Baltic Sea EBSA workshop -further clarification Some of the slides were presented on the HELCOM S&C meeting in Tallin
What are EBSAs? EBSAs are (by definition): ” special areaas in the ocean that serve • important purposes, in one way or another, to support the healthy functioning of oceans and the many services that it provides ”. EBSAs are not: the same as MPAs (they do not have the same legal • protection) The EBSA status doesn’t shoehorn these areas to become MPAs but • many of the existing MPAs may be included into EBSA areas due to similar selection criteria The first EBSAs were very large but, over the past years EBSAs e.g. • around South Africa and the Mediterranean are small enough to make EBSAs relevant for the Baltic Sea as well 2 Esittäjän nimi alatunnisteeseen
The criteria for identifying EBSAs Uniqueness or rarity • Special importance for life-history stages of species • Importance for threatened, endangered or declining species • and/or habitats Vulnerability, fragility, sensitivity, or slow recovery • Biological productivity • Biological diversity • Naturalness •
Organising the EBSA workshop • The workshop benefit from the CBD Secretariat’s experience and the astonishingly excellent GIS experts from the Duke University • At present the CBD Secretariat invite the Contracting Parties GIS experts for a preparative training held in Montreal • About 13 EBSA workshop have been held so far, including the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. • HELCOM host the EBSA workshop and Finland will fund it but CP's carry the costs for sending their experts to the workshop • The Baltic Sea EBSA workshop is planned to take place in February 2018
Anticipated benefits of EBSAs a) All areas of ecological and biological importance in the Baltic Sea are identified (based on the current knowledge) and categorized in a structured way utilizing a recognized menthod offered by CBD b) The identification of EBSA is an expert process and it is, in practice, generally easier than a designation process of MPAs (EBSAs are not legally binding) c) EBSAs, and the data used for identification of EBSAs, can be recognized and utilized when carrying out MSP, but there could be other uses of the information (for HOLAS III?) d) EBSA have become widely recognized and are now acknowledged in almost every marine topic dealt with by the CBD in the last years and, it would be relevant to know the EBSA process in detail, by having EBSAs of our own e) If the Baltic Sea doesn’t have any EBSAs of its own then this could weaken our possibilities to influence the EBSA related processes within the CBD f) EBSAs would allow us to address the connectivity related problems with HELCOM MPAs g) EBSAs can also be transboundary but it will be left up to the countries to decide if they want transboundary EBSAs h) EBSAs also link into the MSP process because EBSAs point out where we have areas with higher ecological and biological value than what we have in other areas
Expected links between EBSAs and HELCOM MPAs NOW: 174 HELCOM MPAs which cover 11.7% of the Baltic Sea marine area The number of EBSAs will be much lower, maybe as few as 10-20 EBSA's are often larger than existing MPAs and may form larger transboundary units that includes several MPAs as well as other marine areas
We are well informed in HELCOM 1/3
We are well informed in HELCOM 2/3
We are soon even more well informed in HELCOM when we finish HOLAS II
What have happened since the HELCOM S&C meeting in Tallinn? Sweden requested more information on the resources that the EBSA • workshop will require FI and the HELCOM Secretariat contacted the CBD Secretariat as well as • the Duke University EBSA experts in January/February and forwarded this information to the HODs HODs were in favour or organizing a Baltic Sea EBSA workshop • FI secured financing for organizing the Baltic Sea EBSA workshop • HELCOM Contracting Parties will carry their own costs for participating • in the workshop
What will happen next? The first notification is a call for nominations of experts (2 from each • country in the relevant region). The first notification will be sent to the CBD focal points in the • relevant region, as well as relevant organizations , both global and regional The CBD will organize a training session for GIS experts prior to the • workshop to make sure that the experts know what the workshop requires 11 Esittäjän nimi alatunnisteeseen
What will happen next? The second notification is a request for scientific information in support • of the workshop objectives. It goes to all Parties, other Governments and organizations, regardless of • the region. Attached to that will be a template, for submission of description of • areas meeting the EBSA criteria . Of course, relevant reports and other types of information may also be submitted The HELCOM secretariat informed that they can send all data that they • have centrally in HELCOM (for which an inventory could be made and formal request to the countries for approval to share these data as countries own) Consequently , the workshop can be carried out by using existing • HELCOM data (HOLAS II, HELCOM MPA database, etc.) but will of course benefit from any additional data that the participants can contribute They Duke University might also contact potential data holders to obtain • fine-scale data not available through HELCOM 12 Esittäjän nimi alatunnisteeseen
What will happen next? The Duke University produce a data report with relatively broad-scale • data, (usually about 100 data layers), for each EBSA workshop and this will be analyzed jointly at the workshop. You will find this data report, as well as other documentation, on the • website of each EBSA workshop. The Black Sea/Caspian Sea workshop webpage, is available at: https://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=EBSAWS-2017-01. 13 Esittäjän nimi alatunnisteeseen
THANK YOU!
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