Download Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is currently gaining momentum

Draft pilot maritime spatial plans in Poland
and Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
Lidia Kruk-Dowgiałło, Radosław Opioła, Monika Michałek,
Magdalena Matczak, Jacek Zaucha
Maritime Institute in Gdańsk
Poland
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is currently gaining momentum. This has been
created by the growing pressure on the sea space from new types of demand and
its recognition by the EU integrated maritime policy (Zaucha 2009).
As pointed out by Ehler and Douvere (2009) maritime spatial planning (MSP) is a
public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of
human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social
objectives that are usually specified through a political process. MSP is therefore a
process of planning and regulating all human uses of the sea, which also sets out to
protect the marine ecosystems in which these activities take place and safeguard
marine biodiversity. Ecosystem-based MSP means balancing ecological, economic,
and social goals and objectives toward sustainable development (Ehler and
Douvere 2009). According to VASAB-HELCOM principles (2010) the ecosystem
approach means the MSP focus on: good status of the Baltic Sea ecosystem1,
(including impact of human activities) related to the concept of ecosystem services
and seen as contribution to achievement of the goals of EU Marine Strategy
Framework Directive (MSFD) and HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, as well as on
protection and enhancement of marine environment via MSP.
In Poland sea areas are managed by the minister responsible for matters of maritime
economy (nowadays it is Minister of Infrastructure) and by his regional administration,
i.e. the Directors of Maritime Offices. Polish law allows drawing up of marine spatial
1
According to Marine Strategy Framework Directive environmental status means the overall state of the environment in
marine waters, taking into account the structure, function and processes of the constituent marine ecosystems together
with natural physiographic, geographic, biological, geological and climatic factors, as well as physical, acoustic and chemical
conditions, including those resulting from human activities inside or outside the area concerned.
plans since 2003, however no such plans have been approved so far i.a. due to the
lack of relevant executory regulations. In order to get experience, maritime spatial
plans and related documents has been undertaken so far in Poland only as “an
exercise” or pilot attempts. The funding came from INTERREG Projects like PlanCoast
and BaltSeaPlan. As the result two draft pilot plans (the Draft Pilot Plan of the Western
Part of the Gulf of Gdańsk and the Draft Pilot Plan for the Southern Middle Bank area)
and a pilot Strategic Environmental Assessment for the first plan has been elaborated
in the recent years.
Both plans are different in their nature. The Draft Pilot Plan of the Western Part of the
Gulf of Gdańsk has both a quasi-strategic nature and meets certain functions
reserved on land for the local (detailed spatial plans). On the one hand the plan is a
structural one, on the other it settles certain specific limitations in the utilization of
space like detailed plans. The Draft Pilot Plan for the Southern Middle Bank area
(prepared within BaltSeaPlan project) is generally of strategic nature only. In
principle, the plan awards priority for some uses and ensures cohesion of the whole
system of proposed solutions. Limitations are introduced only in a few cases, and only
with the objective of assuring the above mentioned cohesion.
In these two cases the ecosystem approach and precautionary principle has been
applied.
As there are currently many spatial plans being elaborated in the Baltic Sea Region,
the BSR countries face a similar challenge to prepare a methodology for Strategic
Environmental Assessment for such plans.
The main aim of the pilot SEA report was to identify and assess potential significant
effects of the measures proposed in The Pilot Spatial Plan of the Western Part of the
Gulf of Gdańsk on the environment and Natura 2000 areas. The SEA report was
elaborated by a multidisciplinary team of experts consulting their ideas with the
stakeholders. The SEA report was displayed online, opened for e- and real time
discussion (two meetings with stakeholders). Their comments were accommodated
in the final version of the document.
The different sources of impact (resulting from the provisions of the plan) were
described in detail and classified as strong, moderate or weak and as positive,
negative, mixed or with prevalence of negative effects. Their cumulative effects on
all the elements of environment, as well as on the subjects being under protection of
the Natura 2000 network, were assessed. The findings served for formulating the
conclusions regarding:
-
general propositions to mitigate negative impacts of allowed in plan activities;
-
suggestions about correction of the plan because of some inaccuracy;
-
necessary changes in the plan in order to eliminate the most acute sources of
negative impacts through excluding the coastal defence measures in some
parts of the coastal zone in order to eliminate its negative impact on
protected habitats;
-
recommendations concerning improvements in preparation of maritime
spatial plans: regulations of a plan should apply to entire protected areas, the
management plans should be prepared first, maritime spatial plans should
take into consideration the requirements of such documents.
This SEA report has the following added values: it clarifies methodological differences
in preparation of the SEA for Natura 2000 sea sites and other waters, identifies sea
uses with significant effects on the environment, provides typology of impacts
backed by clear definitions, provides a tool (matrices) for the presentation of
cumulative significant impacts, it also presents some propositions for amendment of
existing law on SEA to account for the specifics of maritime spatial plans, and finally,
it could be considered as a standard/template for preparing such kind of
documents in the future.
References:
Zaucha J. (ed.) (2009), Pilot Draft Plan for the West Part of the Gulf of Gdansk. First
Maritime Spatial Plan in Poland, Gdańsk
Ehler C, Douvere F. (2009), Marine Spatial Planning. A Step-by-Step-Approach
toward Ecosystem-based Management. Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission Manual and Guides No. 53, ICAM Dossier No. 6.