BSEP116B Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea - Helcom

inged seals and harbour seals in the Kalmarsund
area. However, by-catches of all Baltic marine
mammal species will remain substantial and
exceed 2% of their populations if the current
structure of fisheries remains unchanged. The
situation can be improved if fisheries with substantial
by-catches change their methods. This is
the single most important factor affecting mortality
rates in Baltic seals.
The decreasing nutritional status of ringed seals
and grey seals implies that food resources might be
limiting. Actions should be taken to manage fish
stocks in accordance with the principles of the ecosystem
approach.
It has been suggested that the increasing prevalence
of colonic ulcers is caused by harmful chemical
substances. Further actions should be taken to
reduce inputs of xenobiotic organohalogen compounds
that affect Baltic biota.
Sandwich tern (Sterna sandvicensis)
The pristine distribution of harbour seals and grey
seals encompassed also the German, Polish and
Kaliningrad coasts of the Baltic. Measures in the
form of protected areas and reduction of human
impacts are required to achieve the main longterm
objective ‘Natural Distribution’ of the 2006
HELCOM recommendation on seals.
4.3 Birds
One of the great achievements of nature conservation
in the 20th century was the establishment of
protected areas all around the Baltic Sea, including
for the most important breeding and resting
sites of seabirds. The unlimited persecution of
species that for a long time had been considered
as ‘harmful’, such as white-tailed eagle and great
cormorant, was stopped by nature conservation
legislation. Ultimately, with the EU Birds Directive,
a comprehensive conservation regime for birds
entered into force in 1979 and became effective
for almost the entire Baltic, except Russia, when
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined the
European Union in 2004.
Despite these positive developments, anthropogenic
factors such as pollution, habitat change and
incidental killing still have a significant impact on
bird populations in the Baltic Sea area.
There is no target in the biodiversity segment of
the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) that addresses
specific bird populations, but there are several
targets that embrace birds, primarily the target
to reach “By 2015, improved conservation status
of species included in the HELCOM lists of threatened
and/or declining species and habitats of
the Baltic Sea area, with the final target to reach
and ensure favourable conservation status of
all species”. This list currently includes thirteen
species of birds. Several targets in the biodiversity
segment are also related to reducing the
impacts of fisheries, an issue that is highly relevant
for birds.
In addition, the Maritime Activity Segment of the
BSAP includes the strategic goal “To have maritime
activities in the Baltic Sea carried out in an environmentally
friendly way“. Because maritime traffic
causes oil spills and the release of hazardous substances
and other wastes, this goal is also relevant
for birds.
4.3.1 Status and trends
This section describes the status and population
development of selected bird species. It aims to
illustrate characteristic and representative developments.
The population status of these species in
Baltic basins is provided in Annex V.
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