The aim of the monitoring programme is to collect data on human activities that directly or indirectly impact the marine environment. The monitored human activities are those listed in the MSFD Annex III Table 2b (2017/845/EC) and relevant for point (c) of Article 8(1), and Articles 10 and 13. The following activities are covered: Coastal defence and flood protection; Offshore structures (other than for oil/gas/renewables); Restructuring of seabed morphology, including dredging and depositing of materials; Extraction of minerals; Extraction of oil and gas, including infrastructure; Extraction of water; Renewable energy generation (wind, wave and tidal power), including infrastructure; Transmission of electricity and communications (cables); Fish harvesting (professional, recreational); Fish and shellfish processing; Marine plant harvesting; Hunting and collecting for other purposes; Aquaculture — marine, including infrastructure; Transport infrastructure; Transport — shipping; Waste treatment and disposal; Tourism and leisure infrastructure; Tourism and leisure activities; Military operations and Research, survey and educational activities. Data are gathered at least once during a six-year assessment period, but in some cases also annually. The system of such data collection activities is still under development. The programme corresponds to the following monitoring programmes in the indicative list: Activities extracting living resources (fisheries including recreational, marine plant harvesting, hunting and collecting); Activities extracting non-living resources (sand, gravel, dredging); Activities producing food (aquaculture); Activities with permanent infrastructures (e.g. renewable energy, oil & gas, ports) or structural changes (e.g. coastal defences); Sea-based mobile activities (shipping, boating); Coastal human activities (e.g. tourism, recreational sports, ecotourism). The programme is the further development of the programme presented in 2014. The code of the programme also changed.

The aim of the programme is to monitor the status of the coastal fish species and communities (Species composition of the group; Size, age and sex structure; fecundity, survival and mortality/injury rates; Habitat for the species (extent, suitability); Species abundance (numbers of individuals and/or biomass)). It provides data to monitoring strategy “SD1.4 Biodiversity – Fish”, „SD3–Commercially exploited fish“ and “SD4/SD1 Food webs / Biodiversity – ecosystems”, but also to “SD2– Non-indigenous species”. The program is regionally coordinated by HELCOM (partially also by ICES) and the HELCOM monitoring manual is followed. During the annual monitoring programme, all coastal fish species are included in the dataset, but special attention is directed towards economically significant or ecologically relevant key species (perch, flounder, pikeperch). Atlantic salmon is used as an indicator species for migratory (anadromous) fishes and is monitored in coastal waters and selected rivers (salmonid habitats). Monitoring of protected fish species under HD needs to be developed for the sea area as well. The programme was modified from 2014 by adding migratory fishes that were as a separate sub-programme in 2014. The programme corresponds to following monitoring programmes in the indicative list: Mobile species – distribution, abundance and/or biomass; Mobile species – population characteristics; Mobile species – mortality/injury rates from fisheries (targeted and/or incidental).

The aim of the programme is to monitor the status of the commercially exploited pelagic fish species – sprat and herring in the offshore areas of the Estonian marine waters. The biomass and fishing mortality of stocks are assessed. It provides data to monitoring strategy “SD1.4 Biodiversity – Fish” and „SD3-commercially exploited fish“. Monitoring is conducted annually. The program is regionally coordinated via ICES and the ICES monitoring manual is followed. The programme corresponds to following monitoring programmes in the indicative list: Mobile species – distribution, abundance and/or biomass; Mobile species – mortality/injury rates from fisheries (targeted and/or incidental).

The sub-programme monitors in the sea the structure of the river-spawning White Fish populations, which migrate to spawn in the rivers of the Bothnian Bay. The only significant river spawning White Fish populations occur in the Bothnian Bay.

Sea trout parr surveys (electrofishing) at index rivers. Stock assessments exist for overall trends for sea trout, determined using various methods of interpolating monitoring trends. Stock assessments integrate time series trends and biological information.

The purpose of the monitoring is to assess the ecological status of the Baltic Sea, including one of the environmental status components biodiversity by observing current state and changes in coastal fish community resulting from impact of eutrophication, habitat changes, climate change, exposure to toxic substances, presence of non-indigenous species and human activities e.g. fishing. The monitoring of fish and shellfish cover the abundance, distribution, growth, population dynamics and exploitation of fish in the HELCOM area. Much of the programme is carried out under the auspices of ICES. Monitoring is carried out by national monitoring programmes and data are collated through HELCOM. HELCOM monitoring of this programme is fully coordinated. HELCOM monitoring programme topic "Fish, Fisheries and Shellfish; programme "Coastal fish" with key indicator Abundance of key fish species. Core indicators are calculated according to the HELCOM core indicator report: which is available: https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Abundance-of-key-coastal-fish-species-HELCOM-core-indicator-2018.pdf. The requirements for the marine waters of Latvia and the relationship of the specified environmental objectives with the qualitative characteristics characterizing the state of the marine environment are included in Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Republic of Latvia No. 1071 of 23 November 2010, Requirements for the Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, the Determination of Good Environmental State of the Sea and Development of Marine Environmental Goals. Corresponding legislative acts of the Republic of Latvia concerning fisheries: Fishery Law (adopted 12.04.1995.) and Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 296, adopted 2 May 2007 Regulations Regarding Commercial Fishing in Territorial Waters and Economic Zone Waters.

