Trans-Boundary Conservation Issues in the Vistula Lagoon (Southern Baltic Sea)

www.balticlagoons.net/artwei

5th European Coastal Lagoon Symposium, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Trans-boundary conservation issues in the Vistula Lagoon (southern Baltic Sea)

Piotr Margonski 1 and Boris Chubarenko 2

1 Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia, Poland 2 Atlantic Branch of P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kaliningrad, Russia

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Pregola River

Area: 838 km 2 (RUS – 56%, PL – 44%) Length: 90 km RU Width: 10-19 km PL

Baltic Sea Vistula River Vistula River Delta

Nogat River

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Connection with the Gulf of Gdansk: narrow, dredged channel near Baltiysk (Russia)

- width - 400 m - depth - 10-12 m - minimal vertical transect - 4200 m 2

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The new Vistula River mouth was artificially created between 1889 and 1895 and it was officially opened on 31 March 1895, on the personal order of Emperor Wilhelm II. Pregola River

Vistula River Old Vistula River Delta

Nogat River

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‘Biala Gora Lock’ finished in 1915 cut off the Vistula Lagoon from the Vistula River. In 1550 about 85% of river runoff was reaching the sea through the Nogat River. Now it is reduced to less than 5% Pregola River

Vistula River Old Vistula River Delta

Nogat River

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Average depth: 2.7 m Water volume: 2.3 km 3

54.8

Primorskaya Pregola 54.7 5

4.5

54.6 Prokhladnaya 4

3.5

54.5 3 Mamonovka 2.5 Pasleka 54.4 2 Bauda 1.5 54.3 Szkarpawa 1

Salinity: 0.1 - 4.5 PSU Nogat 0.5 54.2 Elblag 0

19.5 20 20.5

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Drainage area: 23,871 km 2 within Poland and Russia

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Phytoplankton 100%

Polish part example: 80%

• no major changes in proportion of main group abundance 60% between mid 1970s and late 1990s • occurrence of blue-green algal blooms (Anabaena genus 40% and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae ) abundance abundance % % • high level of chlorophyll a concentrations over the last 20 20% years, 0% • total phytoplankton biomass indicating eutrophic status 1974 1975 1999

180 180 green algae diatoms 160 Polish part 160 Russian part Median 25%-75% blue-green algae Median 25%-75% Non-Outlier Range 140 140 Outliers Non-Outlier Range Pli ński and Simm (1978) Outliers Extremes 120 Extremes 120

100 100

80 80

60 60

40 40

20 20

0 0 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 median ~ 30-40 mg/m 3 stable at ~ 40 mg/m 3

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There were apparent changes in abundance, biomass and taxonomic composition.

It seems that these changes might be explained by: - eutrophication , - invasions of a new species , - changes in salinity caused by hydro-meteorological processes influencing the exchange of water masses between the Gulf of Gda ńsk and the Lagoon, and partly by human activities (dredging the channel connecting the Lagoon with the Baltic Sea).

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Alien species

New predatory Cladocera species: Cercopagis pengoi : first appearance in August 1999

Marenzelleria viridis appeared in the Russian part in 1990

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Environmental issues

• eutrophication; • during the last decade a numerous water treatment plants were constructed, but water quality did not improved much - this is most probably due to recycling from sediments; • intensification of water-exchange with the Baltic Sea due to continuous dredging of the Baltiysk Strait (increase of salinity); • overuse of the Polish part of the Vistula Spit for recreational purposes during the summer season beyond the carrying capacity of resources; • fishing pressure; • appearance of alien species; • danger of flooding of low-laying areas due to poor technical condition of anti- flood and drainage infrastructure.

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Natura 2000

Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds

PLB280010

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to be designated for other species and for habitats

PLH280007

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Economic issues

• the area includes large population centres, scattered small cities and rural settlements, and extensive agricultural land; • industry is not concentrated (except for Kaliningrad City); • unused tourism potential of the Lagoon due to poor water quality; • shrinkage of commercial fishing due to overexploitation; … more details regarding the Polish part • farms are small when compared even to the eastern European conditions; • agriculture has relatively low profit potential; • high level of unemployment in the region due to disintegration of former economic structures (e.g. state farms); • loss of historical role of Elblag city as a marine harbour;

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Catches of the freswater fish in the Vistula lagoon in 1948 -2001 3500 3000 Fisheries 2500 2000 - based on small fisheries harbours 1500 Catch (tons) Catch 1000 - no fish processing 500 - limited stocking recently 0

- number of boats and fishermen (PL) 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 dropped from 220/250 to 67/140 Eel Pikeperch Bream Perch Roach Pike Asp Vimba Razorfish Ruffe Crucian carp Carp Polish and Russian catches in the Vistula lagoon in 1957 - 2001 White bream Tench Trout&Salmon Burbot River lamprey Smelt Unindentified species 16000 Changes in level of exploitation 14000

12000 depends mainly on human activities :

10000 - international regulations (common 8000 bream, pikeperch) 6000 Catch (tons) Catch - prices at the market (herring, partly) 4000 - drainage of the wetlands (pike) 2000 - low level or lack of stocking (eel) 0 and natural conditions : 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 Years - year-to-year changes in intensity of

Herring (Polish) Freshwater fish (Polish) Herring (Russian) Freshwater fish (Russian) spawning migrations (herring)

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Transport

Major harbours: RUS: Kalinigrad, Baltiysk PL: Elblag, Tolkmicko, Frombork, Krynica Morska Total average turnover is of 16,500,000 tons per year (Kaliningrad & Baltiysk) and 4,000 – 6,000 tons in Elblag…….

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Tourism (Polish part):

- spatially and temporarily unbalanced: short season; much more intense use of the Vistula Spit; - harbour capacity: ~ 300 yachts - registered yachts: 70 - 130,000 – 160,000 passengers yearly

Tourism (Russian part):

passenger traffic from Marine Port Kaliningrad to St. Petersburg and Lübeck, 2005-2006

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Artificial channel ‘Skowronki’

- direct access to Elblag Harbour - for ships with length of 100m, width of 20m and draught of 4m - growth of total cargo in Elblag Harbour to 3,500,000 tons per year

but

- potential serious environmental problems

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Key cross-border issues for the Vistula Lagoon identified by ARTWEI project stakeholders

WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS - relatively shallow-water body with huge drainage basin - restricted water exchange with the Baltic Sea - high internal potential for eutrophication caused by significant sources of nutrients accumulated in the sediments

HYDRO-TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTIONS AND THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACT ON LAGOON ENVIRONMENT - future investments in the facilities of Kaliningrad Harbour - idea of building a new artificial channel connecting lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk near Skowronki village

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Key cross-border issues for the Vistula Lagoon identified by ARTWEI project stakeholders

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT - high productivity provides favourable conditions for many fish species - high pressure and lack or limited stocking programme caused serious problems for the local fisherman community - conflicts between fisheries and conservation measures

Part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund)