Yesterday Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) hosted its annual Marine and Water Forum in Gothenburg, Sweden. Reduced eutrophication, increased biodiversity in running water and sustainable fishing was on the agenda during this year’s forum.
The Marine and Water Forum is a meeting place where government agencies, interest groups, industries and many more come together to discuss issues relating to our aqueous environment, which this year attracted over 400 people.
The state of our oceans, with the cod population in Kattegat being in a critical state, the spread of anoxic areas in the Baltic Sea and acidification of the world oceans, where in focus when SwAMs Director General, Björn Risinger, opened the forum. Risinger highlighted the need to broaden our perspectives, shedding light on the current political push and initiatives that has been put forward, such as development of a marine spatial planning and a comprehensive and coherent water policy, as well-intentioned steps in the right direction.
Baltic Sea Initiative (Östersjöintativet) founder Allan Larsson spoke about citizen driven marine management giving the example of Save Burgsviken in the island of Gotland, Sweden. Where the local management bodies, researchers and citizens work together from an ecosystem services perspective to tackle eutrophication problems in the bay. In their work they ask two primary questions; a) how great is our debt to the ecosystem and b) what is the instalment plan, as a way of quantifying and measuring the steps needed to reach a good environmental status. Allan encouraged SwAM to do more to stimulate citizen driven marine management as well as develop the idea of “debt to the ocean”.
It became evident during the Forum’s panel debate that there is a bubbling conflict between the commercial fishermen and the Swedish anglers, where they blame each other as being responsible for the current state of fish stocks. On a question raised by the audience on marine protected areas (MPAs) increasing the goal of 10% marine areas protected by 2020 to 20% in both water and on land, the majority of panelist where positive. Peter Olsson, commercial fisherman, and Stefan Nyström, Swedish Anglers Association, where both positive to an increase of MPAs. Olsson emphasised that MPAs are not a threat to the fishing industry, rather a tool towards long-term social, economic and ecologic sustainability of the fishing industry.
The conference ended with a discussion on the theme “What is water worth” between Swedish Minister of Environment Lena Ek and Chairman of the Environment and Agriculture Committee Matilda Ernkrans.
About the Baltic Sea Initiative
The Baltic Sea Initiative is a collaboration of seven Swedish municipalities/regions with the aim to develop environmental improvement measures in the coastal zone, initiating, and promoting environmentally driven business and engage in educational and awareness.