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

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SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REPORT 6563 The process of creating Biosphere Reserves interests have also been linked to the operations. Through collaboration with local associations in the archipelago and other interested organisations, these have also been able to make their mark. The fishermen have had a prominent role during the anchoring work, particularly the young fishermen, who are deemed to be of special importance for future development and conservation of the area. Reports on depletion and directives from the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management among others, on reduced fish quotas, have affected small-scale fishing to a large extent in the area, and over a longer period been detrimental to living and working in the area. The Biosphere process has been marked and affected by this rather complex change in the local community. The long series of stakeholders involved in the collaborative work mirrors a comprehensive mode of operation, where the Municipality, the County Administrative Board and other interest organisations have been the basis for the whole process. In 2007 Blekinge Archipelago was nominated as a Biosphere candidate and the year after in the same area, the work to produce what was known as a collaborative plan for valuable coast and marine areas was launched. The collaborative plan for valuable coast and marine areas makes up a part of the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), where Sweden committed to produce management plans for a number of specified Baltic Sea Protected Areas. Work with the collaboration plan for the BSPA area Torhamn’s Archipelago, was run as an integrated part of the work with the Biosphere application. This mode of working, which was advocated for the collaboration plan for valuable coast and marine areas, has strong similarities to the Biosphere work. In that both of these projects ran in parallel, synergies arose in the work, which contributed to facilitating anchoring of the work (cf. Norrby, Sandström och Westberg, 2011). The work with the Biosphere application also coincided with a new Leader Area being established. However, Leader in this collaboration did not become a significant input in the Biosphere work. The fact that there was not more cooperation between the Biosphere processes and the Leader processes, in the view of the County Administrative Board’s Coordinator, was because there were other stakeholders with whom it would be more relevant to work. However the Leader was viewed as a possible party in conjunction with the financing of future concrete projects within the Biosphere Reserve. 33
SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REPORT 6563 The process of creating Biosphere Reserves M/S Tjärö by Tjärö jetty. Photograph: Heleen Podsedkowska 3.3.3 Financing The County Administrative Board and the municipalities involved have to the greatest extent financed the feasibility study, primarily in the form of individual officials’ working hours. During the candidature phase, which ran between 2007- 2011, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s financial support has been significant in propelling the work forward. During the candidature phase the municipalities supported the Biosphere work, not only through officials’ working hours, but also through direct financial support. During the application process, part of the work was also financed with project funds from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s project for collaboration plans for valuable coast and marine areas. The Swedish National Heritage Board also part co-funded. The pressure put upon the steering group (through the municipalities) to show results during the work’s progress, has to a certain extent steered the process. Politicians have felt the pressure, at an early stage, to demand results so as to obtain further mandates to finance the Biosphere work. At the same time the fact that it is costing the municipality, has been important in getting them on board in this work. If it had not cost, it is doubtful if they would have taken part to the extent that they actually did. However the pressure to show results has at times been felt as too forceful. In order to propel the work forward at a pace that really allows interaction, financial support from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency at an early stage was sought. In this sensitive early stage, before the process was anchored locally and had won legitimacy, it was perceived difficult to access other financiers. 34
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