News

09.11.2009

Seminar on protection of marine ecosystem

The seminar "Protecting the marine ecosystem - Lessons learned from project activities in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian marine waters" took place on 27-28 October in Sigulda, Latvia. 

The objective of the seminar was to present final results of LIFE Nature project “Marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic sea”, interim results from the project “Implementation of Natura 2000 in Estonian marine areas: site selection, designation and protection measures – ESTMAR and experiences from other projects activities regarding marine nature protection, management and marine spatial uses & planning.

The main agenda topics were:

• Findings from inventories of species and habitats of Community interest and EC conservation requirements;
• Setting boundaries and designating sites based on project activities; 
• Protection regimes and management plans at proposed Marine Natura 2000 sites; 
• Stakeholder involvement: acceptance, communication and economic interests; 
• Sea uses as complex phenomena leading to marine spatial plannning; 
• Future needs for action.

The main conclusions were:

• The LIFE-Nature project "Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea" has been a successful project that has given a lot of new and also scientifically valuable information about marine areas of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In Estonia the borders of existing MPAs were confirmed; in Latvia 7 new MPAs were proposed and in Lithuania the borders of the MPAs were specified and for one site quite big extension proposed. In the frame of the LIFE project all three Baltic States got first experience with development of management plans for MPAs. Also the public awareness activities of the project have been successful: almost 100 articles in media, news on TV, DVD about marine ecosystem "See the sea!", infostands about MPAs and their nature values, seminars for stakeholders etc.
• In the frame of ESTMAR project (financed by Norwegian Financial Mechanisms) new open sea areas (still in the territorial waters, not EEZ) are investigated in Estonia. The preliminary results show already that there are nature values worth protection on some of the investigated offshore shallows. The data received are very valuable because there were no data before about those offshore areas. In ESTMAR project also 6 more management plans will be developed for the existing MPAs in coastal waters.

Seminar materials can be found here

Merle Kuris
merle.kuris@bef.ee  

14.10.2009

Discussions about nature management plans in Lithuania

 On 25 of September and 12 of October two meetings where organized regarding nature management plans for marine areas. The project partners have presented the planned management measures. These measures are made not only to protect marine nature values from direct damage but also from indirect impacts by various actions that occur in the sea.

September meeting, which took place in Vilnius, was dedicated to the representatives of the ministries. The discussion between Lithuanian project partners and Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, Transport and Communication, Energetics, National Defence and State Service for Protected Areas was fruitful and helped to develop the management plans.

October meeting in Klaipėda was oriented towards the sea users. To stakeholders from fishery associations, research latoratories, local protected areas, Klaipėda state seaport authority and municipalities management plans were presented together with the discussion how to make them better for protection of marine values and how it could influence socio-economic welfare.

Organizers are thankful to the participants for all valuable comments, which will be used to improve these plans.

28.09.2009

Public meeting on management plan of Küdema Bay

On 23 Sept the Baltic Environmental Forum - Estonia organised a public meeting in Mustjala municipality, Saaremaa, Estonia where management plan for Küdema Bay and Laidu Island was introduced. Merle Kuris gave an overview on general parts of the management plan as well as on conservation values and planned management measures of terrestrial parts of Küdema Bay Limited Conservation Area and Laidu island. Marine nature values, conservation objectives, threats and protection measures were introduced by relevant project partners - benthic habitats by Tiia Möller from Estonian Marine Institute, birds by Andres Kalamees from Estonian Ornithological Society and fish and fishery issues by Markus Vetemaa from Estonian Marine Institute. There were more than 20 participants, including representatives from Mustjala municipality, Environmental Board, Port of Tallinn and local newspapers.
After the meeting, the event continued in Port of Saaremaa where an info stand about nature values of Küdema Bay was opened and the Port introduced its environmental activities and results of environmental monitoring in Küdema Bay.

The event was reflected in local newspapers "Meie Maa" and "Oma Saar"

The meeting was organised and the info stand was prepared and installed in the frame of the LIFE-Nature project "Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea".

Photo: I. Mägi (Meie Maa)                                                                Photo: M. Kuris

Merle Kuris
Baltic Environmental Forum - Estonia
merle.kuris@bef.ee

21.07.2009

Informative meeting with coastal municipalities and other stakeholders

On 9th July Baltic Environmental Forum together with Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Latvia organised informative meeting for coastal municipalities and other stakeholders about proposed marine protected areas (MPAs).

Goals of the meeting: To introduce coastal municipalities and national stakeholders to:

- the proposals for designation of seven marine protection areas (MPAs) – borders proposed by experts, scientific justification and developed conservation measures (map);
- the developed management plans and results of public hearings;
- the results of the assessment of socio-economic impacts of establishment of MPAs.

Main discussion points:

Minister of the Environment R.Vējonis opened the meeting and accented in his speech how significant is the project. He also stressed that this project of the Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF) is a good example how to balance nature protection and economic interests.

D.Vilkaste, the Head of Nature Protection Department of the Ministry of the Environment explained the political position of the EU and Latvia regarding establishment of MPAs. Establishment of MPAs is provided into EU Birds and Biotopes directives and Latvian law “About Specially Protected Nature Areas”. During the project, proposals for individual use and conservation regulations for two MPAs have been developed. Different stakeholds had opportunity to take part into development of these proposals. It was stressed that after the establishment of all seven MPAs additional limitations of economic activities are not foreseen by general legislation. Exception is new dumping sites, which will need screening procedure for Environmental Impact Assessment,.

A.Ruskule introduced the participants to the project in general: goals, tasks, activities and results, as well as the proposals of establishment of MPAs. All MPAs are designated for protection of the habitats and bird species of the EU importance. Though there are few fish species of the EU importance, they aren’t common in Latvian territorial waters due natural reasons and are not a qualifying factor for MPAs.

Project experts S.Strāķe and A.Stīpniece introduced to the methods of inventories and results, as well as used principles and criteria for fixing borders of the proposed MPAs.

E.Bojārs introduced the participants to two developed management plans and proposed functional zoning for MPA “Nida – Pērkone” and “Western Coast of the Gulf of Riga”. At present, the existing economic activities are not threats for the biotopes and birds, for which protection the MPAs have been proposed. The developed draft individual regulations for the use and conservation of the two MPAs suggest some limitations regarding new economic activities, for example, windfarms building, extraction of mineral resources should not be allowed in the nature reserve zone.

Environmental economist K.Pakalniete presented the results of a study devoted to the assessment of socio-economic impacts of establishing MPA “Nida-Pērkone” and ”Western Coast of the Gulf of Riga”. Conclusions of the research suggest that none of the existing economic activities will face financial losses. Some potential activities, such as oil and mineral resource exploration and extraction, building of windmills in MPAs, could have additional expenses. Small and medium business will be the winner from the establishment of MPAs, for example, tourism and fishery companies.

Total costs for the implementation of different protection measures in all seven MPAs are estimated as approx. 300,000 LVL annually. It is approx. 6-7% of the existing budget for nature protection in Latvia, and approx. 0.2% of the environmental protection budget.

A.Ruskule introduced the participants to a large international project “BaltSeaPlan”. The project aims at maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea. Several project partners from all the countries around the Baltic Sea are involved in the project. Latvia is represented only by BEF. The goal of the project is to develop and implement a maritime spatial planning system throughout the Baltic Sea Region in a coherent manner using recommendations, guidelines and principles developed by the EU and outcomes produced in other projects about maritime spatial planning. The project partners will develop maritime spatial planning cycle in their countries during the project. Maritime spatial planning will be implemented in Latvian Western coast, from the Lithuanian border until Ovīšrags. 
 

In the meeting was presented project video clips „See the Sea” on Latvian language as well.

07.07.2009

Management plans for Küdema Bay and Väinameri MPAs in Estonia

Draft management plans for Küdema Bay and Väinameri MPAs are developed in the frame of the project "Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea". The electronic versions of the management plans are available in Estonian:

Management plan for Küdema Bay

Management plan for Väinameri

All comments and proposals concerning above mentioned management plans should be sent to:
Merle Kuris
Baltic Environmental Forum - Estonia
Liimi 1, 10621, Tallinn, Estonia
e-mail: merle.kuris@bef.ee, Phone +372 6597 029

11.06.2009

Info-stands are waiting for the curious ones

New summer season welcomes holidaymakers with two project info-stands in Curonian Spit. The stands, made by Baltic environmental forum and Neringa town municipality, introduce nature values of the Baltic Sea and its shore. Information about dunes and close to Curonian Spit wintering water birds and protected fish species called Twaite shad is given both in Lithuanian and English. These info-stands can be found in Nida and Juodkrantė.

08.06.2009

Launch of the DVD

During the international World ocean day the project DVD was launch in the Sea museum of Lithuania. Twenty short video clips were greeted enthusiastically by hundreds of students, gathered to celebrate the international Global ocean day. Everyone, keen to explore the inhabitant and secrets of the Baltic Sea and the threats that humans are causing to the sea, can see all twenty clips in the internet.

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14.06.2009

Study: Baltic environment is improving

Ecological situation in the Baltic Sea is improving. Phosphorus and Nitrogen pollution was stopped, scientists claim.

«It is the change, that was a pleasant surprise», - commented this news Frederick Wolf, representative of Stockholm University, working at HELCOM since 70-ies.

Improvement was connected with implementation of the Baltic Action plan, two years ago adopted by ministers of Baltic countries. Plan considers decrease by nitrogen pollution by 137 000 tons, and by phosphorus - 15 000 tons a year.

Fulfill of plan's condition will let liquidate dead zones of the sea, increase populations of birds and fishes. But it will need 30-50 years of continuous work.

Poland, that is the greatest pollutor in the Baltic, limited pollution due to construction of water-cleaning and waste water systems. 

DELFI

11.06.2009

Public hearing of management plans of two Latvian marine protected areas

Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia invites everybody to public hearing of management plans of two Latvian marine protected areas.
• On 15th June at 11:00 takes place public hearing of management plan of MPA “West Coast of the Riga Gulf“ in Engure’s Music and Art school (Skolas street 10A, Engure, Tukuma raj.).
• On 16th June at 13:00 takes place public hearing of management plan of MPA “Nida-Pērkone“ in Rucava’s Saieta nams.

The management plans are available on electronically on Latvian.
• Management plan of MPA “West Coast of the Riga Gulf“: plan, annexes 1-9, annexes 10-13, annexes 14-15.
• Management plan of MPA “Nida - Pērkone“: plan, annexes 1-11, annexes 12-13.

All comments and proposals everybody is invited to submit Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia until 25th June as well.

Please contact to Edgars Bojars manager of development of management plans: (address: Doma laukums 1, Riga, LV-1050; phone: 2618 8495; fax: 6750 7071, e-mail: edgars.bojars@bef.lv).

20.05.2009

The greatest algae blooming is observed in the Baltic sea

This spring the greatest alga blooming ever recorded during last 15 years is observed in the Baltic sea. It reached its maximum 2 weeks ago.

As it was reported by Estonian Fund for Nature, volume of blooming algae in the Baltic Proper corresponds to a chain of 1 million lorries with the total length 12 000  km.

