Co-Financed Under European Integrated Maritime Policy

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1 Co-Financed Under European Integrated Maritime Policy PLAN BOTHNIA MSP 3/2011 PLAN BOTHNIA MSP 3 Helsinki, Finland, October 19-20, 2011 Agenda Item 3 The PLAN BOTHNIA MSP Assessment Document code: 3/5 Date: 13 October 2011 Submitted by: HELCOM and SYKE ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS BACKGROUND DOCUMENT This document includes background information regarding protected areas and ecological values in the Bothnian Sea. The meeting is invited to: -take note of the information as a basis for work

2 PLAN BOTHNIA MSP 3 Meeting Helsinki October 2011 Ecologically Valuable Areas-Background Document Hermanni Backer & Manuel Frias, HELCOM Secretariat. Marco Nurmi SYKE Introduction... 1 Some general ecosystem characteristics... 1 Existing protected areas in the Bothnian Sea... 4 Protected areas in the offshore planning area... 6 Estimation of areas with high ecological value for the offshore planning area... 8 Introduction According to the regional Baltic Sea Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) principles any marine plans should be ecosystem based. This introduces to the planning process a need for general consideration of ecosystem characteristics like sea bed morphology (Map 1), geological formations (Map 2), oceanographic parameters like currents (Map 4), salinity (Map 5), and ice (Map 6) as well as naturally the distribution of fauna, flora and habitats (micro-environments important for fauna and flora) in the planning area. Such parameters have been the basis for various area designations referred here as protected areas. Despite the name few of these have in themselves serious practical implications, i.e. use restrictions such restrictions emanate from other sources of law. In addition, few of such areas have been designated offshore, the focus area of the Plan Bothnia project. One can argue that ecosystem based planning should take a wider look at the ecological features of the planning area and go beyond existing protected areas and even the framework of protected areas. In the last part this document a proposal for ecologically important areas is presented and will provide a starting point for further discussion on the issue and around the ecosystem basis of the Plan Bothnia initiative. Some general ecosystem characteristics The Bothnian Sea has a shallow area in the west (Swedish waters) with several banks, a deeper depression run from the southern quark to the north where the deepest part, the Ulvö deep is situated. Currents are weak in the Bothnian Sea with a general counterclockwise pattern of the mean circulation, in the order of few cm per second, with stronger currents along the Finnish coast and close to the northern and southern edges (Quarks). The Bothnian Sea has a low (ca. 4-6 promille) surface salinity which limits the distribution of plant and animal species. Of the Baltic Sea habitat building species both blue mussel and bladder wrack live here at the edge of their distribution range. Basin wide the water masses have a twolayered structure with a weak halocline around m -from which salinity increases linearly with depth. Ice conditions are quite harsh and the entire Bothnian Sea freezes during a normal winter. The central open sea areas freeze (ca 40 cm offshore) around mid-february and melt by mid-april. 1

3 1. 2. Maps 1.-3: Bathymetry, geology, main regions Map 1. Overview of the topography of the Bothnian Sea, national borders (TW and EEZ) and the planning area defined as the area offshore of the line baseline + 1 nautical mile. Data Source: HELCOM, IOW, U.S.A. National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency, Swedish EPA (Naturvårdsverket). Map 2. Surface geology of the Bothnian Sea divided into five general types. Hard bottom complex refers to a varied bottom with boulders and other bottom types. Based on data from the Interreg Balance project (Al-Hamdani, Reker, Leth, Reijonen, Kotilainen, Dinesen 2007) 3. Map 3. An attempt to define major regions of the Bothnian Sea based on physical characteristics. 2

4 4. 5. Maps 4.-6.: Currents, Salinity and Ice Map 4. depicts mean surface water circulation in the Bothnian Sea (centimeters per second). Drawing based on Myrberg and Andrejev (2006). Map 5. depicts average Bothnian Sea surface salinity in June. Redrawn from Myrberg, Leppäranta & Kuosa 2006, originally based on Bock Map 6. depicts average ice cover days on the Bothnian Sea Based on results of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) project SWECLIM ( ). 3

5 Existing protected areas in the Bothnian Sea A number of sites in the Plan Bothnia area have been designated as protected areas based on either national/eu legislation or international agreements. In addition there exist a number of areas not having such protected status -but which can to certain extent be regarded as priority areas for further conservation action, like Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Bird Life International and partly the various Swedish national interest areas (Map 7). UNESCO world heritage Vänta Litets Grund Natura 2000 & BSPA Bothnian Sea National Park (FIN) Finngrundet eastern bank Natura 2000 & BSPA Uusikaupunki Archipelago Natura 2000 & BSPA Map 7. Protected area designations and some NGO/expert recommendations, in the Bothnian Sea. The protected areas completely or partly within the planning area are indicated by arrows. Swedish national interests not included. 4

