External meeting
3rd Informal Consultation Session of the Biodiversity, Protection and Restoration Working Group
May 6, 2024
External meeting
3rd Informal Consultation Session of the Biodiversity, Protection and Restoration Working Group
Start date: May 6, 2024
End date: May 8, 2024
Time:
Place: Copenhagen, Denmark and online
Address:
Official meetings of all HELCOM Working and Experts Groups and other subsidiary bodies are postponed due to the HELCOM strategic pause until further notice, however, informal consultation sessions, without Russian participation, are organized and hosted by a Contracting Party.
The informal consultation sessions process and discuss documents and provide guidance and recommendations as to how to progress work.
The informal consultation sessions process and discuss documents and provide guidance and recommendations as to how to progress work.
Description
While official meetings and other events of all HELCOM Working and Expert Groups and other subsidiary bodies are postponed due to the HELCOM strategic pause until further notice, informal consultation sessions, without Russian participation, can be organized and hosted by a Contracting Party.
The 3rd Informal Consultation Session of the Biodiversity, Protection and Restoration Working Group was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 6-8 May 2024.
CCB Participant in the meeting
- Andrea Cervantes, CCB Biodiversity Officer
- Estefania Cortez, CCB Project Manager/Legal Expert
- Bettina Taylor, BUND and CCB Co-Chair
- Marie-Louise Krawack, DN
- Ida Carlén, SSNC
Outcomes of the meeting
- CCB informed the Session about the Bogskär area, a biologically important area with a mosaic of reefs (1170 Natura habitat) and canyon-like deep parts where many species thrive in a relatively undisturbed environment. In fact, part of the area is already a HELCOM MPA since 2015 (ID: 401).
Areas free from exploitation or extended disturbance are increasingly rare in the Baltic Sea. Thanks to its versatility and relative undisturbedness, Åland's southern sea area is an important area both for reproduction and foraging for several species, including Baltic herring and cod, several marine mammals and seabirds. The importance of the area for the marine species and its special character has been confirmed in the ongoing project LIFE20 IPE/FI/000020 LIFE-IP BIODIVERSEA. Monitoring of the presence of porpoises has been ongoing since 2012.
- CCB invited the Session to:
- discuss the case and possibilities to ensure the designation of areas justified by relevant and scientific data on the high biological value of areas in the future and to urge the Åland government to reinstate this important Natura 2000 area.
- ask the Åland government to comment on the grounds for withdrawing the decision on the designation of this area and on possible outcomes and next steps to ensure the protection of the Bogskär area.
- during the meeting, CCB shared challenges and updates on the ongoing work of the PROTECT BALTIC project (including information about the task 2.4 as well as the next steps for WP7 work).
Participation supported by
CCB's participation in the event was supported by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither
the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
The 3rd Informal Consultation Session of the Biodiversity, Protection and Restoration Working Group was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 6-8 May 2024.
CCB Participant in the meeting
- Andrea Cervantes, CCB Biodiversity Officer
- Estefania Cortez, CCB Project Manager/Legal Expert
- Bettina Taylor, BUND and CCB Co-Chair
- Marie-Louise Krawack, DN
- Ida Carlén, SSNC
Outcomes of the meeting
- CCB informed the Session about the Bogskär area, a biologically important area with a mosaic of reefs (1170 Natura habitat) and canyon-like deep parts where many species thrive in a relatively undisturbed environment. In fact, part of the area is already a HELCOM MPA since 2015 (ID: 401).
Areas free from exploitation or extended disturbance are increasingly rare in the Baltic Sea. Thanks to its versatility and relative undisturbedness, Åland's southern sea area is an important area both for reproduction and foraging for several species, including Baltic herring and cod, several marine mammals and seabirds. The importance of the area for the marine species and its special character has been confirmed in the ongoing project LIFE20 IPE/FI/000020 LIFE-IP BIODIVERSEA. Monitoring of the presence of porpoises has been ongoing since 2012.
- CCB invited the Session to:
- discuss the case and possibilities to ensure the designation of areas justified by relevant and scientific data on the high biological value of areas in the future and to urge the Åland government to reinstate this important Natura 2000 area.
- ask the Åland government to comment on the grounds for withdrawing the decision on the designation of this area and on possible outcomes and next steps to ensure the protection of the Bogskär area.
- during the meeting, CCB shared challenges and updates on the ongoing work of the PROTECT BALTIC project (including information about the task 2.4 as well as the next steps for WP7 work).
Participation supported by
CCB's participation in the event was supported by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither
the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.