After dying algae use oxygen dissolved in the sea< and dead zones on the bottom appear, where bottom pollutants release and badly influence on sea fauna and flora.
LETA

31.03.2009

Seminar on legal framework related to establishment of offshore windfarms

3rd seminar on EIA for offshore wind farms vis-à-vis Natura 2000 and other land uses: “Which kind of legal frame we need?” will take place on 15-16 April, 2009 in Riga ( Doma laukums 1).
The seminar is organised by the Baltic Environmental Forum in the frame of the LIFE project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” and co-funded by the German Federal Environment Agency. 

The aim of the seminar is to help the Baltic States develop adequate legal framework for establishment of offshore wind farms to avoid negative impacts of this new development on the marine environment.

The main discussion topics are: 
- Why should offshore wind farms be built? – General and financial conditions and relevant EU and national legal framework; 
- Where could offshore wind farms be built? – Maritime spatial planning, potential conflicts with other uses of marine areas and relevant legal framework; 
- Permitting process for offshore wind farms and relevant responsibilities; 
- Elements of the permit:
            • Environmental standards;
            • Security at sea traffic;
            • Other public interests. 
- Connection to the grid and other technical aspects.

An overview will be given on how the above-mentioned aspects are organised in the Germany and in the Baltic States; the existing gaps will be analysed with help of the German consultant Dr. Ursula Prall and the next steps for the Baltic States will be discussed.

Target group: Baltic authorities responsible for environmental impact assessment, nature conservation, spatial planning, renewable energy and use of marine areas (including Exclusive Economic Zone); wind energy associations, developers and EIA experts. In total we expect ca. 30 participants.

For more information please contact:
Merle Kuris, merle.kuris@bef.ee, tel. +372 6597 029

18.03.2009

Conceptual meeting on “Cross-border aspects of management plan development for MPAs”

A meeting of the project partners on cross-border aspects of management plan development for marine protected areas took place on 2-3 March 2009 in Riga and was focused mainly on conservation objectives and management measures.

The goals of the meeting were to find out if experts from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have common understanding on aims of management plans in our marine protected areas (MPAs) and meaning of Favourable Conservation Status (FCS) in our region as well as to share present ideas on conservation objectives and measures proposed in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

In total 18 experts from the Baltic States and Russia participated in the meeting.
Mrs. Anda Ruskule from BEF-Latvia presented the concept of conservation objectives and management measures in marine areas based on guidance documents prepared by the European Commission, UK and HELCOM.
Management plan writers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania gave an overview on the current status of management plans developed in the frame of the project and introduced the proposed conservation objectives and measures.
As management plans in all Baltic countries need to include also a monitoring programme fulfilling the reporting needs of the Habitats and Birds Directive, also this issue was discussed in the meeting. Mr. Juris Aigars from the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology presented the important issues to be considered when designing a monitoring programme and introduced the proposed monitoring programme for Nida-Bernati marine area.

The main conclusions of the meeting were following:

Conservation objectives:
- The common conservation objective for all sites is ensuring FCS of the protected species and habitats in the MPA. 
- The threats that we want to protect our objectives from and measures to address them have to be identified. All threats that influence the system should be known/taken into account but for management plans those should be selected that can be addressed locally.
- Mobility of marine species makes it difficult to define FCS, objectives and measures site-based.
- For FCS of habitats the structure and functions of the habitat should be maintained. The minimum size of the site, which incorporates most of features that we want to conserve, could be defined. Reference conditions are difficult to define but the current situation can be fixed and later the change measured.
- FCS for species:
       - Conservation objectives for birds should be related to maintaining necessary habitats in needed quantity and quality and minimizing negative impacts on birds. Target numbers for populations cannot be set because they depend on various factors on the flyway. Target could be defined as percentage from the total flyway population.
       - For fish the elements of FCS include certain abundance and presence of different age classes. Reference values can be established based on comparison to historical status.
       - Grey seal is in FCS currently in the Baltic Sea. Site based assessment is not possible because the habitat is the whole Baltic Sea. The best haul-out sites are protected already. If by-catch increases (due to increase of fishery or using certain fishing methods) then it can be problem. It has to be defined what is the importance of certain site for the population. In Latvia and Lithuania there are only feeding areas and migration routes. Biologically safe limit for the total Baltic Grey seal population is 10000 animals.
       - For the Ringed seal the most important habitat is the sea ice, which cannot be protected. The main threat is global warming; the species disappears because the habitat disappears.
- Larger protected areas are better because they cover more diversity, fluctuations and features of habitats as well as enable sustainable co-existence of nature and human activities (e.g. hunting or fishing can be allowed in one corner of the area if the other corner stays undisturbed).

Management of marine areas:
- Traditional terrestrial experience is not applicable in marine areas. Marine habitats are developed through natural processes therefore no direct/active management is needed (differently from semi-natural habitats). Management of marine areas includes mostly measures related to administration, monitoring and public awareness. Many issues (especially shipping) are regulated by international marine policies.
- An important tool for ensuring FCS of marine Natura 2000 sites is environmental impact assessment (EIA). Specific requirements for EIA could be listed in the management plan (taking into account the main conservation objectives of the area and their sensitivity to different threats).
- It was concluded that some more theoretic and conceptual work has to be done to define the potential impacts of human activities on the marine environment and how to assess them.

Monitoring:
- When developing a monitoring programme for Natura 2000 sites it should be taken into account that information on the status of habitats and species of EU importance is needed every 6 years for Habitat Directive reporting and every 3 years for Bird Directive reporting.
- In the frame of the current LIFE-project the monitoring programes will be developed only for concrete areas for which management plans are made.
- Development of the countrywide biodiversity monitoring system for marine areas is a future task for all Baltic States.

The report of the meeting is available here.

Merle Kuris, BEF-Estonia
merle.kuris@bef.ee
 

11.02.2009

An Estonian will lead a European research programme

The Senior Researcher of the Estonian Marine Institute of Tartu University, Henn Ojaveer will lead a European marine research programme, in the frame of which the scientists of ca 80 countries study the past and present of the marine biodiversity and try to forecast its future.

“It was more an exception that I was selected because Estonian marine science has a narrow basis that cannot produce many very high level scientists,” explained Henn Ojaveer the extraordinariness of selection for the high position.

He admits that compared to other coastal states, the marine science in Estonia has unproportionally low prestige and state financing is insufficient.

Although Henn Ojaveer was selected for the position of the leader of the European committee of the programme “Census of Marine Life” (with the budget of more than Billion Estonian kroons) already in November last year, the final clarity came only last week when it was confirmed that the main financer, the Sloan Foundation acting in USA would fund also the final stage of the studies.

The main goal of the programme is to study and map the distribution of the marine organisms, species diversity and numbers, especially in regions less studied so far.

The size of the top links of the food chain in the past is assessed based on historical data. Based on the results, the future scenarios are developed and the gained knowledge is used for making decisions regarding management of marine living resources.

The programme will last until 2010. The goal of its last phase is, based on results of the previous work, to compare the biological diversity of the three regional seas (the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea); to map the distribution and population parameters of dangerous invasive alien species in the European seas and, to describe and comparatively analyse the biodiversity and processes in the European deep seas.

translated from the article of Hanneli Rudi, Postimees
http://www.postimees.ee/?id=80911

04.02.2009

Presenting project's study results to the stakeholders in Klaipeda

On 28th of January BEF_Lithuania and project partners had a meeting with stakeholders in Klaipėda. Project „Marine Protected Areas in Eastern Baltic Sea“ partners presented project‘s study results and progress of the nature management plans preparation for the representatives from Fishery association and Fisheries department under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, Kuršių Nerija National Park and the Regional Park of Pajūris, also Fishery Research Laboratory, the coast non-governmental institutions and for all concerned. During the meeting there were lively discussions, which were considered for protection marine nature values like marine species and habitats, birds and seals and assessing project activities of marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea.

12.12.2008

New discoveries about marine biodiversity in Estonia

Ca 10 new species discovered in Estonia

Two years ago the scientists dived into the Baltic Sea to carry out extensive investigations that have by now given about ten new benthic species for Estonia and thrown light on distribution and numbers of fishes and birds.

In the frame of the project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” the biological diversity of six Estonian marine areas is investigated. The fieldworks included bird counts as well as studies of seals, fish communities and benthic habitats.

“We found about ten benthic plant and animal species that have been seen in Estonia very long time ago or not at all,” explained the Deputy Director of the Estonian Marine Institute Georg Martin who assessed the benthic habitats.

New seaweed

From benthic invertebrates a new amphipod species has been discovered. The closest place where this species has been found is in Polish waters. Also a new form of seaweed has been found, which existence in our waters was not known for scientists.

During inventories it turned out that some species thought to be rare were actually quite widespread, for example the Convergent Stonewort (Chara connivens). A new methodology for benthic inventories was worked out that includes diving, use of bottom grabs and underwater video.

The Head of the Fish Biology and Fishery Department of the Estonian Marine Institute, Markus Vetemaa pointed out that a fish species that had not been seen in Estonian waters for 60 years – the European plaice – was found by scientists.

Thorough mapping

The Sea snail that was caught in November in Pärnu is actually not so rare as announced initially. Markus Vetemaa informed that quite many of those fish were found. He added that before that project, there was almost no data about benthic fauna of the open sea.

Also, it turned out that there are no Estonian, Swedish or Finnish seals existing. The monitoring and research specialist of the State Nature Conservation Centre, Ivar Jüssi stated that the studies proved that it is all the same Grey seal population inhabiting the Baltic Sea.

The Director of the Estonian Ornithological Society, Andres Kalamees said that the bird studies confirmed the importance of the Estonian coastal sea as stopover site for the migratory birds. Also information about the wintering population of the endangered Steller’s Eider was specified.

It was the first time when benthic species and habitats were mapped so thoroughly. The project financed from the EU LIFE programme covers all the three Baltic States and costs more than three Million Euros.

Translated from the article of Madis Filippov, http://www.ilmajaam.ee/?id=57644

09.12.2008

Proposals for establishment of seven marine protected areas are submitted in Latvia!

In December, 2008 the Baltic Environmental Forum - Latvia has prepared and submitted to the State Environment Survey and the Ministry of Environment proposals on establishment of seven marine protected areas in the territorial waters of Latvia.

Proposals were developed based on the findings of the project inventory actions and scientific conclusions of the project partners: Latvian Ornithological Society and Institute of Aquatic Ecology. 

Proposals include the following marine areas:

• „Nida - Perkone” – one of the most significant area for protection of marine biodiversity in Latvia – here are founded the greatest examples of reefs and this area is on the migrations way of birds. Area is significant for protection of goosander Mergus merganser and little gull Larus minutus;
• „Akmenrags” – significant area for migratory birds, wintering birds and for birds in summer during moulting. Particulary important for protection of little gull Larus minutus and diver Gavia sp.;
• „Irbe strait” – especially significant for bird migration, charactarised as “bottle-neck area”. Particulary important for protection of long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), common scoter (Melanitta nigra), velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca), little gull (Larus minutus), diver (Gavia sp.), Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) and potentially also for protections of reefs as well.
• „ West Coast of the Riga Gulf” – significant place for large amount of migrant birds during feeding and rest time all year long. Particulary important for protection of divers (Gavia sp.), velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca), little gull (Larus minutus), common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) as well as significant for protections of reefs;
• „Open sea in the West of Tuja” – significant territory for protection of little gull (Larus minutus) during spring migration;
• „Vitrupe - Tūja” – significant area for protection of reefs;
• „Ainaži – Salacgrīva” - significant area for protection of reefs.

