MS/Art9/2018/D6/Lithuania/Baltic Sea

Member State report / Art9 / 2018 / D6 / Lithuania / Baltic Sea

Report type	Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article	Art. 9 Determination of GES (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due	2018-10-15
GES Descriptor	D6 Sea-floor integrity/D1 Benthic habitats
Member State	Lithuania
Region/subregion	Baltic Sea
Reported by	Environmental Protection Agency
Report date	2020-06-09
Report access	ART9_GES_LT-04-08-corrected-06-03.xml

Simplified table

GES component	D6	D6C1	D6C2	D6C3	D6C3	D6C3	D6C3	D6C4	D6C5
Marine reporting units				BAL-LT-AA-01 BAL-LT-AA-02 BAL-LT-AA-03	BAL-LT-AA-01 BAL-LT-AA-02 BAL-LT-AA-03	BAL-LT-AA-03	BAL-LT-AA-03		BAL-LT-AA-01 BAL-LT-AA-02 BAL-LT-AA-03
Features				Benthic broad habitats Benthic habitats Circalittoral coarse sediment Circalittoral mixed sediment Circalittoral mud Circalittoral rock and biogenic reef Circalittoral sand Demersal shelf fish Infralittoral coarse sediment Infralittoral mixed sediment Infralittoral mud Infralittoral rock and biogenic reef Infralittoral sand Offshore circalittoral mixed sediment Offshore circalittoral mud Offshore circalittoral sand Physical disturbance to seabed	Benthic broad habitats	Benthic broad habitats Benthic habitats Circalittoral coarse sediment Circalittoral mixed sediment Circalittoral mud Circalittoral rock and biogenic reef Circalittoral sand Demersal shelf fish Infralittoral coarse sediment Infralittoral mixed sediment Infralittoral mud Infralittoral rock and biogenic reef Infralittoral sand Offshore circalittoral mixed sediment Offshore circalittoral mud Offshore circalittoral sand Physical disturbance to seabed	Benthic broad habitats		Benthic broad habitats
GES description				For each habitat type that is adversely affected by physical disturbance causing changes in its biotic and abiotic structure and functions (e.g. changes in species composition and relative abundance of species, disappearance of highly sensitive, vulnerable and key function species, changes in size structure of species), spatial scale. The condition is assessed according to the indicator - the area of the soil dumping (sanding) and sand excavation area in the habitat.	Extent of adverse effects of physical disturbance on each habitat type in each assessed area. The condition is assessed according to the indicator "Area of soil dumping (sanding) and sand excavation area in the habitat".	For each habitat type that is adversely affected by physical disturbance causing changes in its biotic and abiotic structure and functions (e.g. changes in species composition and relative abundance of species, disappearance of highly sensitive, vulnerable and key function species, changes in size structure of species), spatial scale. The condition is assessed by the indicator - the size of the bottom trawling area in the habitat.	Extent of adverse effects of physical disturbance on each habitat type in each assessed area. The status is assessed according to the indicator "Size of bottom trawling area in the habitat"		The species composition and relative abundance of macrofauna communities reach values indicating that the increase in nutrients and organic matter does not cause adverse effects. The indicator is assigned to criterion D5C8.
Determination date				201304	201304	202002	202002		201304
Update type				Modified from reported determination	Modified from reported determination	New determination	New determination		Same as last reported determination
Justification for non-use of criterion		Seabed loss includes effects due to changes in the seabed substrate or morphology and the extraction of the seabed substrate, after which the natural properties of the seabed can only be restored by additional measures, as they are not restored in the course of natural processes. During the assessment period, no seabed infrastructure works were carried out to replace the seabed substrate. The criterion is not relevant.	The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.		The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.		The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.	Due to the lack of data, a comprehensive assessment has not been carried out. Monitoring is planned for 2020-2023. Indicator in the HELCOM region under development. However, it is tentatively estimated that the extent of habitat type degradation due to anthropogenic pressures does not exceed a certain proportion of the natural size of the habitat type in the assessed area.
Justification for delay in setting EU/regional requirements			The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.	The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.	The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.	The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.	The spatial extent and distribution of pressures associated with physical disturbance to the seabed within the predominant seabed habitat types were assessed. Impacts assessed: bottom trawling, excavation and burial, sanding to replenish beaches. The size of the physical disturbance area in square kilometers and the percentage of the physical disturbance area ratio were estimated. As both trawling and dumping and sand excavation take place in the same circalitoral habitats (although not spatially overlapping), it is proposed to establish a common indicator for all impacts. This is planned for the next phase of MSFD implementation.	Due to the lack of data, a comprehensive assessment has not been carried out. Monitoring is planned for 2020-2023. Indicator in the HELCOM region under development. However, it is tentatively estimated that the extent of habitat type degradation due to anthropogenic pressures does not exceed a certain proportion of the natural size of the habitat type in the assessed area.	Not all habitat types are subject to macrozoobenthos monitoring, and the existing network of stations does not allow for spatial assessment of habitat status everywhere. Due to the lack of data, the assessment is not comprehensive according to the criteria.