The perceived environmental status was measured on a 5-step scale from ‘very bad’ to ‘very good’, with the average being ‘neither bad nor good’, and thus, a one-step change means an improvement from ‘neither bad nor good’ to ‘rather good’. Incidental by-catches of harbour porpoise in the Kattegat and Belts Seas were calculated at 165 to 263 animals in 2014, based primarily on information from CCTV cameras on commercial vessels in combination with data on fishing effort (ICES 2016e). Both dangerous animals it is primarily the so-called Petermännchen - a fish - and very nasty Feuerquallen. The state of ringed seal in the Gulf of Finland is critical, currently represented by ~100 animals. The indicators do not capture the negative economic impacts that marine uses may have on the quality of the marine environment and thus potentially on other uses of the marine environment, but are a piece of the overall picture of how society and the marine environment are linked. Among marine fishes are cod, herring, hake, plaice, flounder, shorthorn sculpin, stickleback and turbot, and examples of freshwater species include perch, pike, whitefish and roach. Other species are local and cannot move, even if the local environment changes, and the water masses around them have travelled long distances and may include harmful substances from sources far away. Fishing mortality was assessed in relation to the level estimated to deliver a long term maximum sustainable yield, referred to as FMSY, based on analytical assessment models. These events caused intensified oxygen dynamics in the Arkona Basin, Bornholm Basin, and Eastern Gotland Basin, and the northern Baltic Proper was affected up to the end of 2016. The predatory fish aquarium The majestic cod swim down at a depth of around 30 metres. A variety of species are targeted, depending on season and availability, including herring, cod and flounder and coastal freshwater species. The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53 deg. The map reflects the BQR for the indicator furthest away from good status in each assessment unit. Figure B4.1.2. (Image credit: RT News) Sonar image of the Baltic Sea "UFO" and adjacent "track" of cleared material. The magnitude of these effects is dependent on environmental factors such as salinity, temperature and oxygen conditions. Cat sharks feed on squid, octopus, crabs, shrimps, snails, worms and small fish. Ringed seals in the Gulf of Bothnia management unit are at a population size above the Limit Reference Level of 10,000 seals, but the threshold values for growth rate or distribution are not achieved (See also Figure 5.4.7). These effects decrease the environmental benefits from the Baltic Sea, both in terms of use-related values and non-use values. The benefits that are lost if the Baltic Sea does not reach a good environmental status are called the cost of degradation. In total, about 400 tons of sharks are caught in the Baltic Sea every year. Focusing on key Baltic Sea wildlife species such as grey (Halichoerus grypus), ringed seals (Pusa hispida), harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus), common eiders (Somateria mollissima) and white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), we highlight the need for understanding, identifying and quantifying … Whether an activity in reality leads to loss of or disturbance of habitats depends on many factors, such as the duration and intensity of the activity, the technique used and the sensitivity of the area affected. 2017). Cod (Gadus morhua) is mainly fished by demersal trawls reaching the seabed. After one or two years they grow into so called smolt and migrate to the Baltic Sea, where they mature into adult salmon and remain for a few years. Level 3 separates the sub-basins also into coastal and offshore areas, and level 4 uses a finer subdivision of coastal areas, in line with national management practices such as water bodies as designated under the EU Water Framework Directive. However, ‘good status’ for the indicator requires that the threshold value is achieved for both parameters. The assessment is based on currently available core indicators. Baltic Sea wide studies with value estimates for each coastal country give the best estimates at regional level. The growth rate has levelled off in recent years, suggesting that grey seal is approaching its carrying capacity. Economically and ecologically sound marine management would shift the location of the bubbles downward and increase the size of the bubbles. These small animals are also important for keeping the seaweed clean. Moreover, shell growth and mortality are negatively affected by the interactive effects of reduced salinity and increased temperature. The study covers all nine coastal countries and considers a change in the condition of the entire Baltic Sea. Of course, the Ozeaneum dedicates a segment of the Baltic Sea exhibition to these marine animals. These values are referred to as ‘EQS values’, and are set for priority substances with respect to concentrations in water, and for some substances also with respect to concentrations in biota (fish or shellfish). Unlike all its close relatives of the other hammerheads, it is tolerant of colder waters. Some species migrate far and encounter several different environments and different types of pressures during their life. 2014). Source: Ahtiainen et al. Table B.1.3.2. However, the Baltic Proper sub-population is categorised as critically endangered in the HELCOM Red list (HELCOM 2013b). Annual benefit losses from eutrophication (euros per person) and total in the Baltic Sea region (million euros). Additional important pressures affecting seagrass meadows are for example oxygen depletion and increased sulphide concentrations, direct and indirect effects of fisheries, and acidification (Figure B.6.1.1). Nevertheless, they occasionally end up in the fishermen’s nets, which often means certain death for them. The grey seals of the Baltic Sea all belong to the same management unit, as they forage across the entire region. This assumes that the environment will reach a new biogeochemical steady state under the currently prevailing physical steady state, after some time when the internal sinks and sources have adapted to the new input levels. Eel is listed as critically endangered (HELCOM 2013b). The losses in value of Baltic Sea recreation, due to deterioration of the marine environment, are measured based on a change in citizens’ recreation values from a one-step change in the perceived status of the Baltic Sea marine environment. The allocation is done according to the ‘polluter pays’ principle of the Helsinki Convention. The dead zones are due largely to the Baltic’s limited circulation and strong layering of water, which stop oxygen from replenishing bottom waters. Eutrophication causes many adverse effects on the marine environment which also reduce the welfare of citizens. Monitoring along the Polish coast show a count of less than 200 individuals in a recently established haul-out. Figure B.6.1.2. The results can be further validated by a review of selected linkages, available in the literature. For the migratory species, ICES gives advice on salmon (Salmo salar) individually by for each river stock, using a different framework for setting reference values in relation to MSY (ICES 2017d-e), and qualitative overviews for sea trout (ICES 2017f). Municipal wastewater treatment plants are considered a major pathway for introduction to the aquatic environment, with an estimated release of about 1.8 thousand tons of pharmaceuticals to the Baltic Sea. Table 5.5.1 test. Demersal trawling occurs in some coastal areas, but is forbidden in the coastal zone in many of the Baltic countries. But we can reassure you in advance, most shark species found on the Baltic Sea coast are not dangerous for humans and attacks are very rare. 2014). Among the main threats are: eutrophication caused primarily by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the water These relationships differ across sub-basins because of differences in water circulation, ecosystem characteristics, and inputs, for example. The value for the most sensitive of these matrices and protection goals is used. There are also several known cases of attacks on humans by the porbeagle in Europe. Incidental by-catch of mammals in fishing gear, Box 5.4.1. 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