TOWARDS A HEALTHIER BALTIC SEA – IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN IN RUSSIA This report does not necessarily represent the views of HELCOM. HELCOM does not assume responsibility for the content of the report. TABLE OF CONTENTS Information included in this publication or extracts thereof are free for citation on the condition that the complete reference of the publication is given as stated above. SELECTED RECOMMENDATIONS page 4 Cover photo: Shutterstock Design: Janne Tuononen INTRODUCTION page 6 Copyright 2014 Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM • BASE • HELCOM • Cooperation with Russia • Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) BSAP: EUTROPHICATION page 12 • Agriculture • Scattered Settlements BSAP: BIODIVERSITY page 20 • Marine Protected Zone: Curonian Spit • Management Plan for Luga Salmon BSAP: HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES page 28 • Pharmaceuticals • Microplastics • Oil Terminal HOT SPOTS page 36 DATA: MONITORING page 40 DATA: INDICATORS page 50 PUBLIC AWARENESS page 54 RECOMMENDATIONS page 58 THANKS page 74 photo: OCEANA / Carlos Suárez 3 SELECTED RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN IN RUSSIA IN ST. PETERSBURG & • Continue the critical efforts on the LENINGRAD REGION: Vistula lagoon management plan by involving a wide range of authorities as • Support the survival of wild salmon in well as research institutions river Luga by establishing an effective management plan • Speed up the work among relevant Russian authorities across sectors for • Continue to research the pharmaceuti- developing a plan to improve the envi- cals in urban waste water treatment – with ronmental status of the Curonian lagoon current treatment practices, common pain killer residues end up in the Baltic Sea • Elaborate a monthly monitoring scheme on total nutrient concentra- • Investigate more the amount and tions of the water bodies in Kaliningrad types of microplastic litter in waste wa- region ter of St. Petersburg CONCERNING BOTH REGIONS: • Improve data collection concern- ing the actual nutrient load from point • Establish guidelines on best available sources in Russian catchment, con- solutions and technologies for better cerning river Neva and its tributaries waste water treatment of small settle- ments in Kaliningrad & Leningrad regions IN KALININGRAD & KALININGRAD REGION: • Submit application for removal of three Russian sites from the HELCOM • Use all animal & poultry manure as or- Hot Spot list ganic fertilizers in agriculture in Kaliningrad • Secure the active participation of • Establish the extension for marine Russia in the operationalization of protected zone in Curonian Spit HELCOM core indicators • Upgrade physical, chemical and bio- • Ensure that the awareness and in- logical waste water treatment process- volvement of the general public is es in Kaliningrad port oil terminal maintained on the necessary actions to restore the good environmental status • Install new oil pumping wells along of the Baltic Sea photo: Shutterstock the pier in Kaliningrad port oil terminal 4 5 INTRODUCTION IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN IN RUSSIA BASE – IMPLEMENTATION OF THE land, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN – Poland, Russia and Sweden. REACHING GOOD BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN IN RUSSIA ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS VISION HELCOM was established forty years FOR THE BALTIC SEA A healthy Baltic Sea HELCOM BASE is a project funded by The Russian Partner is responsible for ago to protect the marine environment the EU with a budget of 2,5 M €. BASE strengthening of stakeholder dialogue of the Baltic Sea from all sources of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) environment in terms of a supports carrying out activities set out in Russia, including capacity build- pollution through intergovernmental is an ambitious programme to restore in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) in ing and awareness-raising by means cooperation. the good ecological status of the Baltic good ecological status and Russia. The project is managed by the of workshops and events. As the link marine environment by 2021. The Plan, a wide range of sustainable HELCOM Secretariat and St. Peters- between Russia and the project team HELCOM IS: adopted by all the coastal states and burg Public Organization “Ecology and at the HELCOM Secretariat, the Rus- the EU in 2007 at the HELCOM min- economic and social activities Business”. A project steering group sian Partner assists in ensuring that (1) an environmental policy maker ac- isterial meeting in Krakow, is a crucial support the project team. project activities are carried out in line tively developing common environ- stepping stone for wider and more with HELCOM and EU requirements mental objectives and actions efficient actions to combat the con- Several pilot projects