Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea ... - Naturvårdsverket

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SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Economic Marine Information Marine archaeology The Baltic Sea has a unique underwater cultural heritage (UCH). Few regions can compete in terms of the number and condition of their UCH sights. The impressive wrecks from large 17th century naval ships like Vasa and Kronan are world famous, but the underwater heritage extends much farther. Besides an impressive number of wrecks, sunken Stone Age villages as well as remains from the Viking and Middle ages are to be found. The Baltic Sea is one of our last ‘Wild West’, claims the director of the Archaeology Unit at the Swedish National Maritime Museums. Today, 12 000 wrecks have been found, but there is reason to believe that there are many more. The Baltic Sea has a unique capacity to conserve the remains of sunken ships. Due to the low salinity, ship worms are absent and in addition there is widespread distribution of wreck-conserving sandy substrates. The cooperative project RUTILUS, in which all nine countries around the Baltic participated, aimed at describing Baltic marine cultural heritage (234). RUTILUS identified the top 100 wrecks in the Baltic, 12 among which have made it to the top 100 list of wrecks worldwide. For more detail on the Swedish part of the Baltic underwater treasure, the National Maritime Museums have compiled a list of the 25 most valuable submarine cultural heritage sites spread around Swedish coasts (256). Not surprisingly, wreck diving is the foremost reason for Baltic Sea diving. According to Swedish National Maritime Museums, the newly acquired awareness of our marine treasures may bring about new legislation as well as an increase in underwater tourism around the Baltic. This is welcomed by the tourism industry (chapter C1). To facilitate accessibility and promote wreck diving in the Baltic Sea, the installation of dive parks in Sweden has been discussed. The concept of dive parks has already been introduced in Germany, Finland and Denmark. Countries like Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have yet not investigated their waters for wrecks, but it is likely that their waters too contain treasures and potential for dive tourism. Interaction with other ecosystem services The maintenance of traditional maritime practises and the conservation of coastal settlement and cultural heritage related to the coastal and marine environment are primarily dependent on the historic use of ecosystem services. Nevertheless, continued harvest from the sea is important when it comes to maintaining fishing traditions. Therefore, cultural heritage in traditional fishing villages may still be related to the provision (albeit limited) of food and other goods from the sea. As for the sanatory aspect of the marine and coastal environment, it is related to scenic and inspirational services as well as to the enjoyment of recreational activity. 153
SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Economic Marine Information Status threats and consequences Status Sustainability of use Level of threat Expected consequences M oderate Sustainable MModerate Limited Cultural heritage is being lost, particularly due to resource loss and consequential loss of small-scale industries along our coastlines. Moreover, deteriorated environmental conditions in the Baltic Sea reduce the potential for divers to experience our spectacular underwater heritage sites. The use of this service does typically not in itself threaten its value (unless UCHs are impacted by increased visitor numbers). It is difficult to assign a value to this service, and the impacts of current threats are considered relatively minor. Many coastal settlements with traditions of marine resource use have been depopulated as a result of reduced viability of resource extraction or other traditional industries, but also to urbanisation and reduced willingness of people to retain tradition and cultural values. Cultural heritage cannot be replaced. Nonetheless it is dynamic and future generations are likely to possess a different cultural identity; perceiving the sea in a different way. Moreover, certain traditional use of the sea may only remain as history account. As for submarine cultural heritage sites, they are in part threatened by the same disturbances as are natural environmental values (Table 7). Threats Natural environments Cultural environments Oil spill x ? Hazardous substances x ? Eutrophication X ? Fishing (trawling) X X Aquaculture X X Shipping X X Alien species X ? Development and construction X X Diving ? X Table 7. Comparison of threats to natural and cultural underwater environments. Source: Naturvårdsverket 2007 (256) How to maintain coastal, marine and maritime cultural heritage Under the Swedish Environmental objective No 10 (chapter S5), a new interim target for 2015 is proposed (82). The target promotes the sustainable use of cultural, social and natural values in the coastal environment. Suggested measures include marine planning and regional development programmes for coastal areas. 154
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Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea ... - Naturvårdsverket

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