Meeting of riparian states in Moscow
At a meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM) in Moscow today high-level representatives of all Baltic Sea riparian states agreed on further action to protect the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea . "There have been considerable achievements in marine protection in the Baltic region. However, we have not attained our goal yet. In some areas, the state of the Baltic Sea is still a cause for concern", said Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry Ursula Heinen-Esser. The four key topics discussed at the conference - eutrophication, i.e. an excess of nutrients, hazardous substances, biodiversity and maritime activities - reflect the main threats to the Baltic Sea.
In the UN Year of Biodiversity the Baltic region is the first marine region in the world to meet the target under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity – the designation of at least ten percent of the area of the Sea as marine protected areas. Despite substantial reductions of nutrient inputs in the Baltic Sea, however, the problem of eutrophication persists, and unsustainable fishing practices continue to damage the overall status of the ecosystem. The Ministerial Declaration adopted at the conference in Moscow addresses these key areas of Baltic Sea protection, highlights achievements and describes further implementation steps needed. "We must now show our resolve to implement the Declaration and fill the many political commitments with life. Only if we carry out the measures adopted will we be able to achieve an improvement in the Baltic marine environment", stated Ursula Heinen-Esser.
Germany has set the pace when it comes to conserving marine biodiversity in the Baltic Sea. More than 35 percent of the German Baltic area have been designated as marine protected areas. The German National Marine Strategy sets the course for an integrated marine protection policy in Germany and provides an important foundation for regional and European involvement. "Marine protection in Europe hinges on the effective combination of activities at national, regional and European level", State Secretary Heinen-Esser highlighted.
As regards land-based inputs of nutrients and pollutants into the Baltic Sea, improvements in wastewater purification are already making a decisive contribution to reducing the nutrient and pollutant load. Cooperation on the rivers that flow into the Baltic Sea is indispensable for successful protection, since all rivers end in the sea.
The Ministerial Declaration of this year’s meeting of the Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area is available for download at www.bmub.bund.de/46044.