Member State report / Art8 / 2018 / D2 / Denmark / Baltic Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 8 Initial assessment (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2018-10-15
GES Descriptor D2 Non-indigenous species
Member State Denmark
Region/subregion Baltic Sea
Reported by Danish Environmental Protection Agency
Report date 2019-08-30
Report access DK_ART8_GES_Merge_20190829.xml

Total Danish part of HELCOM areas from coastline to EEZ (BAL-DK-HELCOM-TOTAL)

GES component
D2
Feature
Newly-introduced non-indigenous species
Element
Not applicable
Element code
Not applicable
Element code source
Link to other vocabulary or code lists that may be relevant
Element 2
Element 2 code
Element 2 code source
Element source
Other
Criterion
D2C1
Parameter
Presence
Parameter other
Threshold value upper
Threshold value lower
Threshold qualitative
Threshold value source
Threshold value source other
Value achieved upper
Value achieved lower
Value unit
(number of) species
Value unit other
Proportion threshold value
Proportion value achieved
Proportion threshold value unit
Trend
Unknown
Parameter achieved
Unknown
Description parameter
Related indicator
Criteria status
Not good
Description criteria
Throughout the Baltic Sea region, including the Kattegat, the Great Belt and the Bornholmer Basin, a constantly increasing number of non-native species have been recorded during the period 1900-2016. There are now a total of approx. 140 not native species in the area. In the Baltic Sea region, 14 new non-resident species have been registered during the period 2011-2015. Some of the new species are registered in the Kattegat, the Great Belt and the Bornholmer Basin.
Element status
Not assessed
Description element
Integration rule type parameter
Not relevant
Integration rule description parameter
No integration rule applied
Integration rule type criteria
Not relevant
Integration rule description criteria
No integration rule applied
GES extent threshold
GES extent achieved
GES extent unit
GES achieved
GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported
Description overall status
HELCOM's threshold value for non-resident species in the Baltic Sea area means that no new introductions of non-resident species per assessment area are conducted via human activities over a six-year assessment period. However, by extension of the threshold, HELCOM mentions that a mid-term target for a decline in new introductions should be considered. In the HELCOM areas, a constantly increasing number was recorded during the period 1900-2016. This means that HELCOM's threshold has not yet been reached. It is not expected that a decrease in new introductions of non-native species can be achieved until, among other things, international efforts, such as the UN Ballast Convention, for example, are beginning to take effect. Data is generally lacking, but it is immediately estimated that a good environmental condition has not been achieved in the Baltic Sea or the North Sea, nor is it expected in 2020.
Assessments period
1900-2016
Related pressures
  • Input or spread of non-indigenous species
Related targets
  • DK-T2.1

Danish part of Baltic Sea from coastline to EEZ. Data covers DK-TOTAL. (DK-TOTAL-part-BAL)