Based on these proposals, the responsible state institutions will prepare the draft regulations to be issued by the Cabinet of Ministers for establishment of marine protected areas (MPA). Draft regulations on establishment of MPAs will be available on the web page of Ministry of Environment (www.vidm.gov.lv) two weeks prior to the submission to the Cabinet of Ministers while everyone will have a possibility to obtain information and to comment the proposals. After this procedure the Cabinet of Ministers will make decision on approval of the borders of the new MPAs.

Further it is planned to develop management plans and individual rules for protection and use of MPAs, which will define the conditions for economic activities and other conservation requirements. In the frame of the project, financed by the LIFE-Nature programme, management plans are prepared for two MPAs – „Nida – Pērkone” and „West coast of the Riga Gulf”, while development of the other management plans is expected within the future follow up projects. Individual rules for protection and use of MPAs usually are developed on the basis of management plans and then adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The project experts foresees that there will not be serious limitations for the current economic activities, including navigation and coastal fishing, as so far these have not caused negative impact on protected birds and fishes species as well as habitats. However, before any new project or development plan (for example enlarging of harbour territory or deepening the shipping route ect.) assessment of impact on nature values, for protection of witch MPA is established, will have to be carried out.

21.11.2008

Tons of fishes are dying after underwater mines explosions

Every year dozens of tons of fishes are dying during operations on the explosions of underwater mines in the Baltic sea and the Gulf of Riga.

Already in 2001 scientists warned that mine clearing operations bring serious harm to sea fauna. After explosion of one mine with 0,3 - 0,5 sq. km action radius 6 - 10 tons of fishes are dying.

During last exercises "Open Spirit 2008" 55 mines were exploded.

As Alexander Kozlovskis, representative of fishery resources agency said, the militaries brings more harm to fisheries than poachers. In their turn, Navy forces remind that mine clearing is necessary for human safety.

About 80 000 unexploded mines are still present in the waters of Baltic sea.

Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze

24.10.2008

Presenting tentative results of the project to the Ministries of Environment and National Defence

Today on 24th of October meeting presenting tentative results of project „Marine Protected Areas in Eastern Baltic Sea“ will take place in Ministries of Environment and National Defence by project partners of Lithuania: PO “Baltic environmental forum – Lithuania”, Institute of Ecology (Vilnius University), Coastal Research and Planning Institute (Klaipėda University), Centre of Marine Research under Ministry of Environment in Lithuania.

The aim of the meeting is to introduce results of research made in Baltic Sea during the project and recommendations for expansion of protected marine areas. The project team already had a similar meeting with members of Ministry of Environment and State Service for Protected Areas during which it was decided to organise it also for the representatives of the Ministries responsible for implementation of strategic objectives.

Meeting will deal with:
· Inventory results of benthic habitats, birds, fish species in European Union importance protected marine areas;
· The most important marine territories for nature values and recommendations for expansion of protected areas;
· Possible protection measures for nature values and research results of it’s effectiveness (alternative fishing);
· Progress in nature management plans and project implementation;
· Short presentation of new research for nature protection initiatives in marine areas.

08.10.2008

Meeting with the Ministry of Environment and State Service for Protected Areas of Lithuania

On 22nd of September BEF-Lithuania and project partners had a meeting with members of Ministry of Environment and State Service for Protected Areas.

The partners presented project’s tentative results, including habitats, birds and fish inventory; which areas should be protected according to the experts’ research; where could the boundaries of protected areas be; what kind of threats are or might be for the suggested protected areas; what kind of management and monitoring should be implemented to these areas.

The members of the Ministry of Environment and State Service for Protected Areas reacted to the results approvingly and suggested some follow-up activities; one of them is a meeting with the representatives of Ministry of Environment and institutions under control responsible for implementation of strategic objectives. A meeting with the Ministry of National Defence is also organized. These meetings will take place on 24th of October.

18.09.2008

Short videos about the Baltic Sea and what can be found in it

How and from where did a troublesome crustacean spiny waterfly come to the Baltic Sea? How do Eskimos call Steller‘s eiders? Why are red seaweeds so important to Baltic herring and other fish species? Answers to these questions and more will be given in 20 short clips presenting values and problems of the Baltic Sea. At the moment vidoes are being adapted to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Their goal is to inform general public with interesting facts of Baltic Sea, its troubles and hardly known treasures. These clips are also one of the project’s actions. It will be produced in DVD format, will be shown in local and national televisions and it will be able to download it from this portal.

20.06.2008

Planning offshore windfarms in line with Natura 2000 requirements

Workshop on “Planning offshore windfarms in line with Natura 2000 requirements: legal frame, impacts, investigation standards and procedures” was organised by the Baltic Environmental Forum on 29-30 May 2008 in Sigulda, Latvia.

The goals of the workshop were to discuss the current situation, problems and needs concerning planning and impact assessment of offshore wind farms in the Baltic States as well as to learn from experiences of other countries (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands) with the aim to avoid negative impacts of this new economic activity on nature values in the Eastern Baltic Sea.

The workshop brought together different Baltic stakeholders related to the topic: authorities responsible for Environmental Impact Assessment, nature conservation, planning, renewable energy, use of marine areas (including Exclusive Economic Zone); relevant local and regional governments; wind energy associations, developers, consultants, scientists, environmental NGOs as well as guest experts from Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands - in total almost 70 participants.

Overview on the current situation with regard to offshore wind energy and relevant legal framework in the Baltic States as well as in other participating countries was given, the main gaps and necessary next steps were discussed. Examples from Germany on marine spatial planning and standards for environmental impact assessment (EIA), geotechnical site and route surveys and for design of offshore windfarms were presented. Experts from countries having already the first offshore windfarms (Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands) introduced the monitoring programmes and first monitoring results on environmental impacts of offshore windfarms.

From the workshop it can be concluded that the Baltic countries have similar problems: offshore wind energy as a new development, gaps in legislation, lack of political vision and strategic planning of use of marine areas, lack of data on marine environment and lack of knowledge on environmental impacts of offshore windfarms and methodology for their assessment.

As the best areas for offshore windfarm development are shallow banks in the sea, which are often valuable also from biodiversity point of view, then there can be conflicts with nature conservation. Especially taking into account the lack of biological data about marine areas in the Baltic States and the obligation to designate Natura 2000 sites also in offshore areas. Inventories of offshore areas have started in the Baltic States (partly in frame of the LIFE-project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea”; in Estonia there is a new project ESTMAR financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms investigating offshore areas) but offshore inventories are costly and take time.
Currently there are no offshore windfarms in any of the Baltic States but interest from the developers’ side is quite high. In Estonia and Lithuania the impact assessment studies for the first offshore windfarm projects have already started.

The currently available monitoring results show that offshore windfarms definitely can have impact on seabirds and migratory birds. Therefore, windfarms should not be erected in areas of high bird densities to avoid the problems. Negative impacts on benthos and fish appear only during construction phase but later the effect can be even positive due to “artificial reefs” created by the foundations of the turbines. Marine mammals are sensitive to the underwater noise appearing in the construction phase. However, there are still many unclear questions and the monitoring methodology still needs improvement. Most difficult is the assessment of cumulative impacts taking into account also other human activities in the marine areas.

The necessary next steps for the Baltic States would be: 
- Political vision for electricity supply including targets for offshore wind energy and maritime strategy should be developed to support the developers. 
- Coordinated Baltic baseline survey focusing on seabirds and migration should be carried out. Experts and institutes from other EU countries could be involved for expertise and advice. As result, the map of suitable areas for windfarms and SPAs can be created. 
- Legal framework and licencing procedure should be developed including competition rules and description of steps/work flow from application till licence. 
- Methodological guidance for EIA for offshore windfarms should be prepared.

More information on the workshop can be found here

Merle Kuris, BEF-Estonia
merle.kuris@bef.ee

 

23.05.2008

Round table discussion on “Experience exchange on possible legal implications at future Marine Natura 2000 sites in the Baltic States and evaluation of findings from the site inventories 2005 – 2008”

The Baltic Environmental Forum is organising a round table discussion on “Experience exchange on possible legal implications at future Marine Natura 2000 sites in the Baltic States and evaluation of findings from the site inventories 2005 – 2008” on 11-12 June 2008 in Jurmala, Latvia.

The objective of the round table is to discuss the border delineation and related protection measures and protection rules for proposed marine Natura 2000 sites in the Baltic States after 3 years inventory activities within the LIFE project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” conducted by the Baltic Environmental Forum.
The project team will present its findings for discussion on possible concerns for designation, legal impacts, protection proposals and management advice.

The main agenda topics will be:
- Legal aspects in border delineation and designation of marine Natura 2000 sites
- Establishment of marine Natura 2000 sites in the Exclusive Economic Zone
- Establishment of marine Natura 2000 sites in cross-border areas
- Legal instruments for protection and management of marine Natura 2000 sites

Agenda of the workshop

Target Audience: Project experts: NGOs and scientists involved in marine research, competent state authorities from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: Ministries of Environment and Protected Area Administrations. In total we expect ca. 30-40 participants.

For more information please contact:
Mr. Edgars Bojars
Tel. +371 67357548; e-mail: edgars.bojars@bef.lv  

23.05.2008

WS on Planning offshore windfarms in line with Natura 2000 requirements

The Baltic Environmental Forum is organising a workshop on “Planning offshore windfarms in line with Natura 2000 requirements: legal frame, impacts, investigation standards and procedures” on 29-30 May 2008 in Sigulda, Latvia. 

The objective of the workshop is to discuss the current situation, problems and needs concerning planning and impact assessment of offshore windfarms in the Baltic States, and learn from relevant experiences of other countries (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands) to avoid negative impacts of this new economic activity on nature values in the Eastern Baltic Sea.

The main agenda topics will be:
• Overview of the legal framework and status regarding planned windfarm projects in the Baltic States;
• Experience from other EU countries: current situation regarding offshore windfarms, legal framework and procedures, regional plans for optimum location of offshore windfarms, consideration of nature conservation aspects (Natura 2000);
• Investigations and impact assessments at different scale;
• Standards for impact assessment and construction of offshore windfarms;
• Monitoring programmes and results at existing offshore windfarms;
• Discussion of the next steps for the Baltic States.

Agenda of the workshop

Target Audience: Baltic authorities responsible for Environmental Impact Assessment, nature conservation, planning, renewable energy, use of marine areas (including Exclusive Economic Zone); relevant local and regional governments; wind energy associations, developers and EIA experts; guest experts from Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. In total we expect ca. 60 participants.

