Germany emerged as best in class, while Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia were named and shamed as classroom dunces as the WWF published this year’s “Baltic Sea Scorecard”.
Still graded “B” – no A’s were handed out – Germany was primarily lauded for being a leader – “by far” – in practical planning of both the use and the protection of marine areas. Those plans designate areas suitable for shipping routes, cables and pipelines, energy and scientific use; however much remains to be done in integrating fisheries and environmental protection aspects in those plans, The World Wildlife Fund said.
The scorecard, published for the third year, reviews and rates efforts from the nine nations surrounding the Baltic Sea to establish an integrated marine management based on what the marine ecosystem can sustain. The report uses 15 criteria, ranging from coordination of different government agencies to how marine protection plans are drawn and implemented.
Germany, as sole “B” nation was followed by a group of four C’s: Denmark, Finland, Poland and Sweden. They have all taken steps toward better integration in the management of marine areas, but mainly through pilot projects, new laws and promises of change, and not much has happened out at sea, the WWF noted.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia were given D’s – Sweden has a school system noted for very reluctantly flunking students, and no F’s for “Fail” were given – were described as lacking measures or initiatives towards more integrated marine management.
Commenting on the 2009 scorecard, WWF Baltic Sea Programme Director Åsa Andersson pointed out that “part of the problem is a ‘the sea should be free for all’ mentality. From the ecosystem perspective it’s untenable to manage such a small sea in sectors, or as a gathering of national areas. In most aspects, the Baltic should be regarded as one ecosystem, and be managed as a whole.”
WFF-Sweden’s Secretary General Lasse Gustavsson added that the current Swedish EU Presidency has provided its government with a “unique opportunity” to steer Baltic Sea efforts onto the right course by securing a strong Union Baltic Strategy, a document that will be up for a vote later this fall.
The seminar where the scorecard was presented in the presence of King Carl XVI Gustaf, president of the WWF Sweden Council, and Crown Princess Victoria, opened with the King presenting Finland’s Foreign minister Alexander Stubb with the 2009 WWF Baltic Leadership Award. Mr. Stubb was acclaimed for being instrumental in the launching of the Baltic Strategy while a member of the EU Parliament.