related to eutrophi- and supports the work on harmonisa- tinuing deterioration of the marine en- cation, hazardous substances and biodi- tion of environmental assessment and (2) providing information about the vironment resulting from human activi- versity and nature protection are imple- monitoring practices in Russia. A spe- trends and the state of the marine ties. The Plan provides a concrete basis mented by experts from Russia with the cial working group is supporting BASE environment, the efficiency of for HELCOM work. support of other European experts. activities in Kaliningrad. measures to protect it and common initiatives, which can form the basis BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN BASE for international decision-making KEY AIMS AND FEATURES: Duration: 2012-2014 (3) developing recommendations of its • safeguards the sea’s natural ecosys- Budget: 2,5 EUR million own and recommendations supple- tems while allowing the sustainable Funded by: EU mentary to measures imposed by use of its goods and services Managed by: HELCOM Secretariat and other international organisations St. Petersburg Public Organization “Ecology HELCOM • improves the quality of life and pros- and Business” (4) a supervisory body ensuring that perity in the entire region HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment HELCOM environmental standards RUSSIAN PARTNER Protection Commission - Helsinki Com- are fully implemented by all parties • sets specific ecological objectives mission) is the governing body of throughout the Baltic Sea and its and measurable targets in line with The project is managed by a project the Convention on the Protection of the catchment area the ecosystem approach team at the HELCOM Secretariat in Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea close cooperation with the project’s Area, known as the Helsinki Conven- (5) a coordinating body in case of • is implemented through national Russian Partner, St. Petersburg Public tion. The Contracting Parties are Den- major maritime incidents programmes and regional actions Organization “Ecology and Business”. mark, Estonia, the European Union, Fin- photo: OCEANA / Carlos Minguell 6 7 INTRODUCTION IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALTIC SEA ACTION PLAN IN RUSSIA the nutrient load coming to the Baltic original salmon population and is free Sea from scattered settlements of the of migration barriers for ascending Kaliningrad region is app. 377 t/a for salmon. However, the number of salm- OUR total nitrogen (Ntot) and app. 87 t/a for on is significantly reduced as a result of total phosphorus (Ptot) and the nutri- unreported fishing. Elimination of un- PROJECT ent load coming to the Gulf of Finland reported fishing and development of EUTROPHICATION from scattered settlements of the Len- a management plan can significantly AGRICULTURE EUTROPHICATION ingrad region is app. 4585 t/a for Ntot increase the wild salmon population in and app. 837 t/a for Ptot. the Baltic Sea. SCATTERED HOT SPOTS SETTLEMENTS AGRICULTURE Read more on p. 16 Read more on p. 24 HOT SPOTS INVENTORY HAZARDOUS Agriculture is a major source of nu- IN RUSSIA SUBSTANCES trient inputs to the Baltic Sea. BASE BIODIVERSITY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES VISTULA LAGOON AND CU- PHARMACEUTICALS project experts have prepared a Long- RONIAN LAGOON – HOW Term Manure Management Plan for MARINE PROTECTED ZONE PHARMACEUTICALS TO APPROACH TRANS- MICROPLASTICS Kaliningrad Region to address the is- BOUNDARY MARITIME OIL TERMINAL SPATIAL PLANNING sue of nutrient management. All the To increase the number of HELCOM There is a growing concern about the BASE processed animal and poultry manure Marine Protected Areas and to preserve harmful effects of pharmaceuticals on – IMPLEMENTATION in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region could be the natural diversity of the Curonian plants and animals in our waterways. OF THE BALTIC SEA used as an organic fertilizer, according Spit, an application to create a marine Baltic Sea is an especially sensitive ma- ACTION PLAN IN to the calculations made in the project. protected zone is ready to be submitted rine environment since it is the final sink RUSSIA Implementation of a manure handling to the Ministry of Natural Resources and of the pharmaceuticals residues con- plan for Kaliningrad Region will reduce Environment of the Russian Federation. sumed by more than 80 million people. BIODIVERSITY the entry of nutrients into the environ- The proposed area entails 12 nautical Two hormones and an anti-inflamma- PUBLIC ment from animal/poultry manure as miles of internal sea waters and territo- tory drug diclofenac were studied in LUGA SALMON AWARENESS follows: nitrogen by 20-30% and phos- rial sea of the Russian Federation adja- our project where their concentration MARINE PROTECTED phorus by 15%. cent to the western coast of the Curo- in waste water in St. Petersburg