The process of creating Biosphere Reserves- An ... - Naturvårdsverket

SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REPORT 6563
The process of creating Biosphere Reserves
3.3 Blekinge Archipelago
Blekinge Archipelago Biosphere Reserve includes a large part of Blekinge’s coast
and archipelago. The area of approximately 200,000 hectares includes landscape
and biological value, characterised by the coastal climate. Alternating sweet and
brackish water has created specific conditions for a rich biological diversity; at the
same time as a long tradition of natural resource use has formed a varied cultural
landscape. The distinctive cultural landscape includes cultivated areas, meadows
and pastures, a marine area including inner archipelago bays and sounds, deciduous
and coniferous forests, as well as cities and urban areas. The protected areas comprise
37 Nature Reserves, 1 Culture Reserve and 72 Natura 2000 Areas.
3.3.1 The Origin
At the beginning of the 2000s, the forming of Reserves in Blekinge’s eastern archipelago
was discussed. Individual officials on the County Administrative Board in
Karlskrona had however seen how conservation issues were managed in Kristianstad
Wetland, and saw the potential to launch Biosphere work in Blekinge too. The
problems involved in forming Reserves in the eastern archipelago were generally
considered difficult to resolve, and officials of the County Administrative Board
considered that Biosphere work was better suited than the traditional way of creating
Reserves. Nature conservation experts at the County Administrative Board,
who realised that the preservation of the highly valued nature and culture found in
the area, could not take place other than with the collaboration of local stakeholders,
saw that there were many advantages to the Biosphere concept. The Blekinge
archipelago’s very rich cultural and natural environment, combined with the regional
political difficulties brought about by relocation from the region, meant the
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