HELCOM experts to discuss first results of the Baltic coastal fish assessment project

Helsinki, 27 January (HELCOM Information Service) – Fish experts from the HELCOM countries will meet on 28-30 January in Tallinn to consider the first results of a project to produce a comprehensive assessment of the coastal fish in the Baltic Sea that will help identify potential restoration programmes for the threatened species.

“The Second Meeting of the HELCOM Project for Expert Network on Monitoring and Protecting of Coastal Fish and Lamprey Species (HELCOM FISH) will discuss ongoing and planned national restoration programmes, information about their status and results, as well the latest monitoring data on coastal fish,” says Anne Christine Brusendorff, HELCOM’s Executive Secretary. “The key issue on the agenda is the development of the assessment tools for coastal fish. Experts are expected to elaborate a set of targets and reference values for indicators of coastal fish species and communities.”

The elaboration of agreed indicators with set initial targets and reference values is essential for the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan to restore the health of the marine environment by 2021, says Brusendorff. The biodiversity and nature conservation segment of the plan addresses, amongst other issues, the need to produce an assessment of the conservation status of non-commercial fish species and the promotion of research aiming at developing additional methods for the assessment and reporting of the impacts of fisheries on biodiversity. Experts are expected to continue elaborating their contribution to this assessment.

The Meeting will also consider the project’s contribution to the recently launched five-year project to elaborate complete Red Lists of species and habitats/biotopes based on the existing HELCOM Red List of Baltic Sea fish and lamprey species, as well as discuss further development of the current HELCOM Indicator Fact Sheet “Temporal development of Baltic coastal fish communities and key species”.

Additionally, experts will provide recommendations for the preparation of a possible project on classification of salmon and sea trout rivers which will aim to assist HELCOM countries in the implementation of some of the actions within the Baltic Sea Action Plan. They include: the classification and inventorying of rivers with historic and existing migratory fish species (e.g. salmon, eel, sea trout and sturgeon), no later than by 2012; the development of restoration plans (including restoration of spawning sites and migration routes) in suitable rivers to reinstate migratory fish species, by 2010; and the active conservation of at least ten endangered/threatened wild salmon river populations in the Baltic Sea region as well as the reintroduction of native Baltic Sea salmon in at least four potential salmon rivers, by 2009.

The Meeting is also expected to provide input on ecosystem-based management of coastal fisheries to the agenda of the Second HELCOM Fisheries/Environmental Forum to be held on 11 March 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This Forum brings together experts from fisheries and environmental administrations to find common approaches towards sustainable management of Baltic commercial fish species.

The Meeting will be co-chaired by Mr. Magnus Appelberg of Sweden and Mr. Henn Ojaveer of Estonia.

The first Meeting of the HELCOM FISH Project was held on 18-20 February 2008 in Riga where experts from the coastal countries discussed the objectives, scope of the work, and responsibilities.

Note to Editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organisation of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. 

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Mikhail Durkin

Professional Secretary

HELCOM

Tel.: +358 (0)207 412 621

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: mikhail.durkin@helcom.fi

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi