concerning the nine
Baltic coastal states will be designed and implemented, from monitoring and
data aggregation to visualizing the final assessment.  HELCOM has long experience in assessment work
of highest standards – elemental for estimating the effectiveness of
any adopted measures and for improving the health of Baltic marine environment.> >>The key Project
results will include more efficient data flow allowing for regular updates in
an automated way; flexibility in the system to also extract information; as
well as improved integration of indicators on eutrophication status with the
use of so called HEAT 3 assessment tool. With the new approach, HELCOM member
states will be able to utilize the reported data and assessment to also serve
their other requirements such as of EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive as
far as EU countries are concerned. >> >Moreover,
the Project outcome will form an integral part of the next HELCOM holistic
assessment, also including components on biodiversity and hazardous substances,
and published in 2016 as stated in the Ministerial Declaration last year. > >>The Project
will also improve the quality of the existing core indicators on eutrophication
status. The measures entail the introduction of new data types such as remote
sensing and ship-of-opportunity data, as well as development of additional
indicators to fill the gaps in the present set. The task is also to harmonize
coastal and open sea assessment.>>                                                                                                                                                          >* * *>Note for editors:>The Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission, usually referred to as ,
is an intergovernmental organisation 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-Lehtinen>Project Manager/EUTRO-OPER>HELCOM>
Tel. +358 040 032 9157>
Skype: helcom65>E-mail: >> >Johanna Laurila>
Information Secretary>
HELCOM>
Tel: +358 40 523 8988>
Skype: helcom70>
E-mail: >>

The entire assessment process will be designed and implemented, from monitoring and data aggregation to visualizing the final assessment.

The strategic direction for
HELCOM internal and external communication has been set and adopted by the
HELCOM Annual Meeting last Friday. The new has been prepared to better
reflect the main priorities of HELCOM work and to support its key function as
the provider of reliable and timely information, and it describes the basic
elements of HELCOM strategic communication such as goals and objectives, target
audience and messages.  mportantly, the new Strategy responds to the needs of streamlined HELCOM activities in reaction to inevitable changes in the realities surrounding and interacting with HELCOM key working areas. The achievements of the streamlining process will ensure an up-to-date, more efficient HELCOM in both internal processes and in its plentiful external relations. >

​>

* * *>>For further information, please contact:>>Johanna Laurila>
Information Secretary>
HELCOM>
Tel: +358 40 523 8988>
Skype: helcom70>
E-mail: >>

The strategic direction for HELCOM internal and external communication was adopted by the HELCOM Annual Meeting.

​The 35th Annual Meeting of closed yesterday evening after reviewing the current and relevant key issues related to regional policy-making on Baltic marine environment.  The Annual Meeting, involving HELCOM member parties which consist of all the Baltic coastal nations and the EU, is the highest decision-making body of HELCOM and explores the yearly developments concerning eutrophication, hazardous substances, biodiversity and maritime activities. This year’s Meeting started with a special festive flavor with the 40th Anniversary celebrating the signing of the 1974 Helsinki Convention, providing the basis for HELCOM work.  The Meeting decided yesterday on necessary steps in order to develop a Regional Action Plan on marine litter by 2015, as agreed by the Ministerial Meeting last October. Marine litter is a broad and critical concern and the Action Plan will form a regional strategy on how to deal with it in a comprehensive way. The Plan will be developed based on information on sources and amounts of marine litter, and it aims to include concrete measures to minimize the presence of marine litter in the Baltic Sea. Its development will be organized through regional workshops and with close involvement of the Contracting Parties. The proposed working plan utilizes the experience from preparing the Regional Action Plan for the North-East Atlantic within OSPAR. Another key topic in the extensive Meeting agenda was the major overhaul of the HELCOM Recommendation on coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas. Such protected areas are essential for maintaining biodiversity and ensuring the versatility of ecosystems. The previous similar document, HELCOM Recommendation , was adopted 20 years ago, and the Contracting Parties now agreed on the main changes in the Recommendation with only small aspects pending confirmation shortly. The main reasons for creating the new Recommendation have been the need to update the selection criteria of the marine protected areas, also concerning the newly Red-listed habitats and species; to establish a new database and ensure it is updated; and to re-assess the criteria for both ecological coherence and management aspects. Furthermore, to help reduce harmful nutrients in the Baltic Sea, the Meeting decided in principal to submit a notification on improved sewage reception facilities in Baltic ports to the International Maritime Organization (). Such a submission to IMO meeting will trigger an enforcement of ban on sewage discharges from passenger ships according to the special areas status of the Baltic Sea under the IMO MARPOL convention, which Baltic has been granted as the first sea area in the world following the HELCOM-led process.  An overview on current availability of port reception facilities for passenger vessels’ sewage, as well as on passenger traffic trends, are about to be published on HELCOM website. Almost 40 years of successful marine protection of HELCOM has been achieved through constant self-reflection. Yesterday the 35th Annual Meeting endorsed a plan for major deliverables by the organization until 2021 as well as agreed to implement a number of measures for a modernized HELCOM. The new, more streamlined working structure for HELCOM main operational bodies was to a large extent completed, to better reflect the current environmental challenges and obligations of the Contracting Parties. HELCOM will pay more attention in the future to better communicating scientific and technical outcomes to decision-makers as well as the general public.  The 35th meeting was chaired by Helle Pilsgaard, Chair of HELCOM. All Meeting documents can be accessed in  * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation 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 Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail:  