6 National parks based on national laws and the EU Natura 2000 network, based on two related EU Directives, are among the most well-known types of protected areas. These are in general enforceable in national or EU Courts. There exist also international types of protected area nominations in the Bothnian Sea. These include i.a. the Quark and the High Coast world heritage site (designation based on an UNESCO Convention on World Heritage) and HELCOM Baltic Sea Protected Areas (BSPAs) established on the basis of the Helsinki Convention (more exactly Recommendation 15/5 adopted under this convention). These are usually less clearly enforceable by courts- even if they still carry certain (international) legal aura. It is important to note that many nationally established areas are listed both under the Natura 2000 as well as BSPA networks. The consequences of these designations for use interests vary depending i.a. on the legal instrument they are based on and the specific management plans and site designation documents (Table 1). In most cases these designation in itself imply only very limited, if any, concrete restrictions regarding use beyond other applicable law (including land use plans). No restrictions apply for shipping within Bothnian Sea protected areas, in principle this is possible through IMO areas to be avoided designations, existing in the Baltic Sea south of Gotland. Fisheries activites are usually accepted within parks, even if there have been attempts to regulate this, e.g. by guidelines drafted by EU Commission for fisheries in Natura 2000 areas. In Kattegatt there is windpower development planned within a Natura 2000 site.. Table 1.: Summary of protected areas and priority designations in the Bothnian Sea Network/datas et name Legal Base Bothnian Sea sites in planning area and Restrictions for activities Natura 2000 National Park (Finland) Seal protected areas (Finland) National Interests(SWE) Two types: section 4 or 3 Miljöbalken BSPA UNESCO world heritage sites Important Bird Areas (IBAs) EU Law: EC Birds Directive 1979 (EEC/79/409) & EC Habitats Directive 1992 (EEC/92/43) National law: (Finnish legislation) National law: (Finnish legislation) National law: (Swedish legislation) International Law: Helsinki Convention 1992, Recommendation 15/5 International Law: UNESCO convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage(paris, 1972) (ngo recommendation). - names SWE: two sites Vänta Litets grund and Finngrundet, small sections of other sites (FIN&SWE). 1 (Satakunta Marine national park) 2 (Snipansgrund- Medelkallan & Sandbäck ) various, including an area offshore of High Coast UNESCO site SWE: 2 whole sites Vänta Litets grund and Finngrundet, small section of FIN site Uudenkaupungin saaristo. The Quark and The High Coast synopsis? According to conservation objectives. EU guidelines for fisheries exist. According to management plan e.g. fisheries allowed Relatively strict protection If applied According to adopted management plan According to adopted management plan - - Notes Enforceable through national and eventually the EU court. Enforceable through national courts Enforceable through national courts. Small areas. Not directly enforceable in most cases. HELCOM Convention and Rec. 15/5. Nearly all also Natura 2000 sites. Not directly enforceable. Protection based on UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Not directly enforceable. 5

7 Protected areas in the offshore planning area The two protected areas, Swedish Natura 2000 and HELCOM BSPA designations, are entirely within the planning area and are described below as examples. The Finnish Bothnian Sea national park extend also partly to the planning area as do the outer edges of Uusikaupunki archipelago (FIN, Natura 2000 and BSPA), of the Quark (FIN, UNESCO, Natura 2000 and BSPA) and of the High coast (SWE,UNESCO and BSPA). See Map 7 for location. Finland has an ongoing initiative to identify and eventually designate Natura 2000 areas offshore. Vänta Litets Grund The Vänta Litets bank (Sweden, Natura 2000 & BSPA) In July 2008, the Swedish government proposed protecting Vänta Litets Grund by making it a Natura 2000 area. The designation descision was made in September The main reasons for protecting the area is its considerable presence of Mytilus edulis (blue mussel) as well as its function as an important spawning area for fish. The area also has a high population of herring. Vänta Litets Grund, which is part of Västernorrland County, is characterized by reefs (coverage 1.39%) and sublittoral sand banks (coverage 98.60%). Vänta Litets Grund has an area of ha. The seabed topography at Vänta Litets Grund is varied, with numerous small banks steeply rising from the surrounding seabed. The area is rich in algae compared to banks in the north, but not as rich as Finngrunden in the south. A study concluded in May 2008 by Naturvårdsverket (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) found that Vänta Litets Grund's vegetation is dominated by the brown algae Sphacelaria arctica and Pylaiella littoralis although other algae were also present. Sedentary algae could be found in depths of up to 23 meters. The study found four sedentary animals: Mytilus edulis, Electra crustulenta, Cordylophora caspia and Balanus improvisus. Of the four animals, Mytilus edulis and Electra crustulenta were the most common. At spots where it was found, the ecologically important Mytilus edulis usually covered about 5% of the seabed; although in a few cases Mytilus edulis covered up to 10%. Of the banks explored in the study conducted by Naturvårdsverket, Mytilus edulis was clearly the most abundant in Vänta Litets Grund. It is worth noting that the high presence of Mytilus edulis in this area is somewhat unusual, as the species tends to diminish in size and population northwards in the Baltic. The area has no active management plan. Several potential threats to Vänta Lites Grund have been identified: Dredging, Blasting, Damage to the seabed caused by fishing related activities, Wind turbines, Eutrophication, Sand sucking, Oil and chemical spills Further information: l+kartor.pdf "Förklarning till kartor Översiktsplan " Härnosands kommun "Utbredning av arter och naturtyper på utsjögrund i Östersjön" - Naturvårdsverket

