Tag: Spatial conservation & MPAs

HELCOM work on (MPAs) took a major leap forward as the new Recommendation on coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas was adopted earlier this month (). Protected areas are essential for maintaining healthy biodiversity and ensuring the versatility of ecosystems. The primary reason for creating the new Recommendation is the need to update selection criteria of marine protected areas. Such improved criteria are now possible due to recent major HELCOM work to define at risk of extinction, as well as
threatened by collapse in the Baltic Sea. Another essential feature is that the network of HELCOM MPAs aims to be ecologically coherent, in other words that the collection of sites protects the full range of biodiversity in the region. Moreover, the contents of management plans for the protected areas require urgent attention. The area of HELCOM marine protected areas has increased threefold since 2004 and now covers about 12 % of the marine area, thereby exceeding the target of 10 % set by the Convention on Biological Diversity, confirms the HELCOM Overview published last year. The Baltic Sea was one of the first regional seas in the world to reach this target.  However, little progress has been made to include more off-shore areas under the protection regime, and the network of protected areas is not yet ecologically coherent in spite of the HELCOM target set three years ago. The newly adopted Recommendation incorporates all Baltic Sea sub-basins within the 10 % protection coverage target. Further, new management plans are needed: currently, 106 HELCOM MPAs (65% of the total) have a management plan in force; in 42 (26%) sites a plan is still inpreparation; and the rest – 15 out of 163 – have no progress for such a plan. The new Recommendation therefore reiterates that all MPAs should have a management plan by 2015 and that any new site should establish a management plan within five years of its designation.   Moreover, the new Recommendation stipulates that the database for HELCOM MPAs will be modernized to facilitate the reporting and assessment of protected areas. And along with the new Recommendation, a new acronym has also been adopted:  from now on, instead of the former BSPAs (Baltic Sea Protected Areas) the coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas will be known as HELCOM MPAs. * * *Note for editors:, which is one of the HELCOM Working Groups involving all the Baltic coastal states, works to conserve and protect biodiversity, species and habitats of the Baltic Sea. HABITAT promotes the sustainable use of living marine resources and aims to ensure that the environmental protection needs are duly considered in different activities that affect the marine environment, by using tools such as spatial planning and environmental impact assessments. 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 further information, please contactJanica BorgProject Researcher (PROTECT)HELCOM Tel: +358 40 662 0101 E-mail: janica.borg(@)helcom.fiSkype: helcom57 Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 E-mail: Skype: helcom70​

New Recommendation on coastal and marine Baltic Sea protected areas was adopted earlier this month.

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. >

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* * *>>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.

​The renowned efforts of HELCOM on marine protected areas (MPAs) are addressed today in a high level visit of Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias. The side-event organized by the Ministry of the Environment of Finland showcases the work being done in implementing CBD and its programmes of work. HELCOM Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz has presented regional achievements.  HELCOM marine protected areas (MPAs) are established to protect valuable marine and coastal habitats in the Baltic Sea. This is done by designating areas with particular nature values as protected areas, and by managing human activities within those areas. HELCOM MPAs base on HELCOM Recommendation 15/5 and this week, a new MPA Recommendation matching better the present situation expects adoption in the HELCOM Annual Meeting. Currently a proud 12% of the Baltic Sea area has been designated as protected, three-fold more than in 2004 and clearly exceeding the 10% target set by CBD. The number of management plans in marine protected areas has also increased. However, the network is not yet ecologically coherent.  The latest of MPAs in the Baltic Sea was prepared for the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting.   Convention on Biological Diversity is a global agreement addressing all aspects of biological diversity: genetic resources, species, and ecosystems. The international legally binding treaty entered into force on 1993. 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 further information, please contact:Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail:

Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Dr. Braulio Dias visits today a side event organized by Finnish Ministry of Environment.

