Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan Impact Assessment Report 1 Version 03.07.2020 /// Work296718 No: 296718, for public display Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan Draft Impact Assessment Report, FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY Work No: 296718 Tallinn-Tartu Riin Kutsar Lead expert on impact assessment 2 Estonian Maritime Area Planning Impact Assessment Report Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 4 1 PURPOSE AND NATURE OF THE ESTONIAN MARITIME SPATIAL PLAN ....... 5 2 IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 6 2.1 THE ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH ......................................................................................... 6 2.2 FOCUS ON ASSESSING THE RELEVANT IMPACT OF THE MARITIME SPATIAL PLAN ........... 9 2.3 TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MSP ............................................................................................................................................... 10 3 RELATIONSHIP OF THE MARITIME SPATIAL PLAN TO STRATEGIC PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ................................ 15 3.1 RELATIONSHIP TO RELEVANT PLANNING DOCUMENTS ........................................................ 15 3.2 COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES ............................................................... 17 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECTED AND THE IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN ................................................................................... 20 4.1 HYDROMETEOROLOGY AND HYDRODYNAMICS ...................................................................... 20 4.1.1 Water temperature and salinity ............................................................................................... 20 4.1.2 Wind ......................................................................................................................................... 21 4.1.3 Ice conditions ........................................................................................................................... 22 4.1.4 Waves and currents ................................................................................................................. 25 4.1.5 Water quality ............................................................................................................................ 26 4.2 HABITATS AND BIOTA ................................................................................................................... 35 4.2.1 Fish .......................................................................................................................................... 35 4.2.2 Birds ......................................................................................................................................... 41 4.2.3 Seals ........................................................................................................................................ 46 4.2.4 Bats .......................................................................................................................................... 51 4.2.5 Seabed habitats and biota ....................................................................................................... 53 4.2.6 Protected natural objects ......................................................................................................... 62 4.3 EVALUATION OF NATURA 2000 ................................................................................................... 67 4.4 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................... 86 4.4.1 Impact on socio-cultural needs and well-being ....................................................................... 86 4.4.1.1 Starting points for socio-cultural impact assessment ................................................... 86 4.4.1.2 Fisheries ....................................................................................................................... 89 4.4.1.3 Aquaculture ................................................................................................................... 91 4.4.1.4 Maritime transport ......................................................................................................... 94 4.4.1.5 Maritime rescue, pollution control and guarding the state border ................................ 94 4.4.1.6 Energy production ......................................................................................................... 95 4.4.1.7 Sea tourism and recreation ......................................................................................... 105 4.4.1.8 Cultural Monuments .................................................................................................... 106 4.4.1.9 Other uses of the sea, and land-sea interactions ....................................................... 106 4.4.2 Impact on property ................................................................................................................. 110 4.5 IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH ..................................................................................................... 112 4.5.1 Fisheries ................................................................................................................................ 113 4.5.2 Aquaculture ........................................................................................................................... 114 4.5.3 Maritime transport .................................................................................................................. 114 4.5.4 Energy production ................................................................................................................. 116 4.5.5 Sea tourism and recreation ................................................................................................... 119 4.6 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................... 120 4.6.1 Fisheries ................................................................................................................................ 120 4.6.2 Maritime transport .................................................................................................................. 125 Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan Impact Assessment Report 3 4.6.3 Maritime Tourism................................................................................................................... 129 4.6.4 Energy production ................................................................................................................. 131 4.7 IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE ................................................................................................. 135 4.8 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .............................................................................................................. 136 4.9 TRANSBOUNDARY IMPACT ....................................................................................................... 141 5 OVERVIEW OF THE ORGANIZATION AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 143 5.1 ORGANIZATION OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT ............................................................................. 143 5.2 COOPERATION AND INCLUSION .............................................................................................. 144 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ......................................................................... 145 6.1 SUMMARY OF IMPACTS ............................................................................................................. 145 6.2 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 146 4 Estonian Maritime Area Planning Impact Assessment Report INTRODUCTION This Impact Assessment (hereinafter IA) is being carried out for the Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan. The preparation of the Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan and the IA of the plan has been initiated by the Government of the Republic Order No. 157 of 25.05.2017. The aim of the M SP is the long-term planning of the use of the Estonian marine space, which takes into account social, economic, cultural as well as environmental impacts and needs in a balanced way. The overall objective of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is to take environmental considerations into account in the preparation and implementation of the plan, thereby ensuring a high level of environmental protection and promoting the principles of sustainable development. Well-established common practices, supported by the SEA Directive and Estonian legislation, is rather a natural environment-centered approach. However, the impact on the social (including health), cultural and economic environment is also important when implementing plans. Therefore, the so-called Extended Impact Assessment is carried out on the Maritime Spatial Plan, i.e., the MSP impact assessment process integrates the SEA with the assessment of the social, cultural, and economic impacts. The plan and IA are compiled by OÜ Hendrikson & Ko in cooperation with experts from the University of Tartu, the Estonian Marine Institute of the University of Tartu, the Center for Applied Research in Social Sciences, the University of Tallinn and OÜ Roheline Rada. Planning and impact