8 Finngrundets Östra Bank The Eastern Bank of Finngrundet (Natura 2000 & BSPA, SWE) Like Vänta Litets Grund, in July 2008 Finngrundets Östra Bank (part of Gävleborgs County) was proposed for Natura 2000 protection and in September 2009 it was settled. The area of Finngrundets Östra Bank is ha and it resides about 40 km from the coast % of the area is compromised of sublittoral sand banks and 6.29% of reefs. Finngrundets Östra Bank consists of a large central area, as well as a relatively shallow part which is less than 10 meters deep. The bank is affected by strong erosion from currents and waves as well as ice abrasion during winter. Due to its large, shallow areas of hard bottom; Finngrundets Östra Bank provides good conditions for hard bottom organisms, for example macroalgae, to thrive. The area is also characterized by algae belts as well as a high biomass and biodiversity. It is thought that the area is an important foraging area for grey seals and a spawning place for Baltic herring. Finngrundets Östra Bank is also considered a place where species that have suffered from human activities in costal areas can take refuge in. During the same study mentioned above concerning "Vänta Litets Grund" (i.e. Naturvårdsverket 2008), it was concluded that the area was had a very diverse and healthy assortment of algae species with considerable amounts of Fucus vesiculosus and F. radicans sometimes with a coverage of 100%. No other area in the study showed so high amounts of Fucus vesiculosus and F. radicans both of which are ecologically important in the Baltic Sea. The assortment of animal species (the most common of which was Electra crustulenta) was the same as in Vänta Litets grund, however; Mytilus edulis was found in only small amounts and no area was densely populated. The coverage of animal species was often around 1-5%. There is a major wind power development initiative, presently in EIA phase, aiming to build a large number of turbines within this protected area. Further information: "Utbredning av arter och naturtyper på utsjögrund i Östersjön" - Naturvårdsverket 7

9 Estimation of areas with high ecological value for the offshore planning area As seen in the previous section only a limited number of protected areas, which would in most cases indicate some sort of special value, have been designated in the Plan Bothnia planning area. This is partly the result of limited information available on the spatial aspects of the offshore environment, and the role such valuable sub-areas have in the Bothnian Sea ecosystem. However, high ecological value is usually connected to features like shallow areas (<20m deep), identified fish spawning areas (Map 7), areas with high topographic complexity (variation in sea bed elevation, Map 8) and certain geological features like sandbanks and stone reefs (Map 2). Based a compilation of such features (Map 9) areas of high ecological value can be estimated for spatial planning use (Map 10). Map 7. Fish (Herring and Whitefish) spawning areas in the Bothnian Sea identified by interviewing local fishermen. Spawning grounds for herring based on two studies, one from Sweden performed in 2003 by the Swedish Board of Fisheries (Gunnarz et al. 2011) and one from the surroundings of Vasa, Finland, in 1984 performed by Regionplaneförbundet för Vasa län. Spawning grounds for whitefish based on results from Gunnarz et al Please note that data from Finnish coast south of Ostrobothnia possibly available but not included here. 8

10 Map 8. Seabed complexity derived from relative variation in depth topography according to method by Ardron et al. 9

11 Map 9: A compilation of GIS data on shallow areas, seabed complexity, surface geology, fish spawning grounds as well as important bird area (IBA) and Swedish national interest (Riksintresse) designations. 10

12 Map 10: An attempt to define ecologically special areas in the Bothnian Sea offshore based on depth, seabed complexity, surface geology, fish spawning ground as well as important bird area (IBA) and Swedish national interest (Riksintresse) designations. 11