Work starts on Baltic marine litter action plan and other current key issues reviewed on Baltic environmental policies.

A major Brussels conference ‘Healthy Oceans – Productive
Ecosystems ()’ opens today bringing together those working with or in
relation to the European marine environment, with sessions on marine indicators
to assess the status of the sea which is a traditional expertise area for
HELCOM. A key aim of the HOPE Conference is to discuss progress made over the
past 5 years since the adoption of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive
(MSFD), the problems and the solutions for improved coherence and better marine
governance. The Directive has strong parallels with the HELCOM Baltic Sea
Action Plan (2007–2021), both having the same objective to achieve and maintain
the good environmental status of the marine environment by 2020/2021 ELCOM Professional Secretary Ulla Li Zweifel will represent
long HELCOM experience in common indicator work, by joining Round 1 parallel
session on Monitoring in the morning of 4 March. HELCOM core indicators are
common for all Contracting Parties and can be used to assess the state of the
entire Baltic Sea ecosystem, including its flora, fauna and habitats, as well
as pressures affecting the Sea such as hazardous substances (e.g. PCB) and
radioactive substances. The first HELCOM core sets of indicators is ready for
eutrophication, and since last year, for biodiversity and hazardous substances,
and the work continues to develop them further by 2015.   he entire HOPE conference will be streamed live via on 3 and 4 March. Twitter hashtag: #HOPE4EUSEAS ote for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually
referred to as ,
is an intergovernmental organisation 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 governed the ‘Convention on the Protection of
the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the
Helsinki Convention For further information, please contact:Ulla Li Zweifel
Professional Secretary
HELCOM
Tel: +358 46 850 9198
Skype: helcom64 E-mail: ullali.zweifel@helcom.fi

Johanna Laurila
Information Secretary
HELCOM
Tel: +358 40 523 8988
Skype: helcom70
E-mail:

A major Brussels conference ‘Healthy Oceans – Productive Ecosystems (HOPE)’ opens today, and is streamed live in its entirety.

An expert workshop today kicks off the second round of HELCOM work on core indicators, which measure the state of and pressures affecting the Baltic Sea environment. The workshop is organized by the recently started HELCOM project (2013–2015) that has the objective of operationalizing the first mutually agreed core indicators for biodiversity, hazardous substances and eutrophication, and to possibly develop additional ones. HELCOM, involving all Baltic coastal countries and EU as its Contracting Parties as well as an extensive specialist expert and observer network, has long experience in indicator development. HELCOM core indicators are common for all Contracting Parties and can be used to assess the state of the whole Baltic Sea ecosystem, including its flora, fauna and habitats, as well as pressures affecting the Sea such as hazardous substances like PCB and radioactive substances. Core indicators analyze data from environmental monitoring and measure the environment’s state against a target or boundary value for good environmental status (GES). They are also a prerequisite for comparing monitoring data and assessment results across the entire Baltic Sea region. Such indicators enable assessments of whether the objectives of are being met, and, for the countries being EU members, also the requirements of the . * * *Note for editorsThe Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation 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 governed the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Lena AvellanProject Manager, CORESET IIHELCOM Tel: +358 40 162 2054Skype: helcom35 E-mail:   Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail:

An expert workshop today kick offs the second round of HELCOM work on core indicators, which measure the state of and pressures affecting the Baltic

