ESTABLISHMENT OF ECOLOGICAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES (EcoQOs)

1,65

MB

FOR A REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM APPROACH IN THE BALTIC SEA.

77

stron

3713

ID

University of Plymouth

2003

rok

LIST OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT 3

LIST OF CONTENTS 4

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES USED 6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7

1.0 INTRODUCTION 8

1.1 SUSTAINABILITY 8

1.2 THESIS OVERVIEW 9

2.0 BACKGROUND – THE CONTEXT 10

2.1 RELAVANT GLOBAL CONVENTIONS 11

2.2 REGIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 13

2.2.1 THE BALTIC SEA 13

2.2.1.1 ABIOTIC VARIABILITY 14

2.2.1.2 BIOTIC VARIABILITY 15

2.2.1.3 A UNIQUE AND VULNERABLE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 15

2.2.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIVERSITY 15

2.2.3 INTERACTION WITH THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 17

2.2.4 INTERLINKED SUSTAINABILITY 18

2.2.5 A REGIONAL INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 18

2.2.5.1 TWO MAJOR PLAYERS 18

2.2.5.2 OTHER INSTITUTIONAL COOPERATING BODIES 19

2.3 TOWARDS A REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM APPROACH 21

3.0 METHODOLOGY 21

3.1 THE STUDY 21

3.1.1 INTERVIEWEES 21

3.1.2 THE QUESTIONNAIRE 22

3.1.3 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS 22

4.0 RESULTS 22

4.1 BARRIERS TO THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH 22

4.2 ATTITUDES ON ASSESSEMENT AND MANAGEMENT 23

4.3 CRITERIA FOR GOOD EcoQOs 24

4.4 PRIORITIZATION OF KEY ISSUES 25

5.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 27 5.1 CHAPTER 1 – BARRIERS TO THE ECOSYSTEM

APPROACH 27

5.1.1 HUMAN NATURE RELATIONSHIP 27

5.1.2 ADOPTING THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH 28

5.1.2.1 THE BALTIC SEA REGION 30

5.2 CHAPTER 2 - ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 31

5.2.1 AN ADAPTIVE APPROACH 31

5.2.2 UNCERTAINTY 31

5.2.3 THE BALTIC SEA 32

5.2.3.1 ASSESSMENT 32

5.2.3.2 MANAGEMENT 35

5.3 CHAPTER 3 – AN ECOSYTEM APPROACH & EcoQO ROADMAP 36

5.3.1 AN OVERVIEW 36

5.3.2 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT 37

5.3.2.1 THE BREMEN MEETING 37

5.3.2.2 THE KOGE CONFERENCE 38

5.3.2.3 THE BERGEN DECLARATION 39

5.3.3 SCIENTIFIC UNDERPINNINGS – APPROACH AND PROCESS 40

5.3.3.1 AN OVERVIEW 40

5.3.3.2 REGIONAL APPLICATION 41

5.3.3.2.1 THE CONTEXT 41

5.3.3.2.2 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES – EcoQOs 42

5.3.3.2.3 THE PROCESS 43

5.3.4 A REGIONAL ROADMAP 45

5.4 CHAPTER 4 - ISSUES AND CRITERIA FOR EcoQOs 47

5.4.1 LOCALIZATION OF ISSUES 47

5.4.2 INDICATOR DEVELOPMENT – EcoQOs 48

5.4.3 PRIORITY ISSUES 50

5.4.3.1 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES 50

5.4.3.2 EUTROPHICATION AND NUTRIENT POLLUTION 52

5.4.3.3 THREATENED / LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY 55

5.4.3.4 HABITAT DEGRADATION 56

5.4.3.5 AN INTERGATED HIGH PRIORITY INDICATOR 57

5.4.4 PROPOSED EcoQOs 57

5.4.5 CROSS-CHECKING EcoQOs WITH MANAGEMENT ACTION 58

6.1 CONCLUSION 59

6.2 FUTURE WORK 60

APPENDIX 1 : QUESTIONNAIRE 61

APPENDIX 2 : TERMS 67

APPENDIX 3 : OTHER ISSUES OF CONCERN 69

REFERENCES 73