​The actions in immediate future for more coherent Baltic spatial planning are in key focus in the regular of HELCOM and Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB), starting today in Riga, Latvia. The work plan discussed in the 2-day Meeting will help implement the recent for regional maritime spatial planning (MSP) 2013–2020, adopted by the 2013 HELCOM Copenhagen . The two organisations, having co-led Horizontal Action on Spatial Planning for 3 years, have a stable working procedure by e.g. hosting biannual working group meetings. Another central topic in the Meeting is the preparations for the on 26 September 2014, in Tallinn, Estonia.  The Meeting will be co-chaired by the Working Group Co-Chairs Ms. Anita Mäkinen, Finland, and Mr. Andrzej Cieślak, Poland.  * * *Note for editors:A joint co-chaired on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), launched in October 2010, works to ensure cooperation among the Baltic Sea region countries for coherent regional MSP processes. The co-chairs are and the Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (), which also co-lead the Horizontal Action ‘Spatial Planning’ of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The Working Group facilitates the follow-up of Regional Baltic Maritime Spatial Planning Roadmap 2013–2020, with the aim to draw up and apply maritime spatial plans throughout the Baltic Sea Region which are coherent across borders and apply the ecosystem approach. 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 further information:Hermanni BackerProfessional Secretary for Response, Maritime and Maritime Spatial PlanningHELCOMTel: +358 (0)46 850 9199Fax: +358 (0)207 412 645E-mail: hermanni.backer@helcom.fiSkype: helcom02 Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 (0)40 523 8988Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fiSkype: helcom70

The work plan discussed in the 2-day HELCOM-VASAB meeting will help implement the Roadmap for MSP 2013–2020.

​High-level decisions expected for a healthier Baltic Sea marine environment 3 October 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark – New targets for nutrient input reductions for the Baltic Sea per each Baltic coastal state are expected to be adopted today by HELCOM Contracting Parties, consisting of all the nine Baltic coastal states and the European Union, in the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The targets will be an important part of the new Ministerial outcome which will set the overall direction for regional actions for a healthier marine environment of the Baltic Sea. Other major decisions expected today concern environmentally friendly shipping and, in particular, a joint proposal to apply for the NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) status for the Baltic Sea, as well as agriculture and more specifically, nutrient balanced fertilisation practices. A key focus of the Meeting is on HELCOM work to reduce nutrient inputs which cause eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. The HELCOM nutrient input reduction scheme has been subject to extensive review in the past years, for ensuring a solid scientific basis and a fair sharing of the reduction burden. Finally today, the updated, jointly agreed figures on maximum allowable inputs and reduction targets for HELCOM countries are put forward for adoptionThe substantial potential to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from ships, if the Baltic Sea is designated with a special NECA status for the Baltic Sea, has led to preparing of a joint HELCOM application to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The timing of submitting the application to IMO for such a designation will be another major issue for the ministers. The intensive negotiations preceding today’s high-level gathering have also addressed agricultural practices in the region, such as applying nutrient accounting at farm level by 2018. Positive examples in some HELCOM countries may pave the way to decisions on nutrient balanced fertilisation across the whole region and less nutrient losses. Targeted and cost-effective measures on manure handling are also a part of the draft Ministerial Declaration. Other items waiting for ministers’ decisions today include an amendment of the Helsinki Convention which more explicitly calls for international response to pollution accidents on shoreline. In contrast to the established framework on response cooperation at sea, which has been in place since the 1970s adoption of the Helsinki Convention, such shoreline response has so far largely been a national matter. Furthermore, several decisions by the Ministerial Meeting would result in fewer pressures on biodiversity as well as improvements in the conservation measures for instance of species, habitats and biotopes.Since the adoption of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in 2007, this is the second Ministerial Meeting, following the Ministerial Meeting in Moscow in 2010, to assess the effectiveness of the Action Plan and subsequent progress towards Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea. The 2013 Ministerial Meeting relies on the assessing of how far the region has come in the implementation of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP, 2007–2021). This careful groundwork has also explored any positive trends and signs of decreasing pollution which could be observed as a result of the actions taken.  Out of all the measures and actions agreed in the Baltic Sea Action Plan, as well as following up the 2010 Moscow Ministerial Declaration, about one third of actions have been accomplished. Six out of ten measures have been partly accomplished or are still on-going with varying degree of implementation in different countries, and the remaining ten per cent are still to be initiated.Please note that the outcome of the Ministerial meeting will be summarized today for the press starting at 11.45 (CET+1hrs). The Declaration will be available after the Meeting at: Twitter: #HELCOM2013 * * *Note for editors: starts at 9:00 on 3 October 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The high-level representatives of Environmental Ministries from the nine Baltic coastal states and the EU Environment Commissioner gather to discuss the status and the future of the Baltic Sea marine environment. The Meeting reviews the progress in implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan (2007–2021) and sets priorities for action. The Ministerial Declaration, signed at noon, revolves around the still unsatisfactory status of the Baltic Sea; the ecosystem approach as the basis for blue and green growth, the opportunities for more coherent policies and implementation, as well as committing to do more for a healthier Baltic Sea.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 works 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:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: Skype: helcom70

