Threatened Baltic marine species reviewed in HELCOM meeting

14 May 2013 (HELCOM Information Service) – The assessment of threatened and declining species and biotopes in the Baltic Sea will topple the Meeting agenda of the HELCOM Nature Protection and Biodiversity Group (HELCOM HABITAT), to be held on 14-17 May in Riga, Latvia. In the draft assessment, altogether 4 % of the assessed species have been identified as being at risk of extinction. The 15^th Regular Meeting will also discuss other new and ongoing projects and programmes to halt the decline in biodiversity and to protect the endangered species and biotopes in the Baltic marine area.

The Meeting will review the results on the Red List assessment of threatened species and biotopes in the Baltic Sea. The draft results indicate that at least 4 % of the assessed 1752 Baltic marine organisms that are visible to the eye are under a threat of extinction. There are 2730 known macro species in the Baltic Sea but more than 800 of them were not evaluated, many of them due to lack of data. Among the threatened species are two out of three Baltic Sea seal species, ringed and common seal, the harbour porpoise, 22 species of sea birds, 14 species of fish, seven macrophyte plants and 19 invertebrates. The results are a product of a four-year HELCOM project of all the Baltic Sea countries, RED LIST, involving about 70 experts.

There are numerous threats that are acting on the species. Eutrophication is a large scale phenomenon affecting the whole Baltic Sea area except for its northernmost parts and it is also the most commonly mentioned threat factor for threatened species. The main adverse effects of eutrophication on species are the worsened underwater light conditions, hypoxia and the overall reduction in water and habitat quality. By-catch of fisheries is a threat often mentioned by experts for red listed sea birds, fish and mammal species. Not only commercial fisheries but also recreational fishermen unintentionally trap and kill animals when using for instance gill nets, hence posing a threat to red listed species in the Baltic Sea. By-catch is currently poorly monitored, and the mere magnitude of by-catch is not well understood in the Baltic Sea.

The changes in the use of coastal areas affect the species composition and result in certain species becoming threatened. Cattle grazing in the coastal areas has previously kept these areas open and revitalized certain sensitive plant species, which are now tending towards a threat of extinction in the absence of grazing. Newcomers, such as the invasive mink, are also a risk to native species.

The meeting will discuss the HELCOM Recommendations focusing on nature conservation in the light of the updated findings on threatened species. Among the new proposals is a draft Recommendation on conservation measures on birds at risk from energy production at sea. The Meeting will also consider updates to the Recommendation on Baltic Sea marine protected areas. Further, the need for new Recommendations focusing on the threats on species may be raised in the discussion.

A massive exercise of creating an underwater biotope classification (HELCOM HUB) is about to be finalized, with the result that approximately 318 different biotopes and habitats have been identified and delineated in the Baltic Sea. The classification creates a common understanding of the types of existing biotopes and habitats, what kind of environmental factors shape them, what the characteristic communities consist of as well as nomenclature. The classification will be a valuable tool in underwater habitat mapping and the management of the use of marine space. It is also a needed starting point for a biotope threat assessment which will consider the risk of extinction of all the identified biotopes. The threat assessment will be prepared by autumn 2013.

Moreover, the Meeting will discuss how to strengthen the network of marine protected areas and their management in the Baltic Sea. Each country will provide an overview of its marine protected areas’ development and an activity will be upstarted to develop a status update on the network of protected areas in the Baltic Sea by autumn 2013.

The Meeting serves as preparation towards the HELCOM 2013 Ministerial Meeting which is to be held on 3 October 2013 in Copenhagen. The Meeting will be conducted by the Chair of HELCOM HABITAT, Ms. Katarzyna Kaminska, Poland.

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Note to editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organisation of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation.

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

Nature Protection and Biodiversity Group (HELCOM HABITAT), which is one of the HELCOM Groups, works to conserve and protect biodiversity, species and habitats and promote the sustainable use of living marine resources, and to ensure that the need for environmental protection is duly considered in different activities that affect the marine environment, by using tools such as spatial planning and environmental impact assessments.

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For more information, please contact:

Ms. Maria Laamanen
Professional Secretary
HELCOM
Tel: +358 46 850 9198
Skype: helcom101
E-mail: maria.laamanen@helcom.fi

Ms. Johanna Laurila
Information Secretary
HELCOM
Tel: +358 40 523 8988
Skype: helcom70
E-mail: johanna.laurila@helcom.fi