CROSS BORDER MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING FOR BLACK SEA – BULGARIA AND ROMANIA MARSPLAN-BS II GRANT AGREEMENT: EASME/EMFF/2018/1.2.1.5/01/S12.806725 - MARSPLAN-BS II Dr. Margarita Stancheva Project Partner 5 Center for Coastal and Marine Studies (CCMS) Varna, Bulgaria MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria Introduction: defining the working framework Geographical scope of Black Sea MARSPLAN-BS (Bulgaria and Romania) Legal framework, governance structure and stage of MSP process Marine environmental status and natural/anthropogenic pressures Main maritime activities: trends and planning issues Findings from case studies: gaps of knowledge and lessons learned Summary of the main conclusions and transboundary issues Experience gained and recommendations for further MSP MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria Capitalizing results obtained in the first MARSPLAN-BS Project, the Synthesis Report is aimed: • to summarize and synthesize all information and existing knowledge available so far for the maritime space of Bulgaria and Romania (based on detailed study and case studies results) • to identify critical planning issues, as well as data and knowledge gaps • to set the state of knowledge in order to frame and support the subsequent implementing of the MSP process in the Black Sea Basin. Photo credits: Hristo Stanchev Photo credits: CCMS Photo credits: CCMS MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria Map produced by CCMS MSP methodology was applied to the territorial sea zone of Romania and Bulgaria (12 nm, 22.2 km), and the coastal cross-border area including the basic administrative units (NUTS 4 in Romania and municipalities in Bulgaria) neighboring the shoreline. The draft planning area was located at the border between Romania and Bulgaria, its delimitation took into consideration two type of zones: territorial waters (the management area), incl. adjacent coastal area, and EEZ (the extended analysis area for the study of interactions). The coastal area included the municipalities Mangalia and Limanu (in Romania) and Shabla (in Bulgaria). The management area is 1 093 389 km2, from which the Romanian area is 417 084 km2 and the Bulgarian part is 672 93 km2. MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference Source: www.marsplan.ro 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria The MSP development has been started and the Directive 2014/89/EU was transposed in both countries national legislations: • In Romania by ) Government Ordinance no. 18/2016 on the maritime spatial planning; and b) Law no. 88/2017 related to the approval of the Government Ordinance no. 18/2016 on the maritime spatial planning. • In Bulgaria by an Amendment of the Law on Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria, State Gazette No 28/29.03.2018. Designated National Competent Authorities: Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (BG) and Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (RO). Started procedures on national MSP development and stakeholder consultations. MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria Environmental protection (Nationally designated protected areas and Natura 2000, SCI & SPA) Marine habitats and biodiversity Marine mammals Birds Invasive species Fish (species, distribution, population, trends) Spawning ground and nursery Shellfish (species, distribution, abundance, trends) Algae and marine plants Source: www.marsplan.ro Natura 2000 sites - Coastal protected Marine protected Country coastal and marine areas (CPAs) (%) areas (MPAs) (%) (number) 34 80 7.8 Bulgaria Photos credits: Hristo Stanchev 13 90 22.0 Romania MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria CPAs/MPAs challenges: climate change and SLR, coastal erosion, lack of approved and operational management plans, mass tourism; lack of sewage systems and degradation of water quality in peak seasons; trawling; Habitat loss from the development of coastal infrastructures, dredging and anchoring as well as from water pollution and high eutrophication; Physical damages to bottom substrates caused by commercial fishing with active pelagic or demersal fishing gears or fishing with bottom gear leads to abrasion of the seabed; Seabirds: climate change, forestry destroy; coastal construction and development; agricultural intensification/pesticide use/drainage; erection of power lines and associated infrastructure; tourism and urbanisation; oil and chemical pollution; solid waste dumping; water contamination; entrapment in sewage; wind turbines, etc.; Main threats for the Black Sea fishes: pollution from land based sources (rivers) and direct discharges (inshore area), eutrophication, Illegal fishing/overfishing, use of destructive harvest techniques, also loss of valuable spawning and nursery habitats in rivers and lagoons; modification in river flow regimes, etc.; Impacts on algae and plants: water pollution, destruction of the plants as a result of fishing, anchoring of boats and construction activities in the ports. MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria Photo credits: NIMRD Photo credits: Hristo Stanchev Main maritime activities/sectors Activities/Sectors Bulgaria Romania Development of fishing and limited yet aquaculture Fishing and Aquaculture Development of fishing and aquaculture . development . Oil and gas exploitation, salt and water extraction: all Extraction of non-living resources Oil and gas exploitation, activity requires MSP to achieve these human activities require MSP to achieve (oil and gas, incl. infrastructure, environmental protection and sustainable development of environmental protection and sustainable development of salt, water, etc.) the sector. the sector. Maritime transport (infrastructure, The sector has high socio-economic importance as it The sector has high socio-economic importance as it shipping, ship building, shipyard, development affects other sectors as fishing and tourism. development affects other sectors as fishing and tourism. etc.) Romania benefits from the advantages of geographical Bulgaria benefits from the advantages of geographical location on important gas transmission corridors and Submarine cables and pipelines location on important gas transmission corridors and access to major gas resources recently discovered in the there are studies and explorations on gas fields. Black Sea. Coastal tourism, mostly mass beach tourism, is prevailing Coastal tourism is more developed (including Danube Tourism (coastal and marine) branch; marine tourism, including yachting and Delta area) than marine, which is represented only by recreational boating, is still limited, but expected to grow. yachting and recreational boating, still limited, High number of coastal defence and flood protection High number of coastal defence and flood protection Coastal defence/flood protection structures (mainly groins, dikes and seawalls), few cases structures (mainly groins, breakwaters and seawalls), of beach nourishment. including beach nourishment. Dredging and dumping are practiced to maintain port Dredging and dumping are practiced to maintain port Dredging and dumping areas and navigational canals functional. areas and navigational canals functional. Numerous UCH remains/ shipwrecks and their protection Numerous UCH remains/ shipwrecks and their protection Underwater Cultural Heritage should be part of national MSP. should be part of national MSP. Zones of military training activities comprise the whole Zones of military trainings and warnings are publicly maritime space, but specifically zones and warnings are Military trainings announced before the trainings; however data on military publicly announced before; Data/information on military MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference trainings in maritime areas are not fully publicly available. trainings in maritime areas are not fully publicly available. 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria Map produced by NIMRD Fishery is important at regional level, especially in coastal areas and Map produced by CCMS settlements. In recent years, catches of fish marked a gradual decline due Data source: EAFA to the decline of fish stocks in the Black Sea. Photos credits: CCMS Recently Bulgaria has evolved rapidly marine aquaculture expressed in cultivating black mussels: mussel farms with collectors numbering 29. In Romania there is one private aquaculture farm. Main issues are related to conflicts between representatives of the fishing community and aquaculture operators, pollution of any type that can halt mining production and significant increase in the population of rapana. Knowledge gaps • No existing spatial database for fishing areas and catchment; MARSPLAN-BS II Project Opening Conference • Data for aquaculture areas are not in spatial formats. 10 October 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria In Bulgaria oil is exploited in the area of Burgas (oil refinery) and Shabla (oil and gas extractions ) and 4 natural gas fields. In Romanian continental shelf there are 16 oil and gas exploration perimeters. From centuries coastal lagoons are subject of salt production through solar evaporation of sea water: Pomoriysko and Atanasovsko Lakes, located in the area of Burgas Bay. Potential conflicts: oil spills, marine accidents, increasing pressure on environment. Knowledge gaps • No existing spatial database for extraction of non-living resources; • Data for extraction of non-living resources