New targets for nutrient input reductions for the Baltic Sea per each Baltic coastal state are expected to be adopted today by HELCOM Contracting Parties.

The Ministers of the Environment and High-Level Representatives of the nine Baltic coastal countries and the European Union, convened in a HELCOM Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark today, have reached an agreement on a package of extensive actions and measures. This will open up new themes to be addressed in the protection of the Baltic Sea. After a year of negotiations, the new HELCOM Ministerial outcome expresses the ambition of the Baltic Sea region to become a model for good management of human activities and to steer regional actions for reaching a healthier marine environment for the Baltic Sea.  Today the Ministerial Meeting has adopted an overarching scheme for combatting eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. Within the scheme, each country commits to fulfil particular targets for reducing nutrient pollution, through measures addressing discharges and emissions from land and via air. The updated targets represent the best available knowledge and give guidance to sharing responsibility for reducing nutrient inputs originating from both HELCOM and non-HELCOM countries, as well as from shipping and sources outside the region.  Agriculture was singled out as a crucial sector for the success of reaching good environmental status of the Baltic. Regarding sustainable agricultural production, the Meeting agreed, among others, on measures that include annual nutrient accounting at farm level and environmentally sound utilization of manure nutrients to be achieved by the specific deadlines.  The future designation of the Baltic Sea as a Nitrogen Oxide Emission Control Area (NECA) under the MARPOL Convention of the International Maritime Organisation emerged as the main topic for negotiations among the Ministers. After lengthy negotiations the Meeting concluded by recalling the earlier commitment regarding the designation, and specified that it would lead to a reduction of nearly 7000 tons of nitrogen to the sea every year. The outcome further stresses that the achievement of the Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication relies on additional reduction efforts by shipping sector. The regional cooperation on preparedness and response to pollution especially on shoreline will now improve thanks to the adoption of an amendment to the Helsinki Convention providing the legal basis for HELCOM work. Furthermore, the new HELCOM Recommendation on airborne surveillance of illegal spills from ships enables more flexible border crossings of the patrol aircrafts, for more efficient gathering of evidence on environmental offenses.   The new Declaration also contains actions on Baltic marine protected areas. Some of them target fisheries practices with negative impacts in protected areas and others overall upgrading of the network of the areas. Furthermore, conservation plans for species, habitats and biotopes which are at risk of extinction will be developed.  New ways of biodiversity protection include a regional action plan for marine litter, to be developed within two years, as well as actions on negative impacts of underwater noise.  The Contracting Parties agreed that the implementation of all commitments in the declaration will be continuously reviewed by the Ministers. To support the continuous assessment of the state of the sea, the Meeting agreed on a new Monitoring and Assessment Strategy. Since the adoption of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in 2007, this is the second Ministerial Meeting, following the Ministerial Meeting in Moscow in 2010, to assess the effectiveness of the Action Plan and subsequent progress towards good environmental status of the Baltic Sea.  Out of all the measures and actions agreed in the Baltic Sea Action Plan as well as following up the 2010 Ministerial Declaration, about one third of agreed actions have been accomplished. Six out of ten measures have been partly accomplished or are still on-going with varying degree of implementation in different countries, and the remaining ten per cent are still to be initiated. * * *Reduction targets Changes in the country-wise nutrient reduction targets for nitrogen and phosphorus per country: 2007 – as in HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Pla2013 – as adopted by the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting on 3 October 2013* = figures after ‘+’ refer to loads originating from the country but being discharged to the Sea via another country; additional specific footnotes to the above table can be found in the text of the Ministerial Declaration * * *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. Associated documents for the Ministerial Meeting at:   * * *For further information, please contact:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: Skype: helcom70 