For more information please contact:
Ms. Merle Kuris
Tel. +372 6597 029; e-mail: merle.kuris@bef.ee
 

11.04.2008

LIFE project participates in the scientific conference in Palanga

Coastal Research and Planning institute of Klaipėda University together with Institute of Ecology of Vilnius University on April 9-11 has organized scientific conference “Marine and coastal researched – 2008”, which is targeted to the ongoing researches in the Curronian lagune and Baltic sea.
Our project “Marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” is also active in this event, where it informs scientific community as well as participating fishermen and local authorities  about performed activities and main findings observed in Lithuanian waters. The project itself was presented during the poster session. The project will also make a separate presentation concerning major findings of habitat inventories in Lithuanian waters, where it would focus to the question if Lithuanian waters has sandbanks slightly covered by sea water habitat type.
The key messages of the project presented in the conference are following:
 

• The canyons of morena structures were registered in Lithuanian coastal waters. These, until recently not known 4-5 meters high structures according its characteristics are similar to the reefs habitat type. These reefs are currently used by recreational divers. Management plan, prepared by the project, will foresee necessary conservation measures.
• After the habitat inventory along Curronian spit (13 LIT project area) additional ichtiological, ornithological and benthos surveys were carried in the area of 20-30 meters depth. The gathered data illustrates that existing habitat structures do not qualify to be named as sandbanks slightly covered by sea water habitat type. However, final conclusions will be given after completing analysis of ornithological data.
• The ornithological survey carried out along the Curronian spit (13 LIT project area) showed that this area is very important to certain bird species, such as Velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca), Razorbill (Alca torda) and migrating Common tern (Sterna hirundo).
• The project observes continuous decrees of wintering Steller’s Ider (Polysticta stelleri) concentrations.
• During fish inventory two new species for Lithuania were found: Taulurus bulbalis and Gobius niger
• Project has carried out experimental fishing with long lines. The researches showed that using this method the bird by-catch is avoided. Furthermore, effectiveness of this fishing gear is not less than traditional fishing equipment.

25.01.2008

Climate-related Change in Marine Ecosystems

The Baltic Sea is not a steady state system and, since its formation, it never has been. External drivers acting on different time scales force major changes in the marine ecosystem structure and function. Postglacial is static and ecstatic processes have shaped the Baltic Sea’s coastline, topography, basic chemistry and sedimentary environment on millennium scales. Climate variability acts on centennial and decadal scales and at least over the last 150 years overlaps with human’s activities in the drainage basin and the coastal zone, leading to considerable changes in the biogeochemistry of this semi-enclosed sea. Thus, the emerging impacts of anthropogenic climate change cannot be separated at this time form natural variability and from other anthropogenic influences.
 

The report of BACC (BALTEX Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea basin) describes, that studies of past and recent ecosystem changes have demonstrated the sensitivity of the marine ecosystem to temperature variations. For instance, Northern Baltic annual peaks of the most abundant cladoceran species were found to co-vary with surface water temperature. The higher temperatures during the 1990s were associated with a shift in dominance within the open sea copepod community from Pseudocalanus sp. to Acartia spp. Increased production and survival rates of sprat and herring populations during the last 5-10 years co varied with high temperatures and high NAO indices. In the earlier warming period in Fennoscandia during 1870 to 1940, many range shifts in birds were observed, both of the northern and southern borders, and of spring as well as autumn migration. Furthermore, extreme winter temperatures have long been documented to influence water bird mortality in the Baltic Sea, and winter conditions in the Baltic Basin are known to determine the range of land - as well as water birds. Spring migration generally occurs earlier in recent years, although there is a high variation between and within species.
 

Also past changing salinities have been associated with marked changes of the ecosystem. An increase in salinity during the first half of the century resulted in a spread of several marine species (e.g. mesozooplankton, barnacles, jellyfish, larvaceans) towards the north and the east in the Baltic Sea. Correspondingly, the decrease in salinity after the late 1970s in the northern Baltic was reflected in biomass decline of the large neritic copepod species and 18 BALTEX Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin increase of the freshwater cladoceran species. In the deep basins of the open Baltic, the decrease in salinity resulted in reduced standing stocks of Pseudocalanus elongatus, an important player in the pelagic food web. In contrast, temperature-sensitive species (e.g. Acartia spp.) increased their population sizes. A retreat towards south has been found in benthic fauna, e.g. Scoloplos armiger. The decrease in herring and sprat growth has been related to a salinity-mediated change in the copepod community. A top predator in the pelagic food chain is the cod, a key species in the Baltic proper, which usually regulates the sprat and herring stocks, has seen a decrease. This decrease and the climatically induced enhanced sprat reproductive success, induced a switch from cod-domination to sprat-domination.
 

Eutrophication is a phenomenon of recent past; still it has been documented to change the biota. Several monitoring programmes have been targeted to follow it, since 1970s, mainly because it poses direct threat to health (toxic algal blooms) and biota (anoxic bottoms develop hydrogen sulphide). Changes of phytoplankton biomass and species composition reflect eutrophication, but simultaneously also climatic changes. A further twist emerges from the fact that eutrophication itself may be promoted directly by climatic factors, such as runoff and rainfall. There is some evidence that increased primary production has lead to an increase of biomass at higher trophic levels (e.g. zooplankton and fish). Especially clear this trend has been in benthos. Above halocline macrofauna biomass in the 1990s was about five-fold compared with “pristine” conditions (1920s to 1930s). The deep basins of the Baltic are frequently exposed to hypoxia and anoxia which results in periodic extinction and recolonization of bottom fauna.
 

Anthropogenic climate change scenarios for the Baltic Sea basin describe an increase in temperature especially during wintertime and an increase in rainfall in the northern part of the runoff area. The consequence of increasing precipitation is twofold. Increasing precipitation results in a decrease in salinity and in an increase of nutrients leakage and associated eutrophication.
 

Projected increased temperatures, especially during winter months, will lead to changes in growth and reproduction parameters for fauna and flora, many of which are of boreal origin, i.e., adapted to low temperatures.
The following changes are considered possible
 

• Increased temperatures stimulate pelagic bacteria growth more than primary production, thus the ratio between bacteria biomass to phytoplankton is expected to increase with temperature in atrophic waters.
• Diatom spring blooms are subject to species change when winters become milder. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the diatom bloom itself may disappear after milder winters and be replaced by din flagellates.
• Increasing summer-time temperatures may enhance cyan bacterial blooms.
• Elevated winter temperatures may prevent convection in late winter and early spring with the result that nutrients are not mixed into the upper euphoric zone. In the Baltic Proper with a salinity of 7 psu, the maximum density of water occurs at ~2.5°C. If the winter temperature is below 2.5°C, seasonal surface warming in early spring will result in an unstable water column with convective overturning. If the water temperature is higher than 2.5°C, warming will result in the development of thermocline and no redistribution of nutrients due to convection will occur. This process might also result in a shift in species composition of phytoplankton in spring.

Modelling studies describe the extinction of southern subpopulations of the Baltic ringed seal as a probable effect of expected diminishing ice cover suitable for breeding. The grey seal, however, has been shown to have the capability to breed extensively on land even in the Baltic.
 

The expected decrease of salinity of the Baltic Sea will modify the ecology of the Baltic Sea in several ways. The most important changes are probably seen in the distribution (both horizontal and vertical), though growth and reproduction are also likely to be affected. The lower limit of approximate salinity tolerance is 2 psu for Praunus flexuosus, Neomysis vulgaris, and Gammarus locusta, 3 psu for Corophium volutator , for Palaemon adspersus and Idotea baltica 5.5 psu, for Pontoporeia femorata and Harmothoe sarsi it is 6 psu, for Pygospio elegans and Laomedea lovéni 7 psu, and for Terebellides strömii and Fabricia sabella 7.5 psu. Thus along the complete range of Baltic Sea surface salinity we can expect decreases of species number due to changes in species distribution areas. A decrease of marine fauna is expected to emerge first in the northern Baltic Sea surface area, because of the expected intensified rainfall in the northern part of the watershed. In the western Baltic the common starfish (Asterias rubens) and common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) are among the species expected to decrease if salinity decreases lower than 25-15 psu.
 

We are likely to meet a reversed situation as compared to changes in the 1950s when salinity was rising. Some of this expected trend has already been documented as species like cod, which need a certain level of salinity during a certain life stage, display low reproductive success in the Baltic Sea area. Cod eggs need a minimum salinity of 11.5 psu for buoyancy, which they usually find in the halocline regions of the deep Baltic basins. Due to low salinity but also low oxygen concentrations in the deep water, cod eggs are frequently exposed to lethal oxygen conditions in the layer where they are neutrally buoyant.
Finally, decreasing salinity enables all freshwater species to enlarge their distribution in the Baltic Sea. Because of its ecological and evolutionary history, the Baltic Sea predominantly receives species originating from both in the adjacent inland waters and oceanic coasts but also in remote seas. Most of the recent invaders in the Baltic Sea originate from warmer climate. In conditions of increasing water temperature, not only spontaneously spreading European invaders but also more exotics from warmer regions of the world can be expected to establish in the Baltic. Two target species, known to cause severe changes in invaded ecosystems, most likely will spread with climatic warming. The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha may penetrate to the Gulf of Bothnia into the areas presently avoid of large biofiltrators. The North American jelly comb Mnemiopsis leidyi, which recently invaded the Black and Caspian Seas, may invade the Baltic Sea and cause outbreaks changing its pelagic system.
 

In addition, the combination of decreasing salinity and increasing temperature will clearly reduce the general fitness of native benthic species and their adaptability to cope with other stressors, e.g. low oxygen or chemical pollution.
 

Accelerated eutrophication is an expected consequence of the anthropogenic climate change in the Baltic Sea due to freshwater runoff determining most of the nutrient load to the Baltic Sea especially in the near coastal areas.
 

Eutrophication is expected to enhance the production and biodiversity in the ecosystem up to a certain point, after which a collapse will appear due to several mechanisms such as chemical (anoxia), and biotic interactions (competition, predation, exploitation). After this a new ecological balance will develop, which is characterized by low biodiversity and high variability due to episodic outbursts of dominant species. Some effects of eutrophication are clear and predictable, such as general increase of primary production, but other effects, such as species-specific intra- and interactions are extremely hard to predict because of the no linearity and complexity of the marine ecosystem.
 

25.11.2007

Netting sustainable fishing solutions

Gland, Switzerland – A team of inventors from the US state of Rhode Island has won the fourth annual WWF International Smart Gear Competition for an invention that could save fish and other marine life from dying or being discarded each year.

This year’s winning solution, the "Eliminator”, is an innovative device that captures haddock while reducing the accidental netting, or bycatch, of other marine species. The invention takes advantage of the haddock’s natural tendency to swim upwards, not downwards, which is the norm for other fish.

The winning team consists of New England fishermen James O’Grady, Philip Ruhle Sr and his son Philip Ruhle Jr, Jonathan Knight of Superior Trawl in Wakefield, RI, and fisheries extension specialists Laura Skrobe and David Beutel.

“The collaborative design and development of the Eliminator trawl is a great example of industry and scientists working together with managers to develop innovative solutions to reduce or eliminate bycatch,” said David Beutel, one of the winning inventors at the University of Rhode Island.

“We’re excited to be receiving this award and look forward to continuing to research effective ways of reducing bycatch in fishing.”

The team will receive a grand prize of US$30,000. Two other inventors won runner-up prizes of $10,000 each for their inventions to help reduce bycatch.

