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Summary
NATURVÅRDSVERKET
Rapport 5770 ● Hav i balans samt levande kust och skärgård
The state of the environment
The protected area has increased marginally since the last evaluation. Land areas
have increased by 3 per cent and sea areas by 0.5 per cent. A further four marine
nature reserves have been created. This increase has been possible partly thanks to
targeted allocation increases to county administrative boards.
The release of nutrients into air and water is continuing to decrease, while the
effects of eutrophication on the environment are not declining as clearly. The situation
for several commercially important fish stocks has been critical for a number
of years now; in particular, cod stocks in the Baltic, the Kattegatt and the North Sea
are threatened by collapse. There are many indications that the diminished importance
of cod in the ecosystem has had multiple consequences, which may in turn
have led to a regime shift in the Baltic.
The incidence in the natural environment of many organic toxins has decreased
since the 1970s. However, levels of cadmium and mercury in Baltic herring show
no clear signs of declining. The problem with TBT from anti-fouling paint on
ships’ hulls persists, despite a ban on its use.
Development pressures on the shoreline are increasing, particularly near big
cities. Oil shipments from Russia are the biggest single reason for the growth in
merchant shipping, leading to an increased need for supervision and control.
The evaluation
Interest in the efforts to protect the marine environment has grown since the last
evaluation. Sweden now has a national strategy and an action plan for the marine
environment. Various forms of collaborative bodies such as SamHav have been
established. Increased resources are being allocated to marine environment efforts.
It should be remembered, however, that it takes time to correct deficiencies.
We urgently need to improve our knowledge about the marine environment, to
improve coordination between various government agencies and players, to develop
forms of management, and to try to resolve conflicts of interest. One example
of a conflict of interest is the fact that the share of unaffected shoreline continues
to diminish rapidly in the vicinity of large metropolitan areas, despite restrictions
on construction and development. Another example is the effects on biodiversity
of fishing pressures.
Since our seas border several other countries, international efforts are important.
Many of the big threats can only be dealt with through joint efforts. One example
of this is the work to draw up an Action Plan for the Baltic within HELCOM
(the Baltic Marine Environment Commission). One weakness in this context is that
international conventions often have recommendations only, which are not legally
binding.
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