Tag: marine protected areas

Nature Conservation and Sustainable Transformation on the Island of Bornholm: A Window of Opportunity?

In April 2024, the FREIIA project team met on the Danish island of Bornholm in the southwestern Baltic Sea. For our project partners on Bornholm, the primary focus lies on achieving a circular economy and indeed, Bornholm district council has ambitious aims to reduce landfill and incineration to zero by 2030 and innovative measures in place to facilitate the reuse and recycling of an impressively wide range of materials. 

Coastal landscape at Sandvig, Bornholm (Photo: C. Walsh)

At the same time, a shift in approach to nature conservation and appreciation of the fragility of the island’s natural environment is evident. The principal focus of nature conservation in Denmark has been on the preservation of certain landscape qualities. This static approach, enshrined in the 1992 Nature Conservation Act, allows for the continuation of existing uses (particularly farming) and is less suited to achieving biodiversity or ecosystem restoration objectives. Indeed, in some cases, active conservation measures are necessary to ensure that a landscape remains as it was at the time of its designation. 

Continue reading “Nature Conservation and Sustainable Transformation on the Island of Bornholm: A Window of Opportunity?”

A National Park for the Baltic Sea? A Panel Discussion in Kiel

Against the background of proposals to establish a new marine national park in the territorial waters of the German Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein, the Centre for Ocean and Society at Kiel University and the EnJust Network, organised an interdisciplinary panel discussion which took place in Kiel on the evening of January 17th. The panel discussion sought to combine perspectives from marine ecology (Jan Dierking, GEOMAR Kiel), philosophy (Konrad Ott), marine spatial planning (Kira Gee, Hereon), international law (Nele Matz-Lück, Kiel University) and geography / marine governance (my own contribution). Unfortunately, on the day both Kira and Nele were unable to attend. The panel discussion, focussed on the question of the suitability of various marine protection concepts for the conservation of the Baltic Sea, rather than debating arguments in favour or against a national park per se, was moderated by Annegret Kuhn and Christian Elster (both Kiel University). We spoke (in German) to an engaged audience from both Kiel University and associated research institutes and the wider public in a packed room.

Map of proposed National Park area (source: adapted from MEKUN)
Continue reading “A National Park for the Baltic Sea? A Panel Discussion in Kiel”

Better Governance for Small Islands: FREIIA project meeting: Koster islands, Sweden

Last week, the FREIIA (Facilitating Resilience Enhancing Islands Innovation Approaches) project team met on the Koster islands in Sweden for two days of intensive meetings and excursions. The Interreg North Sea Programme funded FREIIA project includes researchers and practitioners from a diverse range of organisations in Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Germany, with a common focus on the development of better governance for small offshore islands. The Koster islands and Koster National Park are located off the southwest coast of Sweden, close to the border with Norway. They cover an area of approximately 12 square kilometres with a resident population of c. 300 people.

Continue reading “Better Governance for Small Islands: FREIIA project meeting: Koster islands, Sweden”

Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning for the Dogger Bank

As part of my teaching at Leuphana University Lüneburg, I gave a seminar in Winter Semester 22/23 on ‘Spatial Planning in Practice’ with a particular focus on ecosystem-based marine spatial planning. The seminar formed part of the minor programme in Spatial Science. The interdisciplinary group of undergraduate students brought their own perspectives and skills to the complex task of preparing an ecosystem-based transboundary marine spatial plan for the Dogger Bank area of the North Sea. The students initially worked in small groups focussed on thematic issues of relevance to the case study area, including offshore wind, shipping, fishing, marine mammals and birds.

Students discussing planning options for the Dogger Bank, bringing together diverse stakeholder perspectives.

Mapping fishing grounds at the Dogger Bank

The groups identified objectives for their area of focus for both 2030 and 2060 as well as potential planning measures targeted at achieving those objectives. In a subsequent step, the students exchanged information between the groups and engaged in negotiation with the aim of achieving common objectives, balancing the expansion of offshore renewable energy with protection of the marine environment and against the background of existing uses of marine space.

Continue reading “Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning for the Dogger Bank”

New project: Guidelines for Cetacean-friendly Marine Spatial Planning

(C) Erik Christensen, Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0

Following an open tender process, I have been commissioned by the ASCOBANS Secretariat to develop guidelines for Cetacean-friendly marine spatial planning. ASCOBANS (Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas, entered into force 1994) is the key international agreement for the conservation of small cetaceans (harbour porpoises, dolphins, smaller whale species) in Northern and Western Europe. The ASCOBANS Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and located in Bonn. The development of guidelines for cetacean-friendly MSP contributes to the realisation of effective ecosystem-based management.

In this work, I collaborate with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and the Seawatch Foundation (UK).