Diego Gonzalez Zevallos, a marine biologist at the Centro Nacional Patagónico in Argentina, studied the accidental death of seabirds as they dive for food and are struck by trawling cables and dragged under the water and drown. His device, a simple plastic cone is likely to dramatically reduce seabird deaths, while not affecting the profitability for fishermen.

The other runner-up prize winner, Glen Parsons, a biology professor at the University of Mississippi, created a cylinder device that was widely tested on red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Destructive fishing is devastating our oceans, wasting a valuable natural resource and causing dramatic declines in populations of many marine species,” said Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Programme.

“This competition is part of an unprecedented effort to team up with fishermen, industry insiders and scientists to find the best real-world, cost-effective ideas to solve the scourge of bycatch.”

A special $5,000 prize was also awarded to UK-based Andy Smerdon of Aquatec Group Ltd. of Hampshire, England, for a device called the Passive Porpoise Deterrent. The winning design, which draws on the mammal’s echolocation system alerts porpoises to the presence of fishing nets so they can swim away and avoid them.

The International Smart Gear Competition was created by WWF and a diverse range of partners in May 2004 to bring together fishermen, fisheries, policy and science to find solutions to reduce the unnecessary decline of vulnerable species due to bycatch. The first Smart Gear Competition drew more than 50 entries from 16 countries. This year the competition drew 70 entries from 22 countries, including Cameroon, Finland, Thailand, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, Kenya and Malaysia.

END NOTES:

• As many as 250,000 endangered loggerhead turtles and critically endangered leatherback turtles are caught annually on long-line nets set for tuna, swordfish and other fish.

• There are 26 species of seabirds, including 17 albatross species, threatened with extinction because of bycatch in long-lines, which kills more than 300,000 seabirds each year.

• An estimated 89 per cent of hammerhead sharks and 80 per cent of thresher and white sharks have disappeared from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean in the last 18 years, largely due to bycatch.

• The 2007 International Smart Gear Competition partners and judging panel included representatives from: the American Fisheries Society, the Blue Water Fishermen’s Association, The Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, Mustad, the National Fisheries Institute, the New England Aquarium, NOAA Fisheries, Ocean Watch Australia Ltd., the Sea change Investment Fund, Sealord Group Ltd., the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, the WorldFish Center, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Northeast Consortium, the Sea Fish Industry Authority and WWF.

For further information
Kerry Green Zobor, WWF-US
Tel: +1 202 352 4997
E-mail: kerry.zobor@wwfus.org

Joanna Benn, WWF International
Tel: +39 06 84497 212
E-mail: jbenn@wwfspecies.org

Information taken from World Wildlife Fund newsletter

23.11.2007

Clever equipment gives information about life of Grey seals

In July-August this year six Grey seals were tagged with GPS/GSM tags in the frame of the LIFE-Nature project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea”. These devices provide information on animal's location, diving depth and duration, water temperature and some other data. The data are recorded in the memory of these devices and when the seal appears in the broadcast area of the mobile phone then the data will be transferred. The devices are glued at the seals fur with a special glue and will stay there until the next moult in May 2008.

Thanks to those devices, the seal experts have received new information about important feeding places for Grey seals. The current results show also that those protected marine mammals are very active travelers. According to the words of Ivar Jüssi, Estonian seal expert leading the survey of marine mammals in the Baltic MPAs project, it is no problem for a Grey seal to swim 130 km during one day and night. One of the tracked seals has gone through this distance when swimming from Saaremaa via Ruhnu island to the Latvian coast and back. It is also no problem for seals to travel with a few days from the coast of Saaremaa island in Estonia to Turku archipelago or to Aland in Finland or even to the Gotland island in Sweden. But it is still not known why those animals undertake such long journeys.

It was known before that seals are moving a lot but the precise information about feeding places of seals, when and how deep the seals feed, was first time received with help of those tracking devices. It seems that Grey seals like to feed at deep underwater slopes. One of such places is located for example at western coast of Saaremaa.

The current data confirm the fact that Grey seals are not accepting the state borders. There are no Estonian, Latvian, Finnish or Swedish seals but one seal population of the Baltic Sea. Also those seals equipped with the transmitters near Saaremaa, could have been there accidentally. This is also confirmed by the fact that five of the tagged seals left Estonia right after tagging and have shown up here only a few times. Only one old female seal has stayed in Estonia at the southern coast of Saaremaa.
Nevertheless, the Grey seals have constant places for breeding. They also know very well the location of small islands were they can rest during their long journeys.

The seals were caught by nets, weighed, the blood samples were taken and the GPS/GSM tags were glued onto their scruff. Photos by Ivar Jüssi.

Trips of Grey seals illustrated on map.

Based on information from Ivar Jüssi and article of U.Käärt, Eesti Päevaleht, 22.11.2007

Merle Kuris
Baltic Environmental Forum - Estonia
E-mail: merle.kuris@bef.ee
Phone: +372 6597 029
 

21.11.2007

Two new fish species were scientifically documented in Lithuania

Implementing fish inventory under the European Union LIFE-Nature Project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” in 2006-2007, two fish species were scientifically documented in the coastal waters of Lithuania for the first time: Long-spined bullhead (Taurulus bubalis) and Black goby (Gobius niger). They will be incorporated into the fish fauna list of Lithuania.

Black goby (Gobius niger) was caught using beach seine to the North from Šventoji town in May 2007. This species is found in the neighbouring countries and is included into the Red Book of Latvia. The appearance of the fish is very similar to invasive and rapidly spreading in the area Round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and can be misidentified.

Six specimens of Long-spined bullhead (Taurulus bubalis) were caught during the study period: two were caught near the Nemirseta settlement in March 2006, two fish were found near Monciškės settlement in August and the rest two specimens were caught near Nemirseta again in March and June 2007.

The species is found in the neighboring countries as well and is listed in the Red Book of Latvia. Probably, fishermen sometimes catch the fish in the Lithuania coastal waters, in particular in it’s western part, however, wrongly identify the species as similar in appearance Black sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) and did not report earlier.

16.11.2007

Report of the Bird conference now available

On 4-5(6) October 2007, an international conference on “Bird conservation in the marine environment: Identification, designation and protection of marine protected areas for birds in the Baltic Sea and beyond” took place in Jūrkalne, Latvia. The conference was organised by the Baltic Environmental Forum and BirdLife International in frame of the LIFE-Nature project "Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea" (Baltic MPAs).

Experts from 15 countries - the Baltic States, Denmark, Finland (HELCOM), Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, UK and Belgium (BirdLife International) discussed the latest EU policy developments with regard to birds conservation in the marine environment, methodologies for identification and delineation of marine protected areas for birds as well as setting conservation objectives and assessing potential threats for those sites.

One goal of organising this conference was to provide some help for ornithologists working for the Baltic MPAs project who now have to analyse the gathered data and make conclusions regarding site delineation and protection measures. This goal was successfully fulfilled because Baltic experts received a lot of new information and advice concerning identification and management of marine protected areas for birds. Also participants from other countries evaluated the event as very useful because it provided an opportunity for experience exchange between different EU Member States and also Russia, and contributed to the further cooperation of countries for more efficient marine birds conservation.

After the conference, on 6 October, a bird watching excursion guided by the Latvian Ornithological Society was organised for the conference participants to the surroundings of Liepaja.

The report from the conference can be downloaded here.

Merle Kuris
Baltic Environmental Forum - Estonia
E-mail: merle.kuris@bef.ee
Phone: +372 6597 029
 

14.11.2007

Challenges of management plan development for the Baltic MPAs

One of the most important activities of the project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” is development of management plans for certain areas. Management plans will be developed for 7 out of 13 project areas: 3EST Väinameri and 4 EST West-Saaremaa (Küdema) in Estonia; 8LAT West Coast of the Gulf of Riga, 9LAT the Irbe Strait and 11LAT Nida-Pērkone in Latvia; 12LIT Palanga and 13LIT Neringa in Lithuania.

According to the basic plans, all management plans for the selected marine protected areas (MPAs) are foreseen to be developed and submitted to the national authorities until the end of 2008. This will certainly not be an easy process. The main challenges are new experiences, unclear borders for part of MPAs, and possible negative stakeholder attitude.

The project is unique for the Baltic States. Although marine protected areas do exist in Estonia and Lithuania, it is often said that scientific background had not been sufficient for establishment of the MPAs. The newly obtained information will provide sounder basis for MPA delineation. Also, there is no experience in management plan development for MPAs in the region, and not so much of that even in the whole Europe. It means development and testing of new concepts and frameworks, as approach of management plan development for terrestrial sites may not be just taken one by one. Also, the time schedule is quite pressing and very co-ordinated and efficient actions are needed to successfully fulfil the task. 

The border delineation for the MPAs is currently the most burning issue in regard to management plan development. In Estonia and Lithuania, marine protected areas are designated in opposite to Latvia where this project aims at it. In Estonia, there will most probably be no significant changes of the borders. The borders of the two Lithuanian MPAs will certainly expand. Latvia poses the most difficult situation. As management plans are tied to specific areas, it is difficult to start writing them without knowing the borders. For example, project area 8LAT alone covers the whole western part of the Gulf of Riga along the coastline. Also, it is problematic to approach stakeholders without having clear borders of the MPAs where specific management activities have to be agreed and implemented.

The inventories of marine habitats and species carried out in frame of the project are crucial to provide necessary information for border delineation and further management plan development. For management plan areas, marine habitat and fish inventories have nearly been finished, data are being inserted into databases and analysed. Basically, habitat experts are ready to say, which parts of the project territories have to be designated for protection. Fish data suggest that there will be minor influence of the inventory results on the borders of MPAs.

More difficult situation relates to bird data. Due to bad weather conditions, bird inventories are delaying and will continue until spring of 2008, and complete data sets will be available only at this time. Another problem is related to the methodology for border delineation. Ornithologists still have to agree on that. One approach is to use population density of certain species in relation to the overall Baltic Sea population. Unfortunately, the total Baltic population data will be available only at the end of 2008, which is too late for border delineation. In the project partners meeting on 5-6 November 2007, the project ornithologists agreed to find appropriate solutions for this problem until spring of 2008.

Another challenge in the development of management plans is involvement of various stakeholders and reaching agreement with them on management measures. Marine protected areas differ from terrestrial ones not only by distinct natural conditions, but also by economic use. There are circumstances that make the process easier, and circumstances that make it more difficult. A big advantage for nature conservation planners is the fact that the ownership of the sea area is not divided among many entities. In terrestrial areas, it is very difficult to agree on site management with local private landowners. Regarding the sea, the state or in some cases local municipalities own the territory, thus there is no need for long harmonization of the borders and management regimes with various owners.

Nevertheless, the marine protected areas face another problem related to stakeholders. This is the specificity of interests. The sea is being used for different purposes, like fishing, shipping, recreation, military activities. The territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of the three Baltic States may soon face new activities in this region, like wind park development and exploitation of oilfields. Thus, it is important to harmonise these activities and nature conservation needs. Many stakeholders believe that imposing conservation status on a certain area will prohibit any economic activity. For example, representatives of the Riga Free Port and some smaller ports located near the Gulf of Riga are especially concerned. They are suspicious not only of nature conservation activities in area 8LAT that is just nearby, but also in area 9LAT that is the main shipping route from the Gulf of Riga to the Baltic proper. A timely dialogue will help to reduce possible negative attitude to MPA designation.

