Update and consider including monitoring requirements for fish communities in accordance with HELCOM standards in the State Environmental Monitoring Programme and monitoring in the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea.

Carry out a study to assess whether the exploitation intensity of fish populations used in the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea is within safe biological limits and to adjust the commercial fishing pressure in the Curonian Lagoon and the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea as necessary.

Assess the influence of biological processes (nitrogen fixation, denitrification and production of cyanotoxins) on the biogenic material balance in the Curonian Lagoon and nutrient applications into the Baltic Sea.

Consider including in the State Environmental Monitoring Programme a part dedicated to monitoring non-indigenous and invasive species in the Baltic Sea in accordance with the requirements of HELCOM and Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.

Assess the desirability of establishing legislative requirements in line with the IMO Guidelines for the Control and Management of Biohull Protectives to Reduce the Transfer of Invasive Water Species (according to Resolution MEPC.207 (62).

Encourage information campaigns to the public to reduce the negative melanostomic population abundance of the melanostous population, encouraging commercial fishing of the joke-frequency grundal and developing the export and consumption of fish products from the jokey grundal on the local market.

Supplement the draft amendment to Order No D1-636 of the Minister for the Environment of 23 December 2005 approving the provisions for drawing up the environmental impact assessment programme and report, in order to assess the impact of the planned economic activities on the characteristics of the marine good environmental status.

Consider including requirements for monitoring NATURA 2000 reefs (1170) in the National Environmental Monitoring Programme and ensuring monitoring in the Baltic Sea.

In view of the impact of fishing bottom trawls on seabed integrity, assess the recovery time of benthic communities and make recommendations for the application of the benthic quality index in Lithuanian waters.

Update and consider including monitoring requirements for wintering seabirds and oil-fertilised seabirds in the State Environmental Monitoring Programme and monitoring in Lithuanian marine waters at regional level through a coordinated record of wintering seabirds in order to assess the abundance and distribution of seabirds across the Baltic Sea.

Criteria for selecting areas of importance for bird conservation in the light of up-to-date information on the status of populations of seabirds

Develop and adopt methodological requirements (data collection, scope and quality, methods of analysis and evaluation, etc.) how the potential impact of planned farming activities on seabirds should be assessed.

Improve the authorisation system for fishing in the Baltic Sea by ensuring that fishers receive full and up-to-date information on the specific area for which the fishing authorisation is issued.

Promote repellent measures to reduce seabird by-catches in fishing gear.

Carry out an assessment of the extent of the impact of static nets on seabirds and mammals and propose to the Ministry of Agriculture that fisheries regulatory measures should be introduced to prevent or reduce these effects.

Carry out educational activities on seabirds and mammals by-catches.

Establish a Baltic Marine Rehabilitation Centre to provide assistance and monitoring programmes for marine species affected by pollution and other incidents.

Improve the system for the response to pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea by procuring the necessary equipment and facilities/upgrading equipment to deal with pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea.

Ratify and implement the 2000 Protocol on preparedness, action and cooperation in the event of pollution incidents by hazardous and noxious substances (OPRC/HNS 2000) and develop a national response system to pollution by dangerous substances.