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Policy Document

Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic sea area (HELCOM).

Policy Document
1 min read
1992 (entered into force on 17 January 2000)

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Related indicators

Indicator Specification Oxygen concentrations in European coastal and marine waters The indicator illustrates the geographical distribution and trends in summer/autumn concentrations of oxygen in the near-bottom waters of the regional seas of Europe. It uses oxygen concentrations in the near-bottom layer during the period July-October. The following marine regions and subregions are covered, in line with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (sub)regions: Baltic Sea, North-East Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea (see 'Regional seas surrounding Europe' map: Regional Seas ).
Indicator Specification Hazardous substances in marine organisms This indicator describes the levels of and trends in the levels of eight hazardous substances in marine biota in European seas , based on individual assessments of monitoring data for the following substances: mercury (Hg) and its compounds; cadmium (Cd) and its compounds; lead (Pb) and its compounds; HCB; PCBs, using chlorinated biphenyls CB28, CB52, CB101, CB118, CB138, CB153 and CB180 as representatives; the pesticide DDT (using pp’DDE as a representative); the pesticide Lindane (1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane); the polyaromatic hydrocarbon BaP. The indicator is based on data on the levels of these substances measured in organisms from the regional seas as follows: Baltic Sea — Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus); North-East Atlantic Ocean — blue mussel (Mytilus app), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), flounder (Platichtys flesus); Mediterranean Sea — Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovinicialis); Black Sea — Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovinicialis).
Indicator Specification Chlorophyll in transitional, coastal and marine waters  The indicator illustrates the geographical distribution and trends in mean summer surface concentrations of chlorophyll-a (micrograms per litre) in the regional seas of Europe. The summer period is defined as: June to September for stations north of latitude 59 degrees in the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland) May to September for all other stations The following marine regions and subregions are covered, in line with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (sub)regions:   Regions Subregions Baltic Sea None North-East Atlantic Ocean Greater North Sea Celtic Seas Bay of Biscay and Iberian coast Macaronesian biogeographic region Mediterranean Sea Western Mediterranean Sea Adriatic Sea Ionian Sea and Central Mediterranean Aegean-Levantine Sea Black Sea None  
Indicator Specification Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters The indicator illustrates the following levels and trends in concentrations in the regional seas of Europe: winter means of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (nitrate + nitrite + ammonium) winter means of orthophosphate annual means of total nitrogen annual means of total phosphorus The winter period is defined as follows: January, February and March for stations east of longitude 15 degrees (Bornholm) in the Baltic Sea January and February for all other stations. The following marine (sub)regions are covered, in line with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (sub)regions: Regions Subregions Baltic Sea None North-East Atlantic Ocean Greater North Sea Celtic Seas Bay of Biscay and the Iberian coast Macaronesian biogeographic region Mediterranean Sea Western Mediterranean Sea Adriatic Sea Ionian Sea and Central Mediterranean Aegean-Levantine Sea Black Sea None
Indicator Specification
Archived
Chlorophyll in transitional, coastal and marine waters This indicator illustrates the levels and trends in mean summer surface concentrations of chlorophyll-a (microgram/l) in the regional seas of Europe.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters This indicator illustrates the levels and trends in winter means of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (nitrate + nitrite + ammonium), oxidised nitrogen (nitrate + nitrite) and phosphate concentrations (micromol/l) in the regional seas of Europe.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Hazardous substances in marine organisms This indicator describes the levels and trends in European seas of concentrations of eight hazardous substances in marine biota, based on the individual assessment of monitoring data for the following substances: Mercury (Hg) and its compounds Cadmium (Cd) and its compounds Lead (Pb) and its compounds Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)  Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), using chlorinated biphenyls CB28, CB52, CB101, CB118, CB138, CB153, and CB180 as representatives The pesticide DDT (using pp’DDE as a representative of DDT) The pesticide Lindane- 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) The polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) Benzo(a)pyrene (BAP) The indicator is based on data for substances measured in organisms from the regional seas as follows: Baltic Sea – Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) North-East Atlantic Ocean – blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), flounder (Platichtys flesus) Mediterranean Sea – Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovinicialis) Black Sea - Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovinicialis)
Indicator Specification
Archived
Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters The indicator shows 1) annual winter concentrations (micromol/l); 2) classification of concentration levels (i.e. low, moderate, high) and 3) trends in winter oxidised nitrogen (nitrate + nitrite) and phosphate concentration (micromol/l)in the regional seas of Europe.  Levels and trends of winter concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients are used for this indicator, as it is assumed that winter concentrations are not significantly reduced due to uptake by primary producers. The winter period is defined as follows: January, February and March for stations east of longitude 15 degrees (Bornholm) in the Baltic Sea  January and February for all other stations. The used regional and subregional seas of Europe are in line with the geographical regions and sub-regions specified in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).  Other European Seas (Icelandic Sea, The Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea and the White Sea) are not covered in this indicator due to current lack of data. 
Indicator Specification
Archived
Chlorophyll in transitional, coastal and marine waters The indicator shows 1) annual mean summer surface concentrations (microgram/l), 2) classification of concentration levels (i.e. low, moderate, high) and 3) trends in mean summer surface concentrations of chlorophyll-a (microgram/l) in the regional seas of Europe. Summer period is: June to September for stations north of latitude 59 degrees in the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland)  May to September for all other stations  The used regional and subregional seas of Europe are in line with the geographical regions and sub-regions specified in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).  Other European Seas (Icelandic Sea, The Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea and the White Sea) are not covered in this indicator due to current lack of data.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Status of marine fish stocks The indicator tracks the ratio of the number of over-fished stocks to the total number of commercial stocks per fishing area in European seas. Fish species rarely reproduce randomly with con-species throughout their geographical range, but form a series of stocks that are reproductively isolated in space and time. Cod for instance form a stock in the North Sea and another one in the Iceland area. These are isolated from each other and one can potentially be fished out while the other is thriving. European eel is an example of an extreme situation where there is only one stock as all mature eel migrate to the Sargasso Sea to spawn in random mixture with each other.  It should be noted that in the Northeast Atlantic area stocks are generally defined based on biological criteria and knowledge of population migration, mixing and spawning areas, while in the Mediterranean due to lack of biological knowledge, stocks are defined largely by area and not in general on the basis of well established biological knowledge on population units.   Commercial stocks are the stocks of economic importance on which the fishing effort is focused upon in each area aiming at a profit, i.e. a subset of exploited stocks. It is a broader term encompassing target species, by-catches and industrial species that are of economic importance to the market. Overfished stocks are stocks outside safe biological limits Safe stocks are stocks inside safe biological limits Non-assessed stocks are stocks for which no assessment has been carried out. The indicator also contains information on: 1. Numbers of commercial, assessed and over-fished stocks by sea area; 2. The state of commercial stocks (over-fished stocks per area), safe stocks, stocks for which an assessment has not been carried out. 3. Fish catch in specific seas from assessed and unassessed stocks. 4. Status of stocks by species and seas.

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/convention-on-the-pr...c-sea or scan the QR code.

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