GES component
D2
D2
D2
Feature
Newly-introduced non-indigenous species
Established non-indigenous species
Established non-indigenous species
Element
Not applicable
Neogobius melanostomus
Neogobius melanostomus
Element code
Not applicable
126916
126916
Element code source
Link to other vocabulary or code lists that may be relevant
Species (D1) http://www.marinespecies.org/
Species (D1) http://www.marinespecies.org/
Element 2
Element 2 code
Element 2 code source
Element source
Other
National
National
Criterion
D2C1
D2C2
D2C2
Parameter
Presence
Abundance
Extent
Parameter other
Threshold value upper
Threshold value lower
Threshold qualitative
Threshold value source
Threshold value source other
Value achieved upper
Value achieved lower
Value unit
(number of) species
(number of) individuals
Value unit other
Proportion threshold value
Proportion value achieved
Proportion threshold value unit
Trend
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Parameter achieved
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Description parameter
Related indicator
Criteria status
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Description criteria
During the period 2011-2015, no new species has been registered in the NOVANA program in the total Danish marine areas, but various research projects have registered a limited number of new species. In 2016, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency analyzed data on occurrences and prevalence of non-resident species in the Danish marine areas for the period 1989-2014, with a total of 83 species registered. During that period, the number of registrations in the NOVANA program has increased from 37 species in 1989 to 61 species in 2014, while in the same period, 22 other species were registered from research projects. Especially the number of phytoplankton species and then bottom molluscs has increased. Geographically, the Limfjord, the Belt Sea and the Kattegat have the most registered non-resident species. Ship activity in the Danish marine areas and Danish ports (cf. number of transfers and freight volumes) is dependent on regional and global economic cycles. The discharged amount of ballast water in Danish marine areas is modest compared to the quantities discharged in major European ports. Therefore, it is believed that new species in Danish marine areas have primarily come with ocean currents from these large European ports (secondary distribution). Furthermore, large differences in salinity around the Belt Sea and the Sound are assumed to act to some extent as a barrier to species spreading from the sea. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea, which means that there are currently more species north of the barrier than south of it. It is not possible to assess GES across the Danish marine areas.
The invasive species of round goby was first recorded in Danish marine areas at Bornholm in 2008. The species has in 2016 spread to the southeastern part of the Danish marine areas. The spread rate is estimated to be approx. 29 km per year.
The invasive species of round goby was first recorded in Danish marine areas at Bornholm in 2008. The species has in 2016 spread to the southeastern part of the Danish marine areas. The spread rate is estimated to be approx. 29 km per year.
Element status
Not assessed
Not good
Not good
Description element
The invasive species of round goby was first recorded in Danish marine areas at Bornholm in 2008. The species has in 2016 spread to the southeastern part of the Danish marine areas. The spread rate is estimated to be approx. 29 km per year.
The invasive species of round goby was first recorded in Danish marine areas at Bornholm in 2008. The species has in 2016 spread to the southeastern part of the Danish marine areas. The spread rate is estimated to be approx. 29 km per year.
Integration rule type parameter
Not relevant
Not relevant
Not relevant
Integration rule description parameter
No integration rule applied
No integration rule applied
No integration rule applied
Integration rule type criteria
Not relevant
Not relevant
Not relevant
Integration rule description criteria
No integration rule applied
No integration rule applied
No integration rule applied
GES extent threshold
GES extent achieved
GES extent unit
GES achieved
GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported
GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported
GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported
Description overall status
During the period 2003-2014, a constantly increasing number of new non-resident species have been recorded in the OSPAR areas. OSPAR has not set a threshold, and therefore there is not a sufficient basis for assessing when good environmental conditions can be achieved in the North Sea. The HELCOM areas also recorded a constantly increasing number in the period 1900-2016. This means that HELCOM's threshold has not yet been reached. In the total Danish marine areas (both in HELCOM and OSPAR), no new species were registered in the NOVANA program during the period 2011-2015, but a limited number of new species have been registered through various research projects. The number of records is closely related to the monitoring effort (the more monitoring, the more species found). It is not expected that a decrease in new introductions of non-native species can be achieved until, among other things, international efforts, such as the UN Ballast Convention, for example, are beginning to take effect. Data is generally lacking, but it is immediately estimated that a good environmental condition has not been achieved in the Baltic Sea or the North Sea, nor is it expected in 2020.
For invasive species, D2C2 and D2C3 are treated together. The majority of non-resident species are spreading slowly and have not shown any negative effect on the natural animal and plant life. Other species have established themselves as invasive, such as round goby. Certain populations of invasive species have high visibility in Danish marine areas, among others. Pacific oysters, Japanese wireweed or warty comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi). In particular, the occurrence of invasive species is frequent in the Limfjord. In addition, the Wadden Sea has gained large stocks of, among other things Pacific oysters,common slipper shell (Crepidula fornicata),and Japanese weed. The Chinese mitten crab has been observed sporadically since 1927, but it may not be invasive in Denmark. Coastal fish are generally not included in the Danish surveillance programs, which is why the Danish EPA in 2016 investigated the occurrence of non-native species of coastal fish. The study shows that 17 non-resident species have been recorded, but only round goby is invasive.
For invasive species, D2C2 and D2C3 are treated together. The majority of non-resident species are spreading slowly and have not shown any negative effect on the natural animal and plant life. Other species have established themselves as invasive, such as round goby. Certain populations of invasive species have high visibility in Danish marine areas, among others. Pacific oysters, Japanese wireweed or warty comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi). In particular, the occurrence of invasive species is frequent in the Limfjord. In addition, the Wadden Sea has gained large stocks of, among other things Pacific oysters,common slipper shell (Crepidula fornicata),and Japanese weed. The Chinese mitten crab has been observed sporadically since 1927, but it may not be invasive in Denmark. Coastal fish are generally not included in the Danish surveillance programs, which is why the Danish EPA in 2016 investigated the occurrence of non-native species of coastal fish. The study shows that 17 non-resident species have been recorded, but only round goby is invasive.
Assessments period
2002-2016
2008-2016
2008-2016
Related pressures
  • Input or spread of non-indigenous species
Related targets
  • DK-T2.1
  • DK-T2.2
  • DK-T2.3
  • DK-T2.2
  • DK-T2.3