Baltic Sea MPA network

The designation of marine protected areas (MPAs) has been an instrument for protection of the Baltic Sea for more than 30 years and serves as an important measure in meeting the commitments of the EU MS who are also Contracting Parties (CPs) to the Helsinki Convention. Since the designation of the first HELCOM MPAs in 1994, there has been a substantial increase in the areal coverage of MPAs in the Baltic Sea: in 2004, the protected marine area was 3.9 percent, while in 2010, this number had increased to 10.3 percent, making the Baltic Sea the first marine region in the world to reach the target of conserving at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, set by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. As of December 2020, the Baltic MPA network covers approximately 16.5% of the Baltic Sea. Included in this are 178 HELCOM MPAs, amounting to about 13.2% of the Baltic Sea. Significant increase in spatial coverage is expected in the future and the overall level of ambition is high across the region, as illustrated by the commitments of the countries under the BSAP and HELCOM Recommendations, and the ongoing work to implement the EU BDS.  

MPAs in the Baltic are traditionally established to protect a subset of species, habitats or, more rarely, ecosystem processes under the Birds and Habitats Directives, regional conventions, or national law. Spatial protection of the Baltic Sea is characterized by several protection schemes overlapping in one geographical location. Natura 2000 areas in the Baltic Sea have often been designated as HELCOM MPAs, and some smaller Natura 2000 areas have been merged under one large HELCOM MPA. Overlapping Natura 2000 areas and HELCOM MPAs often have different shapes as the Natura 2000 areas may also include inland areas, while the HELCOM MPAs are restricted to the coastal zone and marine area. In addition, the HELCOM MPA network also includes Russian waters in the Baltic Sea, while the Natura 2000 network is restricted to marine areas under EU jurisdiction. Discounting MPAs designated by the Russian Federation, all but two of the 178 HELCOM MPAs include significant Natura 2000 components.