20.10.2007

Birds Rally 2007 - counting marine birds on Lithuanian coast

Since Saturday morning on October 20th Lithuanian marine coast was flooded with strangers carrying telescopes and binoculars. They were stopping in different places and observing the horizon, from time to time noting something in the paper. People walking by who were couraged to ask them – “What are you doing?”, was getting a surprising answer – “Counting birds!”

And indeed on this day around 70 ornithologists’ professionals and enthusiasts was gathered on the Baltic coast to the annual festival called “Birds rally”. This year this festival gathered ornithologists, not only from Lithuanian, but also from Finland, United Kingdom, Russia and Belarus.
The main essence of the festival is a competition on who counts the highest number of different birds species observed on that day. In early morning, ornithologists divided into 20 equipages has moved from the coats of Curronian lagune into the areas around to search for migrating birds.
This year, a special attention was given to the observation of the marine birds. Currently ongoing EU project “Marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea”, financed by the LIFE-Nature programme, has taken active role during the event. The project team has introduced to the interested ornithologists and public activities of the project and main results achieved so far. During the birds counting competition, all teams had to gather at midday to the bridge of Palanga, where they had a good chance to count migrating marine birds in the Natura 2000 area located just in front of the bridge (it is also project area LIT12).



Minister of Environment of Lithuania, Mr. Arūnas Kundrotas and his family has also joined the ornithologists team of the Marine Project and with great enthusiasm observed the birds. He highlighted that such public awareness festivals are very important to promote marine biodiversity and motive public not only to admire, but also to take part in its conservation.

The winners of the Birds Rally this year was a team from Finland, who counted 102 different birds species during the day. The second prize was given to the team counted 101 birds species, and third place winners was Lithuanian team counted 100 different species.
A special prize was given to the team of enthusiasts who counted most of marine birds species.

In the evening, after participants received information about the marine Project, has lively discussed its findings so far.

01.10.2007

International ornithological conference in frame of the LIFE-project

Baltic Environmental Forum in cooperation with BirdLife International is organising an international seminar on
“Bird conservation in the marine environment: Identification, designation and protection of marine protected areas for birds in the Baltic Sea and beyond” that will take place on 4-5(6) October, 2007 in Jūrkalne, Latvia.

This seminar will be held in the framework of the LIFE-Nature project “Marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” funded by the European Commission (Project No. LIFE 05 NAT/LV/000100).

The objectives of the workshop are following:
• Present preliminary results of the Eastern Baltic LIFE project, methodologies applied, lessons learned (related to identification, designation, protection and management of MPAs for birds);
• Share experiences from other ongoing marine bird conservation projects in Europe
• Present the latest policy developments with regard to marine biodiversity conservation (in particular regarding Natura 2000);
• Compare available methods for MPA boundary delineation and make expert judgment on their applicability;
• Discuss available site selection criteria (IBA criteria, EC guidance for Natura 2000/SPAs), related challenges and solutions;
• Present and exchange experience on available methods for assessing key threats facing marine birds and for developing management recommendations: focus on by-catch, wind farms, disturbance.

The agenda of the conference is available here.

Target audience: LIFE project partners involved in bird research and management plan development; representatives of Baltic States nature conservation and other concerned authorities; experts from other related projects from across the EU, experts from scientific institutions, protected areas administrations and NGOs. In total we expect ca. 50 participants.

A bird watching excursion to the LIFE-project area Akmenrags-Pavilosta (10 LAT) and Liepaja will take place after the workshop on Saturday, October 6.

For more information please contact: Mr. Žymantas Morkvėnas (tel: +370-5-213 81 55; fax: +370-5-213 50 68; e-mail: zymantas.morkvenas@bef.lt) in Lithuania
 

21.09.2007

Environmental constraints of the gas pipe construction in the Baltic Sea

Ivar Puura and Marek Sammul (Estonian Naturalists' Society) analysed environmental constraints of the gas pipe construction in the Baltic Sea.
Read more at http://www.epl.ee/sartikkel/1619

21.09.2007

Nord Stream notes the decision by Estonian government

Regarding today’s decision by the Estonian government concerning the survey permit in its exclusive economic zone, Nord Stream released the following statement:

Nord Stream takes notice of the decision by the Estonian government.

The details associated with this decision must be carefully studied before a further evaluation can be made.

As part of the international consultation process in accordance with the Espoo convention, Finland had requested a survey of a potential route further south in the Gulf of Finland in order to minimise environmental impact. Nord Stream accommodated this request with this survey application.

Nord Stream is crucial to providing Europe with a sustainable supply of natural gas and has been declared a priority project by the European Union. Nord Stream will continue to work with countries bordering on the Baltic Sea to ensure that the pipeline will be constructed in a timely manner in accordance with the highest possible security and environmental standards.

20 September 2007
http://www.nord-stream.com/
 

21.09.2007

Estonian Government did not agree to issue a permit for the survey application

Considering the sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia in territorial waters and national interests in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone, the Government decided at today’s cabinet meeting not to agree to issue a permit for the survey application of Nord Stream AG.

According to the survey permit application, the planned extensive surveys cover a large part of the Republic of Estonia’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the Gulf of Finland. Also, the survey area extends into the territorial waters of the Republic of Estonia.

Since surveys of the continental shelf require drilling and would provide information on the amount and utilisation possibilities of Estonia’s natural resources, the Republic of Estonia has the right to refuse to give permission for the surveys.

Nord Stream AG submitted the application for a survey permit in the exclusive economic zone to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 31 May 2007. According to the data presented in the survey permit application Nord Stream AG wished to perform geophysical and geotechnical surveys, visual inspections, and to take sediment samples in the Estonian exclusive economic zone.
Tallinn, Stenbock House, 20 September 2007
www.valitsus.ee/brf/index.php

27.08.2007

Dangerous medusas were found in the Baltic Sea

Seawater research institute of Finland discovered the new species of medusas in Oslo islands. It is one of the most dangerous in the world, have been inform Lithuanian radio. Named American medusa looks like comb are one of dangerous in the world, which plankton and some species of fish are destroyed in record time. On the beginning of 1980 medusa made a lot of problems in the Black Sea, where decimated one species of herring for a short time.

Year ago dangerous medusa was detected on the west coast of Sweden, where natural opposition – local species of medusa neutralized it.
 

Only cold seawater can to block American medusas spread, this year winter shows does medusa spread or disappeared in the Baltic Seawater.
 

06.08.2007

Marine habitat studies carried out under LIFE Baltic MPA project were presented during the Sea Holiday

Marine habitat studies carried out under LIFE Baltic MPA project were presented in Klaipėda during the traditional annual Sea Holiday organised on the last weekend of June this year.

During this Sea Holiday event hosted by the Baltic Coast Environment Research and Planning Institute and the Sea Museum and Aquarium the filmed material about sea bottom habitats was demonstrated to the holiday participants with fragments of such habitats exhibited in the erected aquariums.

The visitors listened to the explanations of the functioning of different devices used for marine research, were provided with a popular presentation of obtained research results and had the possibility to get familiarised with the scientific research sailboat of the University of Klaipėda.

About one thousand of the Sea Holiday participants attended the event which lasted from morning until evening in Smiltynė.

23.07.2007

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland offer constructing gas pipeline through their territory

This week the European Commission (EC) is expected to receive a joint letter of the Ministers of Economy of Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Latvia asking to support the feasibility study of the gas pipeline constructed through these four countries. This gas pipeline might serve an alternative to the planned gas pipeline of Russia-Germany to be constructed along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

“Analysis of all possible route can show that this version is less dangerous to the environment and maybe even more cost-efficient, and, moreover it would guarantee the provision of gas for these countries”, – said the Minister of Economy Vytas Navickas on Monday.

According to him particular concerns of the countries of the Baltic Sea arise from the environmental-friendliness of construction of the gas pipeline along the sea bottom. V. Navickas notes that EC is positive about the possibility to support the feasibility study initiated by the three Baltic States and Poland.

Politicians of Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Sweden have more than once expressed their negative opinion with regard to the construction of the gas pipeline on the sea bottom. Already in end-March Viktoras Muntianas meeting with EC President Jose Manuel Barroso expressed his concerns about construction of such gas pipeline.

At that time application of the Committees of Foreign Affairs of the Lithuanian and Polish Parliaments was filed with J. M Barroso to allocate funds for carrying out the feasibility study of this project.

Sceptics of the Russian-German gas pipeline are mostly concerned about the fact that construction of this gas pipeline is envisaged at the depth of 4 metres, while available data help to determine only what is happening at the depth of 1 metre.

“We all know that the bottom of the Baltic Sea is also full of chemical weapons and other objects remaining from the Second World War. There is a possibility of some accidents happening during the execution of gas pipeline construction works”, – said V. Muntianas.

In spring politicians of Sweden also started speaking about the option of prohibiting the construction of the underwater gas pipeline.
The principal owner of planned gas pipeline will be the Russian gas giant Gazprom.
 

18.07.2007

Baltic Sea is full of sunken ships

Since 1960 about 1400 sunken vessels, of which 750 are protected, have been registered in the Sunk Objects Database of Finland. It is forecasted that next year sunken ships will also be discovered in the Baltic Sea, because this sea is a real storehouse of sunken vessels is investigated only to a certain extent.

Many divers dream about discovering a mystic long-mast sailboat. Such discoveries are frequent in the northern part of the Baltic Sea, in the territory between Hank and Kökar Island. Some discoveries are until now reflected only in the personal notes of divers.

The marine archaeologist Maja Matikka says every year that sea investigators receive some information about 20-40 individual objects or fragments of ships found in the sea. “Not long ago we received an old dish found at sea. Usually local divers help us in checking the information we get. Some particulars about broken ships we often get from the Shipping Administration or national archives. Historians also find information about various fragments which can lead us to a sunken ship”.

The Baltic Sea is full of sunken ships, because sea worms can’t survive in low-salt water. Nevertheless, recently sea worms were found in the coastal waters of Germany. According to Maja Matikka, Wasa ship survived for 332 years only because of the absence of these worms. The issue of lifting sunken ships in Finland is being discussed already since 1970. Investigations of this area attracted public attention, in particular after discovery of Vrow Maria ship in 1999. The lifting Vrow Maria requires financing. In the opinion of Marja Pelanne, the Head of the Marine Archaeology Department of the Sea Museum, quite large amount of funds would be required for lifting Vrow Maria. It is impossible to measure in money the lifting of a cultural object of historical value; however, we will need money for this operation. At present even Wasa does not generate any profit irrespective of a million of visitors coming to see it every year.

“When a ship is lifted, all objects found inside it must be preserved to make them last longer, and we have only one full-time conservation specialist. Certainly, we could look for such specialists all over the world and employ them. Preservation of the objects found inside the ship would be very expensive, because they must be conserved and we will have to look for new employees”, – explains M. Pelanne.

About 10,000 of articles were recorded during stocktaking of the ship Mary Rose lifted from the English Channel – the number of objects found in Wasa was the same.

