Management and legislation of sea bed habitats of environmental concern

Transcription

1 Management and legislation of sea bed habitats of environmental concern Workshop on sea bed habitats of environmental concern - Mathilde Juel Lind and Erlend Standal

2 The Norwegian Environment Agency A short introduction

3 The Norwegian Environment Agency Established July 1th 2013, when the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management (DN) and the Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif) were merged into a single agency for environmental matters, under the Ministry of the Environment

4 The Norwegian Environment Agency Approximately 700 employees, most of whom work at our offices in Trondheim and Oslo Photo: John Petter Reinertsen and Karen Waagø

5 The Norwegian Environment Agency Ellen Hambro is the director general of the Norwegian Environment Agency Photo: John Petter Reinertsen

6 Two speakers two topics Erlend Standal: The Nature Diversity Act and lists on threatened or sensitive species and habitats Mathilde Juel Lind: Current management and regulation of sensitive sea bed habitats with focus on sponges

7 The Nature Diversity Act and lists on threatened or sensitive species and habitats

8 Naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act) Act of 19 June 2009 No. 100 Relating to the Management of Biological, Geological and Landscape Diversity (Nature Diversity Act) The purpose of this Act is to protect biological, geological and landscape diversity and ecological processes through conservation and sustainable use, and in such a way that the environment provides a basis for human activity, culture, health and well-being, now and in the future, including a basis for Sami culture.

9 Naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act) A tool for stopping the loss of biodiversity A sector overarching act Gives general provisions on sustainable use (Chapter II) Management objectives for habitat types, ecosystems and species General duty of care A set of principles for official decision-making Knowledge base Precautionary principle Ecosystem approach and cumulative environmental effects User-pays principle Environmentally sound techniques and methods of operation New category of area protection Marine Protected Areas

10 Naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act) Priority species (Prioriterte arter) (Chaper III, sections 23-24) Selected habitat types (Utvalgte naturtyper) (Chapter VI, sections 52-56) These are tools designed to give extra protection for threatened species and habitats The sections on priority species, selected habitat types and protected areas are only valid for the territorial waters of Norway (out to 12 nm of the baseline). Most of the general provisions on sustainable use set out in chapter II (management objectives, etc.) are valid also outside of 12 nm.

11 Naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act) Priority species Criteria for selection: a) the population status or trends for the species are contrary to the objective set out in section 5, first paragraph, (management objectives for species) b) a significant proportion of the species natural range is in Norway or it has distinctive genetic characteristics in Norway, (In the sea, only applicable in particular cases) or c) there are international obligations related to the species.

12 Naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act) Selected habitat types Criteria for selection: a) trends for or the status of the habitat type are contrary to the objective set out in section 4, (management objectives for habitat types and ecosystems) b) the habitat type is important for one or more priority species, c) a significant proportion of the natural range of the habitat type is found in Norway, or d) international obligations apply to the habitat type.

13 Naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act) Each priority species have its own individual regulation Selected habitat types share one common regulation Maps are available at Guidelines are available for both categories www. miljodirektoratet.no

14 The Norwegian Red Lists The Norwegian Red List for Species (2010) The Norwegian Red List for Ecosystems and Habitat Types (2011)

15 The Norwegian Red Lists Species (2010) Contains risk assessments for species extinction in Norway. The evaluation is based on criteria from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) species have been evaluated species are red listed for mainland Norway. Of these, is classed as threatened (CR, EN, VU) and as near threatened (NT).

16 The Norwegian Red Lists Ecosystems and Habitat Types (2011) A national risk assessment of ecosystems and habitat types, covering all terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems. Based on methodology developed in Norway, formed around a system for the classification and description of ecological variation, called «Nature types in Norway» (NiN).

17 The Norwegian Red Lists Both lists are managed by the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (Artsdatabanken) Available for order, download or online search at

18 OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats 16 Contracting Parties: 15 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and The United Kingdom) and The EU The OSPAR Commission is the forum through which the Contracting Parties cooperate. OSPAR = The OSlo PARis Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic

19 OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats There are 42 species and 16 habitats on the list. Purpose: To guide the OSPAR Commission in setting priorities for its further work on the conservation and protection of marine biodiversity. The list is based upon nominations by Contracting Parties and observers to the Commission, of species and habitats that they consider to be priorities for protection. Listing is based on a set of criteria for the identification of species in need of protection «the Texel-Faial criteria».

20 OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats The data used has been reviewed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Background documents have been produced for the individual species and habitats. Measures, in the form of OSPAR recommendations, are now being developed. These measures will be implemented in national regulations and routines of each Contracting Party. The OSPAR Commission has no competence to adopt programmes or measures on questions relating to the management of fisheries.

21 OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats The OSPAR Maritime Area is divided into five regions. The list states in which regions the species or habitat occurs and in which regions they are listed as threatened and/or declining.

22 Contact Information Telephone: