Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Working Group on the State of the Environment and Nature STATE & CONSERVATION Conservation 3-2015 Helsinki, Finland, 9-13 November, 2015 Document title Outcome of modernization of the HELCOM MPA database Code 3N-5 Category INF Agenda Item 3N – HELCOM network of coastal and marine Baltic Sea Protected Areas Submission date 2.11.2015 Submitted by Secretariat Background The HELCOM MPA database has been modernized as agreed by the HELCOM Copenhagen Ministerial Meeting in 2013. The main improvements in the database include a map interface, new data sections on pressures and regulated activities within the MPAs, updated data fields and lists regarding species, biotopes and biotope complexes, links to other relevant databases and a clarified database structure. The database draft has been harmonized as much as possible with both OSPAR’s MPA database and the Natura 2000 standard data form. The modernization of the database was carried out with financial support from Sweden and through guidance from the HELCOM MPA Task Group. This document contains a description on the modernized HELCOM MPA database and the proposal for minor revisions to the reporting lists of the database. The database was opened for countries data reporting on 23 April and for the general public on 30 October 2015. Action required The Meeting is invited to take note of the modernized HELCOM MPA database, provide feedback on using the database and comment on the proposed minor revisions to the data provider information and the predefined lists used for reporting species, biotopes and biotope complexes in the HELCOM MPA database. Page 1 of 16 STATE & CONSERVATION 3-2015, 3N-5 Background The HELCOM MPA database has been modernized as agreed by the HELCOM Copenhagen Ministerial Meeting in 2013. The work started in May 2014 at the HABITAT 16 meeting (Outcome of HABITAT 16 paragraph 4.1-4.5 and document 4-2) by outlining the countries requests for improvements (please see Annex 1) and the different options for building the database. It was decided that the database would be developed through the Secretariat with the guidance of the HELCOM MPA Task Group. Sweden provided financial support for the project. Planning of the database started in November 2014 and the technical development in February 2015. In April 2015 first parts of the database were opened for the countries to update the data. The deadline for the initial data update was 7 October 2015, and the HELCOM MPA database was published for all users 30 October 2015. New features of the modernized HELCOM MPA database The main technical improvement in the new database is a map interface which connects each HELCOM MPA datasheet directly to the map of the area. This GIS based map includes information on the location and size of the MPA, a shapefile download function as well as the Natura 2000 area(s) and the HELCOM Red Listed species and habitats. Information on subbasin, MPA size, MPA marine and terrestrial size as well as the size of the territorial water and the exclusive economic zone are read from the shapefiles. This ensures better reliability of the provided spatial data and eases the updating task of the countries. Other technical improvements include new data sections on pressures on and activities regulated within the MPA, information on monitoring and threat status of the species, biotopes and biotope complexes reported in the MPA, and links to other relevant databases. The database draft has been harmonized as much as possible with both OSPAR’s MPA database and the Natura 2000 standard data form. Another major technical improvement is the possibility to enter several management plans for one HELCOM MPA, and to show the areas covered by the management plans as spatial information in the MPA map. To implement this possibility the Contracting Parties are urged to provide the Secretariat with shapefiles for management plan area(s) which has so far only be done for a few MPAs. The applicability of the new database is dependent on the data provided by the Contracting Parties. The data on MPAs has been updated during summer 2015, and the database enables countries to continuously report their data, as agreed in Recommendation 35/1. The database will also function as a nomination tool for new MPA designations. The HELCOM MPA database is hosted by the Secretariat which enables modifications to the database structure and design when needed. Contracting Parties are invited to provide feedback regarding the modernized HELCOM MPA database to Project Coordinator Ms. Janica Borg ([email protected]) and Assisting Professional Secretary Ms. Petra Kääriä ([email protected]). The information in the new HELCOM MPA database will serve the Contracting Parties, the general public and HELCOM MPA assessments such as the currently ongoing ecological coherence assessment. For a description of the general structure new database, please see Annex 2. Nomination of new HELCOM MPAs via the HELCOM MPA database With the modernization of the HELCOM MPA database the nomination procedure of new HELCOM MPAs has changed (Outcome of S&C 2-2015 paragraph 3N.5 and document 3N-2). Contracting Parties will from now on enter the data on the nominated HELCOM MPA directly in the database, using the national login details provided to each country, and send the shapefiles for the area and its management plan(s) to the Secretariat per email ([email protected]). The Secretariat will review the entered data, complete it with spatial data calculated from the provided shapefiles and publish it in the database. The previous nomination pro forma will no longer be used. Guidelines will be developed for the new procedure. Page 2 of 16 STATE & CONSERVATION 3-2015, 3N-5 Proposed revisions to data provider information and predefined lists in the HELCOM MPA database Data provider information Data provider information contains for each MPA contact details to the person entering the data for a particular site in the HELCOM MPA database. This section of the database is only visible for the logged in users. It is proposed that this information will be made visible for all users of the database in order to improve the transparency of the data. The Data provider information contains the following data fields: Name of data provider Organization Data provider position in the organization Data provider email Data provider phone number Predefined lists for reportingspecies, biotopes and biotope complexes Species, biotopes and biotope complexes are reported per MPA based on predefined lists in the database. The aim is to report those features which are relevant for the MPA, not for example every possible species occurring in the MPA. The predefined lists were compiled together with the HELCOM MPA Task Group during spring 2015. During the data update in May-October 2015 countries provided feedback on the predefined lists, and the proposed amendments to the species and biotope complexes lists are presented in tables 1 and 2. There were no proposals for amending the biotopes list. The current predefined lists in the HELCOM MPA database are presented in Annex 3. Table 1. Proposed additions to the current predefined specieslist used for reporting in the HELCOM MPA database. The current list covers 198 most relevant species of birds, invertebrates, macrophytes, mammals, and fish and lamprey species in the Baltic Sea. Please see annex 3 for the full predefined species list and detailed description of how it was compiled. SPECIES SCIENTIFIC NAME ENGLISH NAME PROPOSAL MADE BY GROUP Birds Larus ridibundus Black headed gull Germany (Dieter Boedeker) Birds Anas acuta Northern pintail Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Anas crecca Common teal Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Anas penelope Eurasian wigeon Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Anas querquedula Garganey Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Anser albifrons Greater white-fronted goose Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Ardea cinerea Grey heron Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Aythya ferina Common pochard Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Aythya nyroca Ferruginous duck Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Branta canadensis Canada goose Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Calidris alba Sanderling Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Calidris canutus Red knot Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Calidris ferruginea Curlew sandpiper Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Calidris minuta Little stint Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Chlidonias hybridus Whiskered tern Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Page 3 of 16 STATE & CONSERVATION 3-2015, 3N-5 Birds Chlidonias leucopterus White winged tern Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Chlidonias niger Black tern Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Cygnus cygnus Whooper swan Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Egretta alba (Ardea alba) Great egret Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Fulica atra Eurasian coot Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Gallinago gallinago Common snipe Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Himantopus himantopus Black-winged stilt Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Limicola falcinellus Broad-billed sandpiper Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed godwit Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Mergellus albellus Smew Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Netta rufina Red-crested pochard Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Numenius arquata Eurasian curlew Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Phalaropus lobatus Red-necked phalarope Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Platalea leucorodia Eurasian spoonbill Poland (Andrzej Ginalski) Birds Pluvialis squatarola Grey plover Poland (Andrzej