If only we could get financing, the lifting of Vrow Maria would be more efficient than continuing underwater investigations lasting for decades. The investigation of the ship would provide much information about life in the eighteenths century. We already have information about sunken ships that are much older than Vrow Maria, and the number of sunken ships is about to increase in the nearest future.

In the opinion of M. Pelanne, the underwater fleet of sunken ships at the coast of Helsinki is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the peculiarities of marine archaeology to divers. A large passenger ship Kronprins Gustav was discovered in 1995 and already in 2000 it was already demonstrated as an exhibit of the fleet.
The discoverer of the silver boat is surrounded by a new secret.

According to Rauno Koivusaari, a professional diver who participated in search for Vrow Maria, his group has found already 270 sunken ships, including De Catherine silver boat sunken 1728 near Jussarö Island. A silvered Dutch ship sailing from Amsterdam to Petersburg was discovered in 2000 and is not investigated until now.

R. Koivusaari says that it would be worth lifting one of the valuable ships. The lifting of Wasa was a great step forward in marine archaeology, because objects found inside it provided abundant information.

Specialists searching for written sources are of particular relevance to the investigators of sunken ships. Some information about missing ships can be found in the archives of England, Sweden and Holland. The number of Dutch ships sunken during the past centuries amounts to about one thousand. Many of them were sailing to Petersburg.

R. Koivusaari knows about a great number of unregistered sunken ships. He himself has spent a lot of time investigating fragments found in the waters of Rönnskär Island, which, in his opinion, belong to the Dutch ship which carried a valuable cargo to the Tsar.

The divers supplement the register of sunken ships. Information dating back to the ancient times and observations of investigators who spend much time in waters provide many additional information which is entered into a special database of broken ships. Notes about broken ships found in different archives more and more often help the investigators to follow the track of sunken ships.

Marja Pelanne says that sportsmen divers are the greatest help in registering the underwater heritage of the Baltic Sea. Sunken ships are the pearls of history, the time “capsules” on the basis of which we make sometimes new and sometimes even unexpected discoveries. They highlight the daily ancient life and provide a contemporary man with other experiences.

Amateur divers who discover sunken ships are very much welcomed in marine archaeology investigations. In summer time assistants and students of archaeology working according to fixed-term contracts often join the group of four marine archaeologists, says Pelanne. She thinks that great progress has already been achieved in the investigations of this area.

The Marine Archaeology Bureau will not move from Helsinki to Kotka, a place where the Finnish Sea Museum will be established in summer of 2008.

Nevertheless, we will continue cooperating with the Sea Museum, for example, marine archaeologists will supply the first exhibition of the Sea Museum with exhibits.

The work of marine archaeologists to a great extent is related with ordinary projects, such as construction of gas pipelines in the lakes or, for example, development of the construction plan on the river bank. Investigators have to investigate the entire area to make sure that no ancient objects are left under constructions. This summer investigations will be carried out in the Bay of Old Town of Helsinki and in the waters of Suomenlinna. Fragments of sea-going vessels have already been discovered in the Bay of Finland and they should be mentioned in the gas pipeline project of Russia-Germany.

Areas of cultural importance that exist in waters must be investigated. In the opinion of M. Pelanne, it is necessary to record them in different tables and protect.

This summer marine archaeologists are engaged in the investigations of a sunken ship in which ceramic objects dating back to the XIV century were found. Investigations take place in the ship sunken in the XVII century in Hank City and in the ships of ST. Michael and Vrow Maria in the archipelagic waters. The ship sunken in the Middle Ages in the Estonian Bay near Lapuri Island is the oldest object found in Finland. Ships similar to it were found in Germany and Denmark.
Trying to avoid unnecessary prohibitions

According to M. Pelanne, the country tries to avoid unnecessary restrictions upon diving and therefore investigation is prohibited only with regard to four ships. It should be noted that in observance of the Law on Commemoration of Ancient Times, protection is provided to all objects older than 100 years.

Residents have the right to inspect the underwater vessels, because they are our common heritage, but the right to touch and investigate them is granted only to trained divers. The Security Forces issue permits to enter sunken warships, but only part of them can be inspected because of the risk of explosives which can be left in such vessels.
Last year the management of the Museum informed about the offence the perpetrators of which attempted to rummage Jurm merchant ship sunken in the XIVth century.

Finland has not yet ratified the UNESCO programme on the protection of sunken vessels, but it is included in the treaty on illegal trade in antique objects. This Treaty should be supplemented in consideration of abundant important archaeological material at least that which comes to the West from Russia.
 

29.06.2007

Dolphins were noticed in the Baltic Sea

According to the information provided by the Lithuanian Sea Museum, 24 July was a great success for Audrius Jakštas fishing cods near the settlement of Nemirseta: he could see with his own eyes the guests that are particularly rare in the Baltic Sea – the dolphins.

“– On Tuesday I was fishing with my two friends near Nemirseta within about 7 kilometres distance from the coast – told Audrius Jakštas calling the Sea Museum. – Suddenly we noticed a whirlpool of water and after some time two dolphins emerged from water 100-150 metres from the boat and demonstrated a synchronic jumping.

According to the man one dolphin was of about 2.5 metres length and the other was smaller – about 1.5 metres. Both dolphins approached the cutter, dived beneath its bottom and kept so jumping and playing for about 10 minutes. The same view repeated in half an hour.

The fisherman said that they could not be sea-pigs which live in the Baltic Sea but very rarely appear near the coats of Lithuania. The scientists of the Sea Museum are of the same opinion: the photograph in which the form of the fin can be seen and the size of the dolphin also testify to the visit of quite a rare guest at the coast of Lithuania – the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin.

This is the most popular species of dolphins in the world.
In the opinion of Arūnas Grušas, the biologist of the Sea Museum, this pair of dolphins must have come from the Northern Sea though the Skagerak strait. “It can be a mother dolphin with her calf – said the biologist. – Dolphins are quite often observed near the coasts of Germany, while in Lithuania they are very rare guests. They may be the same dolphins noticed a couple of weeks before at Gdansk bay”.

Las year fishermen saw even a whale in the Baltic Sea, and seven years ago a body of dead dolphin was cast ashore by the sea near Papė village (Latvia).
According to Arūnas Grušas, bottlenose dolphins can’t stay in the Baltic Sea for a long time, because there is too little fish in our sea compared with the Atlantic Ocean and the water is too cold and salty. If a dolphin does not find the way out from the Baltic Sea, sooner or later it dies due to the aforementioned reasons.

The Lithuanian Sea Museum takes inventory of the marine fauna of the Baltic and asks to inform about noticed rare marine animals.
The Sea Museum now has eight bottlenose dolphins of the Black Sea, which can be called sisters of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. They represent two different subspecies of the same species.

These dolphins were brought to Lithuania from Sevastopol. The Black Sea bottlenose dolphins are inscribed on the Red Book, because they are attributed to the extinguishing subspecies, and the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are not registered in the Red Book as their population remains stable.

There are four subspecies of bottlenose dolphins in the world ocean which slightly differ in their external looks and form of scull: bottlenose dolphins of the Black Sea, Atlantic Ocean, North and Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, the latter being often attributed to a separate species by zoologists.
Even nowadays some people are wrong thinking that dolphins are fish. Dolphins, likewise their very close relatives – whales are marine mammals.

Distant ancestors of these animals lived on land and were related with ungulate animals. More than 50 million years ago they adapted to live in water. Dolphins have a smooth and sensitive skin and a very strong tail, a very streamlined body so they are extremely good at swimming and manoeuvring.

Usual “travelling” speed of these animals is about 8 km/hr, but they can swim faster than 30 km/hr. When in great hurry dolphins swim continuously jumping because such way of moving requires less effort and energy. For a short while they can swim even faster than 40 km/hr.

Dolphins, likewise all mammals, breathe atmospheric air so every few minutes they come to the surface to take a breath of air. The dolphins’ nostril on the very top of their head has hermetic and muscular valves which are firmly closed when the dolphins dive.

Very many dolphins live and feed in the surface layers of water but they can also easily dive into the depth of 300 metres. It was established that when dolphins sleep, only one side of their brain is resting while the other side is active to save them from drowning when they are in deep sleep.

The way of sleeping of a dolphin sleeps depends upon circumstances and upon individual likings. Some dolphins rest on land, while others remain quite on the surface of water. Also, dolphins can sleep while swimming at a slow speed regularly coming up to breath in a new portion of air.

Dolphins use oxygen more economically than land animals and can empty and fill their lungs within one fifth part of a second. Thick fatty layer protects these animals from cold.

One more problem characteristic of sea life is lack of drinking water. Hough dolphins live in water, but they actually have to save water, like animals living in a desert. Additional water is obtained through decomposition of fat, and kidneys of dolphins release very concentrated urine with which excess salts are removed from their organism.
 

26.06.2007

Stakeholder involvement in the development of marine protected areas in Latvia

The Baltic Environmental Forum - Latvia has started involvement of different stakeholders in the designation of marine protected areas and development of management plans.

Within the project “Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea”, nature management plans for three potential marine protected areas are currently being developed in Latvia: 8 LAT Western Coast of the Gulf of Riga, 9 LAT the Irbe Strait, and 11 LAT Nida-Perkone area.

Although different from terrestrial sites, the list of stakeholders in marine areas is also extensive: coastal municipalities, governmental authorities, fishermen and anglers, port and infrastructure developers, shipping companies, recreation and tourism developers, navy, scientists, nature conservationists, etc.

Many believe that imposing protection status in a certain area means total prohibiting of all activities, or at least drastic restrictions. Such misleading impression is frequent also in the other European Union Member States. Nevertheless, there are many examples when economic activities and nature conservation successfully co-exist. The Rotterdam Port is a very good case.

Promotion of co-operation and dialogue among different interest groups has always been among the priorities of BEF activities. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the project is to discuss management of marine protected areas with different stakeholders and reach an agreement on optimal solutions.

Potential stakeholders have received a project information summary and specially developed questionnaire to clarify stakeholders’ knowledge on the issue, wish to be informed and most important – wish to participate in the process.

For more information please contact:
Mr. Edgars Bojars
Baltic Environmental Forum - Latvia
Ph.: +371 67 357 548
Fax: +371 67 507 071
E-mail: edgars.bojars@bef.lv

25.06.2007

Meeting on Environmental Impact Assessment for offshore wind parks

On 19-20 June in Riga, the Baltic Environmental Forum hosted an international meeting that was devoted to Environmental Impact Assessment for offshore wind parks. The meeting gathered representatives of the three Baltic States and Germany (scientists, consultants, government authorities).

Wind energy development activities have recently expanded in the Baltic States and are facing many uncertainties. On the one hand, wind energy is renewable and is a top alternative for fossil resources. On the other hand, wind park developers very often target at the same areas as nature conservationists. Shallow offshore waters are the best places for installing windmills, but they often host important species and habitats. Many of them even qualify for the Natura 2000 network sites.
Wind park development has been a big business for last 5 years in Germany, and consultants from the Institute for Applied Ecology Ltd. were invited to present German experience. In Germany, the procedure to build a wind park is rather complicated. For getting a permit to install windmills, comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment must be carried out. At least 2 years are necessary to satisfactory cover impact analyses on biotopes.

The German consultants stressed that complex impact on ecosystems has to be analyzed considering the whole aquatic system. During EIA, both abiotic and biotic aspects must be taken into account.

