Baltseaplan Report 14
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BaltSeaPlan Report 14 Towards a Pilot Maritime Spatial Plan for the Saaremaa and Hiiumaa Islands Authors: Georg Martin1, Robert Aps1, Madli Kopti 1, Jonne Kotta, Laura Remmelgas2 and Merle Kuris2 1 Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Estonia 2 Baltic Environmental Forum, Estonia Project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) IMPRINT Authors Georg Martin, Robert Aps, Madli Kopti and Jonne Kotta Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Estonia Laura Remmelgas and Merle Kuris Baltic Environmental Forum, Estonia Lead Partner Dr. Nico Nolte Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH) Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 78, 20359 Hamburg, Germany Tel. +49 (40) 3190-3520 Fax.+49 (40) 3190-5000 [email protected] www.bsh.de External Project Coordination Office Angela Schultz-Zehden s.Pro – sustainable projects GmbH Rheinstraße 34, 12161 Berlin, Germany Tel. +49 (30) 8321417-43 Fax.+49 (30) 8321417-50 [email protected] www.sustainable-projects.eu Tallinn – January, 2012 www.baltseaplan.eu This report has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the Authors and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. Cover photos: Joanna Przedrzymirska, The Maritime Institute in Gdansk; Karsten Dahl, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University (formerly National Environmental Research Institute – NERI); Siemens press photo CONTENT Executive summary .............................................................................................. 2 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 3 1.1 The Pilot Project ............................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Project objectives ........................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Working Environment .................................................................................................... 5 2. Planning organisation & process .................................................................... 7 2.1. Working group ............................................................................................................... 7 2.2. Planning steps ............................................................................................................... 7 2.3. Planning methodology ................................................................................................. 7 2.4. Stakeholder involvement .............................................................................................. 7 3. Planning Context .............................................................................................. 9 3.1. Environmental context .................................................................................................. 9 3.1.1. Sea and coastline character ............................................................................................................. 9 3.1.2. Valuable environmental areas ......................................................................................................... 9 3.2. Socio-economic context .............................................................................................. 13 3.3. Spatial planning documents and relevant strategies ................................................. 14 3.3.1. National and regional documents and strategies .......................................................................... 14 3.3.2. International documents and strategies ....................................................................................... 15 4. Stocktake ....................................................................................................... 17 4.1. Overview of relevant issues ........................................................................................ 17 4.2. Relevant issues in detail .............................................................................................. 20 4.2.1. Environmental protection ............................................................................................................. 20 4.2.2. Sea uses ......................................................................................................................................... 31 4.2.3. Additional issues (trends, strategies) ............................................................................................. 37 5. Conflict Analysis ............................................................................................. 38 5.1. General overview ........................................................................................................ 38 5.2. Main conflicts in the pilot area ................................................................................... 40 6. Methods for dealing with the identified conflicts and solutions ................... 41 7. Spatial Plan .................................................................................................... 43 8. Recommendations and future steps to implement MSP ............................... 44 9. Lessons learnt ................................................................................................ 45 www.baltseaplan.eu 1 Executive Summary Executive summary The Hiiumaa-Saaremaa pilot area - located in the open part of the Baltic Sea - has the most "sea-like conditions" of the Estonian coastal waters, with higher salinity & waves, lower nutrient concentration and less human activities than other areas. Also nature protection is only in place in coastal areas. Due to favourable wind conditions and shallow water the area is showing good prerequisites for development of offshore wind farms and development of sailing & surfing sports. The BaltSeaPlan Report N° 14 "Towards a Pilot MSP for Hiiumaa & Saaremaa Islands" shows the stocktake of the area including methods for how to generate information in case of missing data sources. It also describes the stakeholder involvement and conflict analysis undertaken. In view of missing legislation for MSP in Estonia at the current stage it does not go the full cycle by actually proposing an MSP for the area. 2 BaltSeaPlan – Report 14 – Towards a Pilot Maritime Spatial Planning for the Saaremaa and Hiiumaa Islands 1. Introduction 1. Introduction 1.1 The Pilot Project The Hiiumaa-Saaremaa pilot area covered in the BaltSeaPlan project encompasses the marine area north-west of Saaremaa and west of Hiiumaa with the land boundary extending from Tahkuna Cape to Rannaküla on Hiiumaa and from Pammana Cape to the edge of Kiipsaare on Saaremaa (Figure 1). The area is administratively located in Hiiu County, Kõrgessaare and Emmaste Rural Municipalities, and Saare County, Leisi, Mustjala and Kihelkonna Rural Municipalities. The area of the pilot area is 3,618 km². Figure 1. Hiiumaa and Saaremaa pilot area 1.2 Project objectives The objective of MSP is to determine the general principles for use of the planning area in cooperation with interest groups, having regard to the existing and possible future sea and coast usage, environmental conditions and requirements of nature conservation. The objective of the BaltSeaPlan pilot project was to try it out in the Hiiumaa-Saaremaa pilot area, to find out difficulties, gaps in information and contribute to development of MSP methodology for Estonia. In the course of the BaltSeaPlan project, it was not possible to officially initiate a plan for the marine area of the West Coast of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa islands or conduct strategic environmental assessment, but the description of the current situation, analysis of controversies and recommendations for spatial planning of the area contained in the draft shall serve as input for a future official plan. The necessity of preparing the MSP for the West Coast of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa islands is caused by the continuously intensifying use of the sea. The intensity of maritime transport is increasing and new activities have been initiated or are being planned (e.g. various water sports, construction of offshore wind farms) that www.baltseaplan.eu 3 1. Introduction are at times in contradiction with other activities or the objectives of environmental protection. Planning is related to the need to minimise the impacts arising from the use of the sea to the marine environment and ensure sustainable development. A plan of the marine area should help make decisions when planning new activities for the respective marine area and grant a certain degree of assurance for the current users of the sea; their activities have been “put on the map” and shall be taken into account in the future when new activities are initiated. The precise objectives for the spatial plan of the marine area were determined in cooperation with stakeholders. It was only possible to meet the said objectives partially within the framework of preparing this draft, but they should certainly be taken into account when the official plan of the respective area is initiated. The precise objectives are: 1. In the course of the plan, the following need to be mapped: 1) existing activities; and 2) potential activities (activities with local prerequisites). The geographic location of the activities (impacts), seasons and the socio- economic impact for coastal people have to be taken into account. 2. Navigation, shipping lanes, traffic schemes: 2.1. estimating the potential future traffic schemes (fishing,