Developing a Pilot Maritime Spatial Plan for the Western Coast of Latvia Authors: Anda Ruskule1 and Kristina Veidemane1
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281270958 Developing a Pilot MSP for the Western Coast of Latvia Technical Report · January 2012 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4321.4562 CITATION READS 1 60 2 authors: Anda Ruskule Kristina Veidemane University of Latvia 21 PUBLICATIONS 107 CITATIONS 17 PUBLICATIONS 226 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: BaltSeaPlan View project Latvian Council of Science Grant No. 514/2014 Formation of marginal areas in Latvia. Causes and Consequences. View project All content following this page was uploaded by Anda Ruskule on 26 August 2015. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. BaltSeaPlan Report 16 Developing a Pilot Maritime Spatial Plan for the Western Coast of Latvia Authors: Anda Ruskule1 and Kristina Veidemane1 1 Baltic Environmental Forum, Latvia Project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) IMPRINT Authors Anda Ruskule and Kristina Veidemane Baltic Environmental Forum, Latvia Contributions to the chapters: Edgars Bojārs, BEF-Latvia (offshore wind energy and oil mining) Ilze Kalvāne, BEF-Latvia (shipping and port development) Karīna Jansone, University of Latvia (tourism) Māra Melnbārde, BEF-Latvia (environmental context) Atis Minde, “BIOR” (fishery) Solvita Strāķe, Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (environmental context) Voldermārs Rains, Association of Underwater Cultural Heritage (socio-economic context) Maps: Mikus Ranka, Hydrographic Service of the Maritime Administration of Latvia 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 Riga – December, 2011 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: Mara Melnbarde, Martins Zigurs, Atis Minde CONTENT Executive summary ................................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3 2. Planning organisation and process ....................................................................................... 5 2.1. Working group of the pilot MSP .................................................................................................................. 5 2.2. Organisation of the MSP process ................................................................................................................. 5 2.3. Stakeholder engagement ............................................................................................................................. 6 3. Planning Context ................................................................................................................. 10 3.1. Environmental context ............................................................................................................................... 10 3.1.1. Location of the pilot area .................................................................................................................... 10 3.1.2. Sea bottom character ......................................................................................................................... 10 3.1.3. Coastline character ............................................................................................................................. 11 3.1.4. Climate ................................................................................................................................................ 11 3.1.5. Hydrological character ........................................................................................................................ 11 3.1.6. Ecological value ................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2. Socio-economic context ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.2.1. Demography ........................................................................................................................................ 13 3.2.2. Main economy sectors ........................................................................................................................ 13 3.2.3. Cultural heritage ................................................................................................................................. 14 3.3. Spatial planning documents and relevant strategies ................................................................................. 14 3.3.1. National strategies and legislation affecting space ............................................................................. 14 3.3.2. International documents and strategies ............................................................................................ 16 4. Stocktake ............................................................................................................................ 17 4.1. Overview of relevant issues ....................................................................................................................... 17 4.2. Relevant issues in detail ............................................................................................................................. 18 4.2.1. Fishery ................................................................................................................................................. 18 4.2.2. Shipping and port development ......................................................................................................... 20 4.2.3. Tourism ............................................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.4. Offshore wind energy ......................................................................................................................... 22 3.2.5. Oil mining ............................................................................................................................................ 23 5. Conflict Analysis .................................................................................................................. 24 6. Methods for dealing with the identified conflicts and Solutions ........................................ 27 7. Spatial Plan .......................................................................................................................... 30 7.1. Aims and objectives ................................................................................................................................... 30 7.2. Zoning categories ....................................................................................................................................... 30 8. Recommendations / Future Steps for Realizing the MSP ................................................... 35 9. Lessons learnt (negative & positive) ................................................................................... 37 References .............................................................................................................................. 39 Annexes .................................................................................................................................. 41 www.baltseaplan.eu 1 Executive Summary Executive summary Latvia aims at introducing Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) by 2014 as a long term national level planning document as it is established by the new Law of Spatial Planning adopted in 2011 and foreseen within the Latvian Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. By now Latvian authorities have had very little experience in planning and governance of the marine area from spatial perspective, which so far has been mainly organised within particular sectors or case by case decisions taken by government, when a space had to be offered for new sea uses. The “BaltSeaPlan” project, part-financed by the ERDF Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013, has offered for the countries around the Baltic Sea a possibility to test the MSP in practice, learning form international experience and established methodology. Latvia is represented in the “BaltSeaPlan” project by the Baltic Environmental Forum – Latvia (BEF-LV), who has taken the initiative to lead the pilot MSP process in Latvian waters. BEF-LV is a non-governmental organisation, with remarkable experience in various environment related international projects covering also marine issues and management planning of marine protected area. In this field BEF-LV has become famous for its skills in facilitation stakeholders’ dialogue and well-established contacts. Based on this background the stakeholders involvement and participatory approach has become also the leading principle of the pilot MSP in Latvia. The pilot area for testing of the MSP process in Latvia was chosen