Current and wave regime changes are among the main impacts on the physical environment.

So far, no major effects have been observed on marine habitats and benthos from installing wind parks. Some disturbance may occur during the construction phase of windmills and cable networks, this has to be carefully evaluated. Fish also seems not being reasonably influenced.

Windmills produce noise that harbor porpoises can hear some tens of kilometers from afar, but the harbor porpoise population is rather small in the Baltic Sea. Seals can hear even better, but investigations show that they do not care about windmills so much. Nevertheless, this information is valid only for the grey seal, but there is no research on the impact of wind parks on ringed seals.

Birds are the most problematic issue for wind parks. Some of the interest sites for potential wind parks are feeding grounds. Some of them are crossing migration routes. If windmills are erected on such sites, birds are forced to take a stroll around or fly high above them.

In Estonia, currently two sites are undergoing EIA procedure for wind parks. Experts from the consultancy company "Hendrikson & Ko" Ltd. and Estonian University of Life Sciences introduced EIA activities in Neugrand, and the Northwest Coast of Estonia near the Hiiumaa.

It was stressed that there are serious gaps in the legal systems of all Baltic States regarding offshore construction works and EIA procedure for such territories. Also, Natura 2000 network is not yet completed. The experts agreed to continue common work and with the help of German experts to develop a recommendation set for EIA procedure for offshore wind parks in the Baltic States.

For more information please contact:
Mr. Edgars Bojars
Baltic Environmental Forum - Latvia
Ph.: +371 67 357 548
Fax: +371 67 507 071
E-mail: edgars.bojars@bef.lv

18.05.2007

Publication of guidelines for the establishment of the Natura 2000 network in the marine environment and annexes

The European Commission published Guidelines for the establishment of the Natura 2000 network in the marine environment and annexes.
The guide responds to an immediate need to make progress in establishing Natura 2000 in the marine environment. As such its primary focus is on marine species and habitat types that are covered by the site based provisions of the Birds and Habitats Directives. These are the habitat types listed in Annex I and species listed in Annexes II of the Habitats Directive and bird species listed in Annex I as well as migratory bird species covered by the Birds (79/409/EEC) Directive for which marine Natura 2000 sites need to be designated, protected and managed.
The guide aims to explain the relevant legal and technical concepts needed to underpin the establishment of Natura 2000 throughout the marine area of application of the (79/409/EEC) Birds and (92/43/EEC) Habitats Directives. It covers both the inshore and offshore marine environments.
The conservation of the marine habitats and species of European conservation concern will not be achieved solely through designation and good management of Natura 2000 sites. There will also be a need to deal with human pressures on the marine environment beyond such sites as part of a broader marine conservation strategy.

If it might be interesting for you, here is  the link: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/nature_conservation/natura_2000_network/marine_issues/index_en.htm

16.05.2007

21 May – International Day of the Harbour Porpoise

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) tend to inhabit shallow coastal waters as well as bays and estuaries; they may even enter rivers and canals. Alone or in small groups of only a few individuals, they lead a quiet life, keeping away from boats and ships, and only occasionally leaping out of the water. The harbour porpoise is regarded as a most mysterious animal of the Baltic Sea. Nowadays the porpoise is sighted extremely rarely.
The total Baltic population numbers as few as 600 animals. The main historical factor for the reduction of the population was the mass hunting in the 1900s. Cold winters with extensive ice covering the Baltic also contribute to a significant mortality, and most sightings nowadays are of porpoises caught as bycatch due to harmful fishing practices. The Coalition Clean Baltic and the Green Federation Gaja are involved in wide-scale activities aimed at active environment protection, the restoration of species and the development of sustainable fisheries. Conservation of the coastal waters, especially the bays and estuaries are an important measure to protect the habitats and refuge areas. The UN Convention on Migratory Species, together with its specialized agreements on dolphin conservation ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS and the WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society have declared 2007 the Year of the Dolphin, and the 21st May is announced as the International Day of the Harbour Porpoise. A multilingual booklet entitled ‘All about dolphins’ was launched at UNESCO headquarters these days. The brochure can be downloaded from http://www.yod2007.org/en/Press/Publications/index.html.
The harbour porpoise is also one of the topics the Green Belt Sailing Tour along the German Baltic coast this summer will focus on. The sailing tour is organised by Friends of the Earth Rostock and its aim is to raise awareness for the many beauties that can be found along the Baltic shores and to point out specific threats to nature and landscape.
(www.bund.net/mv/segeltour; www.gajanet.pl; Coalition Clean Baltic, www.ccb.se; Society for Conservation of Marine Mammals, www.gsm-ev.de) 

Information from: European Green Belt Newsletter, Spring 2007, www.europeangreenbelt.org

25.04.2007

Workshop on “Features and interpretation of Natura 2000 marine habitats in the Baltic countries”

Workshop is held on 14-16 May, 2007 Klaipėda, Lithuania, in the frame of LIFE-Nature project “Marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea” (Baltic MPAs; project No. LIFE 05 NAT/LV/000100) and lead by Baltic Environmental Forum in co-operation with 20 partners’ organizations.

The overall goal of the project is supporting the designation and protection of marine sites according Natura 2000 requirements. The project includes inventories of the proposed and potential marine Natura 2000 sites, threat assessment as well as development of management plans and protection rules for selected sites.

The workshop “Features and interpretation of Natura 2000 marine habitats in the Baltic countries” is aimed to discuss interpretation of NATURA 2000 habitats – reefs (1170) and sandbanks (1110) of the Baltic Sea. Its goal is to get an agreement between experts involved in habitat mapping in the Baltic countries on identification, monitoring and protection of the Baltic reefs and sandbanks. Additionally, possibilities of incorporation of these habitats into EUNIS classification will be discussed.

The workshop is organized by Coastal Research and Planning Institute (Klaipeda University) and BEF Lithuania.
Target audience: experts in habitat mapping, LIFE Baltic MPA partners involved in habitat mapping.
Excursions: Two optional excursions are offered to the workshop participants on May 16 free of charge. For those who have legal diving certificates (PADI AOWD or identical) day trip with the schooner “Aldebaran” and diving in the Baltic Sea moraine ridges (depths 15-20 m.) will be offered. Nitrox will be provided upon request for those who have adequate certificates. Since the diving place is located in the exposed coastal waters of the south-eastern Baltic Sea, this excursion largely depends on weather conditions. In case it has to be cancelled, joining excursion to the Curonian Spit National Park will be possible. Guided excursion to the Curonian Spit National Park (http://www.nerija.lt/en/) will cover the most exciting nature landscapes and sites of cultural heritage (nesting site of cormorants, Witch Hill, Sand Dunes, beaches).

For more information please contact:
Coastal Research and Planning Institute (Klaipeda University)
Mr. Darius Daunys,
tel: +370 46 398874,
e-mail: darius@corpi.ku.lt

16.04.2007

Paralia Nature Workshop Natura 2000 and the Sea Ports in the Baltic

Workshop is held on 10 and 11 May 2007 in Riga (Latvia)

The workshop on ‘Baltic Sea Ports, and Natura 2000’ will be the fifth workshop of the third phase of ‘Paralia Nature’. 

General goal
Exchange of practices regarding estuary management and coastal zone management for Natura 2000 in North West Europe and in the Baltic region. The focus will particularly be on the implications of Natura 2000 for port planning in the Baltic.

 

Approach:
 

Here is the  workshop programme.

Target group:
Experts, NGOs, administrators, port staff, 20 to 30 participants upon invitation

For more information please contact:
Mr.  Piotr NOWINSKI
nowinski@imieu.org

06.02.2007

Workshop on “Stakeholders interests and involvement in management planning and management of marine protected areas”

Workshop is held on 8 - 9 February in Palanga in Lithuania.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in frame of Natura 2000 network are established in the Baltic States same like elsewhere in Europe to protect marine biodiversity and particularly species and habitats of Community interest. To ensure appropriate protection regime and to balance nature conservation and socio-economic interests the management plans for MPAs has to be developed. Important role in this process takes involvement of all concerned stakeholders, which helps to learn about their concerns and interests and to gain more information about the sites as well as to discuss the conflicting aspects in management of marine areas and establish basis for further co-operation. Stakeholders groups in marine areas are rather diverse and partly different from those in terrestrial area, which calls for developing special approaches and early start of the dialogue.

The LIFE-Nature project lead by the Baltic Environmental Forum aims to contribute to the overall protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the Eastern Baltic Sea by carrying out detailed investigations in marine areas, providing information for site designation and developing management plans for selected project areas. The project team also aims to do active stakeholder communication during the management planning process.

The objective of the workshop is to define strategies for the stakeholders’ involvement in the management planning and management of the Marine Protected Areas in the Baltic States, to learn from experience of other EU Member States and to discuss with the representatives of the stakeholders groups their main concerns and interests with regard to co-operation.

The main agenda topics will be:
• Socio-economic interests in the marine areas and potential conflicts with nature conservation;
• Main concerns of the different stakeholders groups and possibilities for co-operation;
• Good practice examples on stakeholders involvement in management planning as well as management of Marine Protected Areas;
• National procedures for stakeholders involvement in the Baltic States and specific conditions regarding marine territories;
• Best approaches to reach the stakeholders, to insure involvement and increase of acceptance for planned management and conservation measures.

Target Audience: project partners involved in management plan development; representatives of Baltic nature conservation and other concerned state authorities, local authorities, port administrations, fisherman organisations, other NGOs, as well as guests from other EU Member States. In total we expect ca. 60 participants.

To get more information about the seminar, please contact:
Heidrun Fammler
Project Manager
Baltic Environmental Forum
Tel.: 7357 549, Fakss: 7507 071
E-pasta adrese: heidrun.fammler@bef.lv
 

22.08.2006

Setting up wise environmental limitations for fishermen in the Curronian lagoon, Lithuania

The director of Curonian Spit National Park, Ms. Aurelija Stancikienė has raised doubts concerning the relevance of limitation of standing gill-nets setup in the Curonian lagoon during the summer time. Currently, such limitations are existing from April 20 till August 31, in order to recover fish recourses in the lagoon. However, the big demand of smoked fish during the recreational season is dictating its rules and therefore the staff of the National Park often found illegal nets on the coastal area of the lagoon. According to our knowledge, part of the fishermen is carrying such activities in order to supply the big market demand of smoked fish during summer time.
As it is known, the reasoning of such limitation is related to the recovering of fish stock in the lagoon and it is not related to any other nature conservation goals, therefore the Park is suggesting to allow fishing activities with big mesh size nets (whish would be specially focused on the fishing of bream) during summer time, but limit fishing with 40-50 mm mesh size nets, since it would increase business pressure to the population of small size pikeperch.
As Ms. Stancikienė say, if to follow this, the State would gather more taxes and at the same time it will not be harmful to the fish population, since bream and pikeperch fishing is followed by quotas, this means that the part of the fish stock which is caught during summer will not be allowed to catch in autumn.
The director of the National Park stressed, that the Environmental restrictions would be balanced wisely and they should not overcomplicate the activities carried out by local people more than necessary.

balticseaportal.net

21.11.2005

Launch of the website

The website of the project Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea has been launched!