Review and revision of HELCOM objectives Strategic Plan for BSAP - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Review and revision of HELCOM objectives

• Strategic Plan for BSAP update: review of existing HELCOM
• bjectives (activity nr 2.2)
• New objectives to be developed for marine litter, underwater

noise, loss and disturbance to the seabed

• Management objectives to be developed for all segments
• Pressure 10-2019 initiated the review and development of

new objectives for eutrophication, hazardous substances, litter, underwater noise, loss and disturbance to the seabed

• Some of those have been amended and further worked on by
• ther Groups
• Latest proposal included in boxes in section 2, document 8-3

and document 8-15 submitted 23.10.2019

Pressure 11-2019

Adjustment of of BSAP structure

W

• rk plan activiity 2.2

Goals and structure of the BSAP (document 2.4, HOD 56-2019).

Note: Document 2-4 to HOD 56-2019 includes a proposal for how the Eutrophication segement could be stucutured, including ecological objectives, management objectives, and grouping of different type of actions. Changes in red are proposed by Martime 19-2019 and State and Conservation 11-2019 and has not yet been discussed by HOD.

A healthy Baltic Sea environment, with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in good environmental/ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable human economic and social activities

VISION (HOD 55-2018 agreed that the Vision of the current BSAP will be maintained):

Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication Baltic Sea undisturbed by hazardous substances and litter Environmentally friendly sustainable maritime sea-based activities Favourable status of Baltic Sea biodiversity

Baltic Sea ecosystems are healthy and resilient

SEGMENT and GOALS (as HOD 56-2019):

New objectives for:

• marine litter

New objectives for:

• loss and disturbance

to the seabed

• underwater noise

Pressure 11-2019

Guidance for objectives (short)

• linked to HELCOM assessments
• easy to communicate to the wider community
• not too many; objectives should reflect overall aim and
• bjectives of HELCOM work to the wider community
• ecological objectives are related to the desired state of the

environment

• management objectives are related to the desired effect of

management measures

• the terminology between objectives across segments should

be harmonized

Pressure 11-2019

Request to the meeting

• discuss and agree on ecological objectives for eutrophication, and hazardous

substance and litter (sections 2.1 and 2.2);

• take note of the proposal to replace the term ‘wild-life’ as used in some objectives

with the term ‘marine life’; note new proposal from S&C 11-2019

• discuss and agree on the proposals on new ecological and management objectives

for underwater noise and loss and disturbance to the seabed (sections 2.3.1 and 2.3.2); note new proposals for loss and disturbance from S&C 11-2019

• consider the proposed management objectives for maritime activities (section

2.3.3.);

• consider the proposal to include an objective on ‘No introduction on non-

indigenous species from aquaculture’ (section 2.3.4); and

• take note of the proposed ecological and management objectives for biodiversity

(2.4); note that latest versions are available in document 8-15

Pressure 11-2019

Proposed order of discussion

• Eutrophication
• Hazardous substances and litter
• Loss and disturbance to the seabed
• Underwater noise
• Proposal on a new objective for NIS

NB strikeouts in upcoming slides denote revisions made during Pressure 11-2019

Pressure 11-2019

Eutrophication

Ecological objectives

• Concentrations of nutrients close to natural levels
• Clear water
• Natural level of algal blooms
• Natural distribution and occurrence of plants and animals
• Natural oxygen levels

Pressure 11-2019

Eutrophication

Management objectives

• Minimize input of nutrients from human activities, in

particular agriculture OR

• Minimize input of nutrients from agriculture and…–with the

proposal to formulate an objective where a few critical sectors are pinpointed in the objective OR

• To link management objectives to specific sources/sectors as

discussed by Pressure 10-2019

Pressure 11-2019

Hazardous substances and litter

Ecological objectives Hazardous substances

• Concentrations of hazardous substances close to natural levels
• All seafood safe to eat
• Healthy wildlife sea life and food webs
• Radioactivity at nN Negligible Minimal risk level to humans and

environment from radioactivity Litter

• Wild-life safeguarded from marine litter, OR No harm to wildlife sea life

from [marine] litter

Note: Proposal from S&C 11-2019; to exchange the word “wild-life” with “Baltic Sea biodiversity” or “Baltic Sea life”.

Pressure 11-2019

Hazardous substances and litter

Management objectives Hazardous substances:

• Elimination or replacement of hazardous substance by more environmental

friendly alternatives, AND 1) Minimize input and impact of hazardous substances from human activities by elimination, substitution, and source management 2) Litter:

• Products are designed, produced, used and reused, recycled and disposed by

applying principles of circular economy to prevent marine litter

• Amounts of litter are significantly reduced on beaches shorelines and in the sea,
• Minimize or Prevent input of litter from …[and then to mention different main

sources]

Pressure 11-2019

Loss and disturbance of seabed habitats

Ecological objectives Seabased a Activities affecting benthic seabed habitats do not threaten the viability of species and communities (S&C 11-2019)

• Healthy seabed habitats OR
• Maintaining natural seabed conditions OR
• Undisturbed seabed from human activities OR
• Size and distribution of habitats are within limits which secure long term

variability for associated communities and ecosystem services

Pressure 11-2019

Loss and disturbance of seabed habitats

Management objectives Reduce, prevent and mitigate pressures and impacts from activities that are causing loss and disturbance to seabed habitats (S&C 11-2019)

• Sustainable practices of activities that causing loss and disturbance to

the seabed, OR the following more specific objectives – Sustainable fishery practices, AND, – Sustainable practices for extraction of oil, gas and minerals, AND, – Ecosystem-based planning of marine infrastructure, AND, – Best practices for dredging and of depositing of dredged material

Pressure 11-2019

Underwater noise

Ecological objectives

• No harm to wild sea life from anthropogenic manmade noise, OR
• Introduction of sound does not harm wildlife

Note: Proposal from S&C 11-2019; to exchange the word “wild-life” with “Baltic Sea biodiversity” or “Baltic Sea life”.

Pressure 11-2019

Underwater noise

Management objectives At present two guidelines exist:

– that two separate objectives should be developed; one for impulsive noise and one for continuous noise (State&Conservation 10-2019) – that the objectives should focus on underwater noise only (GEAR 10-2019)

• Intersessional proposals from EN Noise (Germany)

– Minimize impulsive noise to levels that do not injure or significantly disturb sea life marine wildlife. – Minimize continuous noise to levels that helps achieve good conservation status do not interfere with harm or hamper or effect the conservation status or lead to a decrease of stocks of noise sensitive species. – Minimize input of continuous and impulsive noise – Proposal Pressure: Ensure noise levels support good conservation status,

do not adversely affect stocks of noise sensitive species and do not injure or significantly disturb sea life

Pressure 11-2019

Non-indigenous species

Segment on sea-based activities includes the objective: ‘No introduction of non-indigenous species’ from ships’

Pressure 11-2019