Past landscapes of the Bay of Puck

Na podstawie opracowań i publikacji naukowych oraz wspomnień starszych rybaków i mieszkańców rejonu Zatoki Puckiej opisano stan Zatoki z lat 50. i 60. XX w. Przeanalizowano przyczyny degradacji Zatoki, w tym wskazano na konkretne przedsięwzięcia oraz decyzje gospodarcze, które doprowadzały do niekorzystnych zmian przyrodniczych. Omówiono działania podjęte na rzecz ochrony tego akwenu, które polegały głównie na uporządkowaniu gospodarki ściekowej w obrębie zlewiska. Wskazano, że Zatoka Pucka nadal jest nadmiernie obciążona dopływem związków odżywczych, a także eksploatacją turystyczną. Rośnie presja deweloperów i prowadzone są modernizacje portów rybackich, wskutek czego w rejonie Zatoki Puckiej wciąż zachodzą niekorzystne zmiany krajobrazowe.The study presents the basic hydrological features of the Bay of Puck which have allowed for the emergence and development of a diverse flora and fauna, including a rich ichthyofauna. On the basis of research and scientific publications, as well as the memories of older fishermen and inhabitants of the region, its state in the 1950s and 1960s is described. The reasons for its degradation were analyzed, including the specific projects and economic decisions that led to unfavorable environmental change. Action taken to protect the bay mainly consists of organizing wastewater management within the catchment area. It is pointed out that the Bay of Puck is still too heavily burdened with an inflow of nutrients as well as tourist overexploitation. Pressure from developers and the modernization of ports and fishing harbors is growing. As a result, unfavorable landscape changes in the Bay of Puck are still taking place

Physical Fields During Construction and Operation of Wind Farms by Example of Polish Maritime Areas

The article discusses an important issue of technical pressure exerted on the marine environment during construction and operation of maritime wind farms (MFW) on waters of the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone. A motivation for analysing this issue is the need for attracting attention to the aspect of physical field modification as the factor which links large scale technical activity at sea with the existence and functioning of the marine ecosystem, including further consequences to its economic benefits. Based on current knowledge and authors' analyses, the scale of modifications (disturbances) of physical fields expected to take place during MFW construction and operation was assessed

Deliverable 7.3 Marine Strategies for the Baltic Sea : First steps in the implementation of MSFD in Denmark, Poland, Finland and Sweden

In 2008, the European Commission adopted its first legislative instrument for comprehensive protection of the marine environment, the Marine Strategy Framework  Directive (MSFD). By the end of 2012, the first concrete steps have been taken in the implementation of the directive, including its transposition into national legislations and the preparation of the first phase of the national marine strategies, i.e. Initial Assessment (IA) (Art.8), Determination of Good Environmental Status (GES) (Art.9), and Setting Environmental Targets and Indicators (Art.10). These steps aim at national marine strategies that will further include a Monitoring Programme and a Programme of Measures. The aim of this report is to describe and compare the different preparation processes the MSFD enacted in Denmark, Poland, Sweden and Finland. Throughout the Baltic Sea region, the preparation process has been supported by informal EU level working groups as well as by HELCOM working groups and projects. While the former WGs have concentrated on creating common understanding and providing guidelines for the process, the contribution of the latter ones has been mainly on providing relevant information (i.e. assessments and indicators) for the Baltic Sea region. This study was conducted between June and October 2012 and therefore the observations presented in this report reflect to the processes that took place up to October 2012.  The MSFD had been transposed into national legislation in all of the case countries apart from Poland in which the transposition is expected to be finalised by the end of 2012. The delay in the transposition process has significant consequences to the preparation process of Polish national marine strategy. However, all of the four countries failed to finalise the first phase of the national marine strategies (i.e. articles 8, 9 and 10 of the directive) by July 15th 2012, as was required by the directive. Furthermore, the directive stipulated that the first phases of the national marine strategies are reported to the Commission by October 15th 2012, but Denmark was the only country able to report the complete first phase of its national marine strategy to the Commission by the established deadline.  The preparation processes and the modes of operation varied regarding, for example, the division of responsibilities in the preparation process. In Denmark and Sweden the responsibility for implementing the MSFD was given to a single agency, whereas in Poland and Finland the responsibility was shared between three ministries and their respective administrative sectors. In Denmark and Poland, the preparation of articles 8, 9 and 10 were outsourced through tendering to national research institutes, universities and a consultancy company (in Denmark), whereas in Finland and Sweden, the related authorities (government agencies and institutes) have carried out the preparatory work as a part of their official duties.  In all of the four countries, relevant administrative sectors participated in the preparation process, however, wider stakeholder participation was organised only through the hearing procedures. The hearing procedure was organised in Finland and Sweden in the spring of 2012 and in Denmark over the summer of 2012. The procedure will be organised in Poland after the transposition of the MSFD has been finalised. Despite of the short – only 4 weeks long – hearing procedures over a hundred comments were received in Finland and over seventy in Sweden. In Denmark, the process lasted for 12 weeks and 28 comments were received.KnowSeas - Knowledge-based Sustainable Management of Europe's Sea

The different uses of sea space in Polish Marine Areas: is conflict inevitable?

Seven major types of sea space use (Nature Protection Measures, Fisheries Exploitation, Geological Exploitation, Recreation, Large Infrastructures, Navigation, Military uses) in the Polish Marine Areas are presented in terms of how much space is used (km2) for each use and the degree of overlap among the different uses. The greatest degree of conflict is noted with regard to Nature Protection (which overlaps with 60% of the areas used for Recreation and Geological Exploitation), and Fisheries Exploitation (which overlaps with 60% of the areas used for Nature Protection, Recreation, Infrastructure and Navigation). On the other hand, Fisheries Exploitation areas are the least disturbed by other users, and its major competitor is Nature Protection, which claims 20% of the areas used by fisheries. A GIS-based map that illustrates the degree of conflict is included, and the authors suggest participatory management as the proper way to minimize conflicts over sea space use and to promote the effective protection of natural resources

Coping with persistent environmental problems - Systemic delays in reducing eutrophication of the Baltic Sea.

Acknowledgments: The research leading to this paper has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under grant agreement number 226675 "Knowledge-based Sustainable Management for Europe’s Seas." The research was funded also by grants from the Swedish Research Council Formas Project “Regime Shifts in the Baltic Sea Ecosystem” and the strategic program at Stockholm University “Baltic Ecosystem Adaptive Management Program.” Research presented in this paper contributes to the Nordic Centre for Research on Marine Ecosystems and Resources under Climate Change (NorMER), which is funded by the Norden Top-level Research Initiative subprogram "Effect Studies and Adaptation to Climate Change." The authors are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers whose critical comments helped to improve the paper substantially.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Basis for a valuation of the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea: Rationale and quest for tools

This paper summarises current knowledge of goods and servicesin the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea ecosystem.It reviews specific properties of the Baltic that could be usedfor economic valuation. Goods and services range from the familiarresources of fish and minerals, which were valued with the ProductivityMethod, to less obvious services provided by the ecosystem suchas biofiltration in coastal sands, valued with either the ReplacementCost or Damage Cost Avoided methods. Disservices to the marineecosystem are also considered, e.g. erosion and coastal flooding,including the costs of planned mitigating measures. This paperemphasises the importance of using valuation methods to helpmake better-educated decisions for the sustainability of theBaltic Sea