The work for a revised, scientifically sound, well-coordinated and cost-effective HELCOM monitoring programme moves forward in a project workshop closing today, with a focus on developing joint monitoring fact sheets templates, among others. The fact sheets will help the Baltic coastal countries to document the HELCOM monitoring work and on a broader level, to meet with the requirements of both HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The Meeting is organized by the project “Revision of the HELCOM monitoring programmes (). “The Workshop will support in a valuable way the further improvements in coordinated monitoring of the Baltic Sea, involving the entire region, a task which HELCOM has continued for decades.  The joint system is currently being revised, as mandated by the , to better assess the state of the marine environment and the possible impact of any measures taken for the Baltic Sea’s recovery,” says the new Professional Secretary of HELCOM, Ms. Ulla Li Zweifel. The two-day workshop (HELCOM MORE 8/2014) will also consider the current developments for a joint web based monitoring manual. The manual will provide a documentation and presentation of the regionally coordinated joint monitoring system, including strategic aspects, legal background, description of the full monitoring system and specific monitoring programmes, among others.  * * *Note for editors: – The Monitoring and Assessment Group looks after one of HELCOM’s key tasks by assessing trends in threats to the marine environment, their impacts, the resulting state of the marine environment, and the effectiveness of adopted measures. This work forms the basis for the work of HELCOM’s other main groups, and helps to define the need for additional measures. * * *The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation 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 governed the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Manuel Frias Project CoordinatorHELCOM MORETel: +358 46 850 9209 Skype: helcom23 E-mail: Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail:

The work for a revised, scientifically sound and cost-effective HELCOM monitoring programme moves forward.

Final straight starts in exchanging best practices on environmental monitoring between the Baltic and the Black Seas, in the fourth and final project workshop which continues today in Istanbul, Turkey.  The EU funded project , or, “Environmental monitoring of the Black Sea with focus on nutrient pollution”, has for three years maintained close contact between expert networks in these regions, for sharing knowledge and developing new assessment methods for systematic monitoring of the largely similar marine environments. Baltic Sea Marine Environment Protection Commission () and the have been the key organizing forces. The two-day workshop introduces the recent developments in the monitoring and assessment of effects of nutrient enrichment, which is currently on-going in the Baltic Sea as mandated in the 2013 Copenhagen Ministerial Declaration last month. This time the HELCOM experts will present to the Black Sea colleagues the work done to improve the joint coordinated monitoring and assessment system for the Baltic Sea. This entails, for instance, presenting the new HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy and new projects in the Baltic Sea area,such as  the recently started BALSAM project (Testing new concepts for integrated environmental monitoring of the Baltic Sea) and the upcoming EUTRO-OPER project (Making the eutrophication assessments operational).  A central contribution from HELCOM experts to the Black Sea experts have been the details of the nutrient reduction scheme, just upgraded and newly adopted by the HELCOM Ministers in October 2013, including the calculations of maximum allowable inputs of nutrients and the country-wise reduction targets. Other key items of exchange include harmonized monitoring of marine eutrophication e.g. via remote sensing techniques and other new valuable methods; and the benefits and development needs of a new eutrophication assessment tool “BEAST” in the Black Sea context. The regions have cooperated closely on BEAST, which is based on HELCOM assessment tool HEAT and expected to be useful in providing harmonized assessments of the eutrophication status in the entire Black Sea.  Furthermore, while binding together lessons learnt during the project, the aim is to discuss and draft plans regarding potential future cooperation between these two marginal semi-enclosed brackish sea regions sharing similar environmental challenges. Eutrophication – the main focus in the project Baltic2Black – is recognised as a major threat to the ecosystems of both seas, and it is directly linked to the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Assessing the ecosystem status of the seas in a holistic manner, taking into account all human pressures and their cumulative impacts on the marine ecosystems, could hence be considered one of the priorities in the future cooperation.      * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation.HELCOM is the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Miia MannerlaProject Researcher, Baltic2BlackHELCOM Tel: +358 40 045 9349 E-mail: miia.mannerla@helcom.fiSkype: helcom81 Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fi Skype: helcom70

Final straight starts in exchanging best practices on environmental monitoring between the Baltic and the Black Seas.

