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Project background
The Baltic Sea is currently in a poor environmental condition due to the severe impact of human activities: Overfishing, pollution, eutrophication and the climate crisis threaten marine ecosystems and their biodiversity. Despite the formal protection granted by EU legislation – numerous nature sites in the Baltic Sea form part of the Natura 2000 network of areas protected by the EU’s “Nature Directives” –, effective conservation measures are still lacking.
Likewise, the maritime spatial planning of the Baltic Sea Member States is meant to coordinate and minimize conflicting economic interests in the sea and coastal zones and reconcile them with the aim of environmental protection and nature conservation. But it has not yet resolved the problem of overuse, or advanced the achievement of a good environmental status of the Baltic Sea and its transboundary marine and coastal waters, as demanded by the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
To improve the health of marine ecosystem, reducing the impact of human pressures such as overfishing and enhanced nutrient inputs from agriculture, which are not compatible with the EU Nitrates and Water Framework Directives, is key. But while the latter can be regulated at the national level, in the case of commercial fishing, joint decisions by all affected Member States are required at the EU level. At the moment, coordination processes within the EU to regulate fishing activities like bottom trawling in marine protected areas are taking place. Moreover, the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law, which calls for restoration measures on at least 20 percent of the EU’s land and marine areas by 2030 (and the restoration of all degraded ecosystems by 2050), provides further impetus for the EU Baltic Sea States to implement effective measures to protect their marine and coastal ecosystems..
So, legislative frameworks are in place, yet coastal ecosystems remain degrading: Big river deltas flowing into the Baltic Sea, which are important staging areas for migratory birds, are degrading due to unsustainable land use or nutrient inflows from intensive agriculture. Industry and infrastructure development or the setting up of coastal and marine wind parks can in some cases conflict with biodiversity conservation. Marine pollution with hazardous substances and microplastics is and remains an issue.
The engagement of international networks can be vitally important to address these common environmental challenges as they stimulate practical cross-border cooperation. Concrete conservation projects demonstrating ‘best practices’ can inspire and encourage competent authorities in neighbouring countries to implement more ambitious measures as well. Thus, the projects aims to connect conservation stakeholders from Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden to advance and improve their implementation of relevant EU directives and strategies through mutual learning and joint approaches.
Project goals and measures
The Baltic Coast Dialogue aims to establish an international network that brings together actors from environmental organizations, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, science and public authorities in the EU Baltic States. Thereby, effective protection and restoration measures as well as sustainable fisheries management in the marine and coastal ecosystems of the Baltic Sea can be discussed, coordinated and jointly implemented. The network offers an interactive dialog series with thematic specialisations on jointly selected topics relevant to a healthy Baltic Sea: Marine and coastal, or “blue” restoration, the management of Marine Protected Areas (as designated by the Helsinki Commission), fisheries and coastal management. Workshops allow network members to openly and constructively address relevant issues of marine conservation and fisheries management, explore synergies and develop joint perspectives that reconcile both diverging marine and coastal uses as well as economic uses and biodiversity conservation.
The aim of the discussions is to produce short recommendations, statements, discussion papers or guidelines based on the consensus of all stakeholders. As a result, formal proceedings for both transnational and national protection measures in the marine and coastal waters of the Baltic Sea may be accelerated. Workshops will be co-organized by an English-speaking network coordinator with the support of the national project partners to be able to establish valuable contacts to relevant stakeholders like fishers and representatives of the administration in Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. Background information and workshop results will be uploaded to the project website with the option to interested parties to register and write their own statements.