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

SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak
Economic Marine Information
Cultural ecosystem services
C6: The legacy of the sea
Definition
The legacy of nature is a non-use benefit. The service refers to an appreciation of
nature for ethical reasons (existence value), which is often accompanied by a willingness
to preserve the intrinsic value of nature for future generations (bequest
value). In this context, the legacy of nature is replaced by the legacy of the sea,
referring to all aspects of the coastal and marine environment.
Extent of appreciation and importance to
society
The legacy of nature cannot be quantified, nor can the legacy of the sea. Nevertheless,
its importance to humans can be evaluated, even in monetary terms (24). The
beneficiaries of this service are believed to be numerous. They are limited neither
to coastal residents, nor to recreational users or visitors to seaside communities.
The legacy of the sea may be equally important to an inland resident who has never
visited the coast. To many people, nature does not need to be generating measurable
services or providing goods; it just needs to be, in order to deserve concern
and good management. Take for example the harbour porpoise or the white-tailed
sea eagle. The number of people that have seen these animals is minimal, yet many
of us are prepared to invest in their conservation, and many of us would even experience
a sense of loss were they to disappear. It would signal that our generation
has failed to protect the legacy of sea for future generations. Although the ethical
values responsible for our appreciation certain animals are typically considered less
worth, they may in fact constitute the foundation for our wish to maintain biodiversity
and conserve our natural environment. Assurance that all components of nature
will persist, for no other reasons than ethical, adds to the well-being of many people.
The extent of appreciation and thus its importance are strictly individual. How
this service is valued is nevertheless likely to vary with economic development and
levels of welfare; the value of participation in the conservation of nature for ethical
purposes is, after all, a luxury. If one is poor, the main incentive for conservation is
likely to be related to nature’s capacity of producing food or generating income.
Interaction with other ecosystem services
The more nature is degraded, the less value does this service provide. The extent to
which individuals recognise this legacy of the sea is, however, strictly individual
and the factors affecting it remain unknown. However, the appreciation of the sea
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