The next holistic assessment of the Baltic ecosystem health was planned for in the Meeting of Monitoring and Assessment Group () of , concluding today, along with the review of overall process towards an operational system. MONAS Group meets regularly for a scientific-technical scrutiny of regional work on monitoring and assessment of – and human pressures on – Baltic Sea marine environment,  Decisions of last month’s HELCOM laid out major targets for the monitoring and assessment work of HELCOM and steered planning  for the future. The Ministers agreed that the holistic assessment of ecosystem health will be updated by the end of 2016, the first having been issued in 2010. MONAS Group has now agreed that the report will include information on the state of the marine environment and human derived pressures, an assessment of distance to good environmental status, socio-economic considerations of protecting the sea, as well as an update of solutions for how to reach good environmental status. Completing the set of core indicators on ecosystem health was at the heart of the Meeting, now when first such have recently been on the HELCOM website. The Meeting reviewed the work planned for 2014–2015 and proposed new activities for marine litter and underwater noise indicator development, as well as for monitoring, assessment and measures. The 2013 Ministerial Meeting decided that both marine litter and underwater noise ought to be in the focus of HELCOM work in the coming years, and for marine litter a regional action plan should be developed by 2015.  The Meeting reviewed activities and initial ideas for constructing a HELCOM Monitoring Manual that describes the joint coordinated monitoring system of the Baltic Sea. The Manual will streamline and modernise HELCOM’s current approach to coordinated monitoring. Furthermore, it is being prepared with the view to support the reporting on monitoring programmes by HELCOM countries being EU member states under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.  The Monitoring and Assessment Group was also briefed about core indicators to follow up on nutrient input reductions by the countries according to the new reduction targets. A full report on nutrient inputs is about to be published and work is underway to have a streamlined system with harmonised methods for monitoring and assessment of nutrient loads from Baltic Sea countries. In addition, a draft report presented to the Meeting show that significant decline in atmospheric pollution to the Baltic Sea has taken place since the beginning of the 1990s, on atmospheric supply of nitrogen, heavy metals, dioxins and furans. The report by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme () details this decline, also resulting in lower deposition of these pollutants to the Baltic Sea. The full report will be published on the HELCOM and EMEP websites in late December. HELCOM MONAS Meeting also reviewed the work that is on-going in various projects and expert networks under MONAS Group, such as those working on monitoring and assessment of coastal fish, radioactivity, phytoplankton and zooplankton. The Meeting was chaired by HELCOM MONAS Chair Ms. Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Finland, and co-chaired by Chair of HELCOM LOAD, Vice-Chair of HELCOM MONAS Mr. Lars M. Svendsen, Denmark.  * * *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. HELCOM has worked since 1974 to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. HELCOM is the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.  * * *For further information:Maria LaamanenProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 46 8509198E-mail: maria.laamanen@helcom.fiSkype: helcom101 Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fiSkype: helcom70

The next holistic assessment of the Baltic ecosystem health was planned for in the Meeting concluding today.

Today, the Baltic Sea Pilot Project on testing new concepts for integrated environmental monitoring of the Baltic Sea () brings together experts from all countries around the Baltic Sea to the project kick-off meeting in Helsinki. The basis of all work is coordinated of the state of the marine environment, human pressures on the environment and impacts of any actions to reduce such pressures. A key focus of the new EU-funded Project is on strengthening the capacity of the Baltic Sea states to develop their environmental monitoring programmes, including compatibility of data from different monitoring schemes, and ultimately, to lift the integrated joint monitoring to a new level regionally. In the BALSAM Meeting, more detailed action plan for the next 18 months will take shape. An important task for BALSAM, with its 19 consortium partners, is providing input to the on-going revision of HELCOM’s coordinated joint monitoring system, initiated with the revised HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy which was adopted in the HELCOM 2013 Copenhagen Ministerial Meeting last month. The process will continue in 2013-2014, with the development of a monitoring manual describing the revised joint coordinated monitoring system for the Baltic Sea and, in 2015, with the review and revision of the common monitoring guidelines.Moreover, BALSAM will upgrade the preparedness of the Baltic Sea region’s EU member states for implementing the monitoring requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Other main areas of BALSAM work involve cross-border coordination and joint activities especially related to monitoring of biodiversity, i.e. marine mammals, water birds and non-indigenous species in ports and benthic biotopes. Also, a decision support tool will be developed for non-indigenous species monitoring in ports for use under the MSFD as well as the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention. The Project will make recommendations for enhancing coherence and synergies between environmental and fisheries monitoring, and data compatibility. This part of the work will be carried out in cooperation with the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). As described in the initial Project plans, BALSAM aims to improve shared and coordinated use of research vessels for monitoring between the countries, which will enhance resource- and cost-efficiency of monitoring in the Baltic Sea region. Importantly, BALSAM will also share experiences with similar projects in the North Sea and in the Mediterranean – Black Sea to ensure inter-regional coherence.The project consortium is coordinated by the HELCOM Secretariat. * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation 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 governed 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 KarhuProject Coordinator – BALSAMHELCOM Tel: +358 40 661 9040 Skype: helcom63E-mail:  Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail:  

HELCOM pilot project on regional integrated monitoring kicks off today.