Funding the eutrophication of the Baltic SeaFunding the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea Ottilia...
15
Funding the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea Ottilia Thoreson, Director WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme Workshop: Efficient use of EU funding in the Baltic Sea European Parliament, Brussels 15 May, 2018
Funding the eutrophication of the Baltic SeaFunding the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea Ottilia Thoreson, Director WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme Workshop: Efficient use of EU funding
Ottilia Thoreson, DirectorWWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme Workshop: Efficient use of EU funding in the Baltic SeaEuropean Parliament, Brussels15 May, 2018
WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme
WWF Denmark
WWF Finland
WWF Germany
WWF Poland
WWF Russia
WWF Sweden
Baltic Fund for Nature (Russia)
Estonian Fund for Nature
Lithuanian Fund for Nature
Pasaules Dabas Fonds (Latvia)
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Explain BEP and long time observers of the HELCOM process – active in the setting of the BSAP back in 2007 which was seen as an innovative approach to saving the Baltic Sea
The Baltic SeaComplex ecosystem where everything is
inter-connected
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Eutrophication - biggest challenge to the Baltic Sea
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Smoothering by filamentous algaeThe effects of anoxic sea bottom
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Jag är 3 generationens fiskare i Sverige och fiskat största delen av mitt liv i Östersjön, så lite fiskare som vi är idag och varit dom sista 4-5 åren och ändå återhämtar sig inte torsken så jag är övertygad om att det har med miljön att göra. Många fiskare är rädda för WWF eftersom vi ofta får kritik och skulden för torsken minskar men tittar man idag på hur lite torsk som fiskas upp i västar Östersjön ( då skall man inte räkna med Öresund för där är torskfisket allmänt bra ) så förstår man att något är fel och vi har mycket information och kunskap för vi är där varje dag som jag tror skulle kunna hjälpa er i ert arbete och skall vi rädda torskfisket så måste vi nog börja samarbete innan det är för sent. Visst har vi jätte problem med sälen som äter upp fisken i vårt garn men det är inte sälen som gör att torsken inte kan återhämta sig det är iaf min personliga åsikt. Bifogar några foto här och är det något annat ni vill jag skall dokumentera eller ta prover på typ så hör av er till mig. Torsken du ser på bilden skall vara lika mörk som fenorna men pga syrebristen blir den rent vit och ljusrosa i huvet ( efter ca 1 timme på däck så har den blivit mörk igen ), den är fångad på 44-45m djup ca 14 mil väster om Bornholm
Series of Scorecards assessing the progress against the BSAP commitments
Presenter
Presentation Notes
WWF has produced a sequence of Scorecards aimed at assessising the progress by the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries against the BSAP commitments that were agreed more than a decade ago – very first was the same year the BSAP was adopted and thus followed sequesnce often in conjunction to the Ministerial meetings as well as raising timely marine conservation issues at the time. These have time and again shown that there is a real need to strengthen the implementation of the BSAP as well as greater coordinated effort to deliver on these.
Summary of Scorecard results
All countries are lagging behind on their commitments!
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Total score you can get 100% on test = 13 + 10 + 26 + 9 = 58 To pass the text = 0 in total score Only 1 out of 13 eutrophication actions assessed have been accomplished by all nine countries – ID land areas critical to nutrient losses However - Development of national programmes for nutrient reductionhas not been accomplished HELCOM go beyond standards laid down by EU directives for specific activities – yet only partially applied! WFD, MSFD, CAP, Nitrates Directive Despite a decade of action, the delivery of the current commitments to restore the sea to Good Environmental Status is still not adequate to acheive the 2021 goal by the BSAP. And at the same time the Baltic Sea is underperforming as an economic resource.
● Baltic Sea catchment surplus– 1,5 million tons N– 0,2 million tons P
Source: Hong et al. 2016 Biogeochemistry, Baltic Eye
Opportunity to improve nutrient use efficiency
Presenter
Presentation Notes
shows that only about half of the nutrients from fertilizer and manure is converted to harvested crops. Nutrient utilization must be better. N use efficiency in agriculture is the ratio of outputs to inputs Outputs = line, which is N taken up by crops Inputs = bars, which are N in fertilizer, N in livestock excretion, N fixed by legume crops P use efficiency in agriculture is the ratio of outputs to inputs Outputs = line, which is P taken up by crops Inputs = bars, which are P in fertilizer, P in livestock excretion Data are derived from Eurostat (and equivalent databases in Russia and Belarus) and averaged for the years 2008-2010 Data are shown as kg P per hectare of Utilized Agricultural Area
This has been done through number of projects across the Baltic Ecoregion Programme to promote and restore wetlands which retain nutrients and prohibit them from ending up in the Baltic Sea
Markus Eerola and Minna Sakki-EerolaNational Winner of Finland &
Regional Winners
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Link to youtube clip to show promotion of Baltic Farmer of the Year Competition: https://youtu.be/lDTG3rYeF84
Not enough – need a reform of the CAP
Path of CAP expenditure per year(in current prices)
• EU Nitrates Directive – not effectively implemented, despite relatively successful follow up by EC
• Cross-compliance mechanisms help enforce Nitrates Directive & other fertilization requirements – but not fully effective
• EU co-financed Rural Development measures (2007-2013) have little effect on reducing nutrient pollution in MS
• Citizens welfare could improve by up to 4.4 billion euros annually if good eutrophication status was achieved
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Source: Overview of CAP Reform 2014-2020 (Dec 2013) https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sites/agriculture/files/policy-perspectives/policy-briefs/05_en.pdf
Impacts of Direct Payments post 2020• Can reach better environment with a
smaller budget• Need to change the set up of direct
payments• Money should be targeted to the objective
pursued – for eg: • Obj: prevent land abandonment. Payment
focused on Areas of Natural Constraints
• Obj: preserve biodiversity. Increase payments to High Nature Value Farmland
• Obj: prevent eutrophication. Specific measures (eco-schemes) to support farmers with lower surpluses.
• And a tax on fertilizers or specific measures
Future of the CAP in the Baltic region• Need to have policy coherence of main
instruments
• Apply mechanism to prevent development going in wrong direction – through conditionality
• Ring-fencing of CAP funds to address issue like eutrophication
• Ensure adequacy & high quality of national CAP plans
