HELCOM to Redefine Targets for Eutrophication and Nutrient Loads

26 September 2012, Gothenburg, Sweden (HELCOM Information Service) – The Helsinki Commission’s Monitoring and Assessment Group (HELCOM MONAS) will continue today a 4-day meeting to discuss issues related to monitoring of the state of the Baltic Sea. The Meeting will consider the suggested, redefined targets for the eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea. The targets will serve as the basis of the review of HELCOM’s nutrient load reduction scheme. HELCOM MONAS will also agree on the first set of core indicators to be finalised by 2013 for regular assessment of the marine environment.

A major HELCOM project, TARGREV, will deliver its final report for scientific-technical scrutiny of the HELCOM MONAS Group. The aim of the project has been to strengthen the scientific basis of HELCOM’s eutrophication targets, originally elaborated for the HELCOM integrated thematic assessment on eutrophication which was published in 2009. The Project has proposed deep water oxygen conditions and water transparency as primary eutrophication indicators along with secondary indicators for nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations. Targets proposed for the primary indicators are based on a thorough investigation of all available data since the early 20^th century. The Meeting will consider applicability of these targets for eutrophication assessments and for also serving as the basis for review of the Baltic Sea Action Plan nutrient load reduction scheme.

HELCOM MONAS will evaluate the progress in the review of the Action Plan nutrient reduction scheme. The revised scheme will include, in addition to information on waterborne loads from the HELCOM countries, also atmospheric inputs of nutrients. The revised scheme is foreseen to be adopted by the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in October 2013.

The Meeting will also plan the process for updating the eutrophication assessment of the Baltic Sea. HELCOM has agreed to produce an updated thematic assessment of eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, which should also be presented to the 2013 Ministerial Meeting.

The Meeting will also pave the way for the finalization of a first set of core indicators for hazardous substances and biodiversity by agreeing on which of the proposed indicators should be finalised. The completed core indicators will comprise a part of HELCOM’s internet-based follow-up system for the Baltic Sea Action Plan which should be ready by October 2013. The proposed core indicators range from indicators on the state of marine mammals and fish to pharmaceuticals and other harmful substances in biota, sediments and water of the Baltic Sea. Further, the Meeting will consider a proposal for an indicator on trends in arrival of new alien species.

The core set of indicators should eventually be updated regularly with monitoring data produced by the coastal countries within the HELCOM joint coordinated monitoring framework. To enable this, HELCOM is currently reviewing its monitoring programmes and the Meeting will review the progress of this monitoring revision initiative.

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Note to Editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region.

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

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For more information, please contact:

Maria Laamanen

Professional Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)46 850 9198

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: maria.laamanen@helcom.fi

Skype: helcom101

Johanna Laurila

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)40 523 8988

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fi

Skype: helcom70