The new HELCOM Ministerial outcome, issued today, expresses the ambition of the Baltic Sea region to become a model…

A recently released
on climate change in the Baltic Sea area looks into historical and more
recent changes in the region’s climate and changes that are projected
to take place in the future. The new assessment is an important
contribution to the ,
to be held next Thursday in Copenhagen, Denmark. Climate is an
important controlling factor for the marine ecosystem. The report
examines possible future changes in the Baltic Sea and explains what
future climate change may mean for the protection of the sea. he
report also contains proposals for action to counteract the expected
negative impacts from climate change on the Baltic Sea ecosystem. This
has been done to follow-up the needs for more stringent and
supplementary actions due to climate change indicated by the HELCOM 2007
and 2010 Ministerial Meetings Highlights from the report:-        The Baltic Sea region is warming faster than the Earth as a whole. On average since the late 19th
century the increase in annual average surface air temperature has been
0.11˚C per decade in the northern Baltic and 0.08˚C in the southern
Baltic compared to the global average of 0.05˚C per decade. The warming
is anticipated to continue-        Annual average sea-surface water temperature has increased
by up to 1˚C per decade since 1990 and a further increase of 2 to 4˚C
is projected near the end of this century. There will be a drastic
decrease in the amount of sea-ice cover and the length of the ice season
in the Baltic Sea if the warming continues as expected-        Precipitation during the past century has tended to increase in winter and spring
in the Baltic Sea region. Model simulations indicate that winter
precipitation could continue to increase during this century. Patterns
of river runoff tend to change considerably-        The volume of snow in the region is expected to decrease, particularly in the southern half of the region-        Sea-surface salinity may decrease
and the change may be largest in the region of the Danish Straits, and
small in the northern and eastern Baltic, and the smallest in the
Bothnian Bay-        Surface sea level projections
are associated with considerable uncertainty: mid-range scenarios
project a 0.6 m and high-end scenarios a 1.1 m sea-level rise over this
century-        Acidification that stems from increased CO
concentrations in the atmosphere has been slightly offset by an
increase in alkalinity; the decrease of 0.15 pH units expected for
marine systems from the increased atmospheric CO concentrations has been diminished by roughly 0.03 units due to increased alkalinity from the catchment area-        Changes in ecosystem structure and functioning
are expected as a result of climate change, warming in particular. Such
changes would include shifts in the ranges of species and distribution
of habitats, as well as a decrease of oxygen in the water-        Proposed actions to buffer the Baltic Sea ecosystem against the expected negative changes:
reduction of nutrient inputs to the maximum allowable levels, overall
reduction of human pressures stemming from activities such as shipping,
fisheries and construction activities, and lastly, the report proposes
strengthening of the network of marine protected areas so that it will
ensure a safe space for species and habitats he
previous assessment of climate change in the Baltic Sea Area was
released in 2007 (HELCOM BSEP No. 111) and the broader technical book,
Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin, in 2008,
published by Springer. The current assessment builds on and extends the
previous assessment, and summarizes the current state of knowledge he report is a result of close collaboration between HELCOM and , the successor programme to .
It is based on the Second Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic
Sea which is to be released in 2014. The material used for this
assessment has been produced by more than 120 experts from the Baltic
Sea region within the framework of BALTEX/Baltic Earth. The proposals
for action stem from the work of HELCOM ownload the report   * *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:Ms. Maria LaamanenProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 46 850 9198Skype: helcom101E-mail:  #160Ms. Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail:

The Baltic Sea region is warming faster than the Earth as a whole, states a recent HELCOM report on climate change. The assessment looks into past changes and future projections in the region’s climate.