Second holistic assessment of ecosystem health in the

Second holistic assessment of ecosystem health in the Baltic Sea HOLAS II Lena Bergström, Project Coordinator lena. bergstrom@helcom. fi 2015 -09 -30 HELCOM ESA WS 1 -2015

A holistic assessment – why? Photo: Ulf Bergström • Follow up on the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) • Serve as a regional roof report for the 2018 reporting of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive Lena Bergström, HOLAS II

The Baltic Sea Action Plan Good Ecological status restored by 2021 “A healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities. ” HELCOM 2007: www. helcom. fi/baltic-sea-action-plan Lena Bergström, HOLAS II

Marine Strategy Framework Directive Marine waters provide ecologically diverse and dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, healthy and productive (MSFD Article 3) www. ec. europa. eu Lena Bergström, HOLAS II

The MSFD assessment cycle Lena Bergström, HOLAS II

Timeline Years in focus for the assessment: 2011 -2016 Prepare draft report Consultation period Finalizing report Development of tools and concepts Improvement of data flows Operalization of core indicators Carrying out assessments 2015 2016 2017 2018

Main components of the assessment Pressures & human activites Environmental status Biodiversity Economic and social impacts Sufficiency of measures Hazardous substances Eutrophication Maritime activities 10/2/2020 7

Project Structure HOLAS II Chair and HOLAS II Core Team Project Coordinator Project Researcher/ Consultant A 1 Project Researcher/ Consultant A 2 Expert workshops Lead Country A 3 Supporting projects Eg. Baltic. BOOST, TAPAS Lead Country A 4+A 5 HELCOM WGs, projects, expert groups

Method and concept developments Lena Bergström, HOLAS II Photo: Lena Bergström • HELCOM environmental status assessment tools o Biodiversity o Hazardous substances o Eutrophication • The Baltic Sea Pressure and Impact Indices • Framework for socioeconomic analyses

A little bit more on the planned assessments Name Surname 10/2/2020 10

Indicators • HELCOM Core indicators • ICES (commercial fish) • Regionally agreed, quantitative GES boundary • Gap filling to enhance the number of Core indicators

Indicators potentially available for HOLAS II Name Surname 10/2/2020 12

Indicator grouping -example Holistic assessment (? ) Thematic assessment - Descriptor - BSAP key segments Sub-level group - Criterion - Element Indicator 1 Lena Bergström Indicator 2 Thematic assessment - Descriptor - BSAP key segments Sub-level group - Criterion - Element Indicator 3 Sub-level group - Criterion - Element Indicator 4 Indicator 5 10/2/2020 13

Proposed grouping of MSFD descriptors According to working documents for the MSFD Decision Review* *eg workshop on cross-cutting issues, Jan 2015 Lena Bergström, HOLAS II

Indicator Assessment units 1) Level 1: Entire Baltic Sea 2) Level 2: 17 units

Assessment units (cont. ) 3) Level 3 17 units with coastal areas separated 4) Level 4: WFD Water bodies

Pressures and human activities • Spatial distribution of pressures and activities • Combine with ecosystem layers into an impact index (Cumulative Effects Assessment, based on impact scores) Lena Bergström, HOLAS II

The Baltic Sea pressure and impact indices (BSPI and PSII) Pressure index Summed intensity of pressures Korpinen et al 2012. Ecological Indicators 15: 105 -114. Impact Index) Pressure and ecosystem data combined using Impact scores

Economic and social analyses THIS WORKSHOP • Cost of degradation (benefit of measures to improve status) • The use of marine waters • Linkages to the assessment of environmental status, pressure and human activities • • Regional aspects Aspects that can be harmonised Proposed way forward Report to the next Core team meeting 24 -25 November, 2015