The monitoring of incidental catches of cetaceans results from the implementation of EU regulations - the Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulations (EU) No 1380/2013, (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2018/973, (EU) 2019/472 and (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 894/97, (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2549/2000, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 812/2004 and (EC) No 2187/2005, hereinafter reffered to as “Regulation 2019/1241”. Until 2019, the monitoring of by-catch was carried out from the fishing vessels in Polish Marine Areas in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 812/2004 of 26.4.2004 laying down measures concerning incidental catches of cetaceans in fisheries and amending Regulation (EC) No 88/98 (OJ L 150, 30.04.2004, p.12 as amended), hereinafter reffered to as “Regulation 812/2004”. Monitoring of incidental catches has been carried out in Poland since 2006. The work will be carried out by the MIR-PIB under the National Programme for Collection of Fisheries Data (NPCFD). This programme will consist a continuation of the Monitoring Programme of Incidental Catches of Cetaceans performed since 2015 as part of the National Programme for Collection of Fisheries Data. By 2019, incidental catches of birds, fish and cetaceans based on data from NPCFD were reported to ICES by the Minister competent for fisheries. Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 unlike Regulation (EU) 812/2004, does not specify the form and procedure of reporting on incidental catches to the European Commission. Reporting obligation will lie with scientific institutes and will take place under the so-called ICES Data calls in accordance with the Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 on the establishment of a Union framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the common fisheries policy and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 199/2008 (OJ L 157, 20.6.2017, p. 1) that specifies the acces to multiannual progamms data. According to the abovementioned regulation since 2020 the entity authorized to report on accidental catches should be the entity conducting fisheries monitoring programmes within

The ichthyological monitoring of the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone in the deepwater zone of Polish marine area has been carried out as a part of national environmental monitoring since 2011, based on data from BITS (Baltic International Trawl Surveys). BITS consist of cruises of particular Baltic countries being temporally and spatially coordinated by ICES. BITS methodology establishes use of standarized bottom trawl of the same design for scientific catches and use of the same research method for hauling sites sampling, data collection and uploading of collected data to the ICES common database - DATRAS, supplemented with measurement and ichthyological analysis of all fish species (including non-commercial).

Monitoring in transitional waterbodies is carried out once every 3 years, except for Puck Lagoon, Vistula Lagoon and Puck Bay, where monitoring is conducted annually. Fish monitoring in transitional waterbodies includes an analysis of the following elements: • determination of weight and abundance of all fish species present in the catch; • ichthyological analysis of a representative sample of all fish species present in the catch, taking into account their length, individual weight, sex, gonad maturity stage, stomach degree fullness and age of individual fish. The monitoring also includes the analysis of physico-chemical water parameters necessary for assessing the ecological status of transitional waters.

Monitoring in transitional waterbodies is carried out once every 3 years, except for Puck Lagoon, Vistula Lagoon and Puck Bay, where monitoring is conducted annually. Fish monitoring in transitional waterbodies includes an analysis of the following elements: • determination of weight and abundance of all fish species present in the catch; • ichthyological analysis of a representative sample of all fish species present in the catch, taking into account their length, individual weight, sex, gonad maturity stage, stomach degree fullness and age of individual fish. The monitoring also includes the analysis of physico-chemical water parameters necessary for assessing the ecological status of transitional waters.

Fish monitoring in coastal waterbodies includes an analysis of the following elements: • determination of weight and abundance of all fish species present in the catch; • ichthyological analysis of a representative sample of all fish species present in the catch, taking into account their length, individual weight, sex, gonad maturity stage, stomach degree fullness and age of individual fish. The monitoring also includes the analysis of physico-chemical water parameters necessary for assessing the ecological status of coastal waters.

Fish monitoring in coastal waterbodies includes an analysis of the following elements: • determination of weight and abundance of all fish species present in the catch; • ichthyological analysis of a representative sample of all fish species present in the catch, taking into account their length, individual weight, sex, gonad maturity stage, stomach degree fullness and age of individual fish. The monitoring also includes the analysis of physico-chemical water parameters necessary for assessing the ecological status of coastal waters.

Fish monitoring in offshore shallow water areas includes an analysis of the following elements: • determination of weight and abundance of all fish species present in the catch; • ichthyological analysis of a representative sample of all fish species present in the catch, taking into account their length, individual weight, sex, gonad maturity stage, stomach degree fullness and age of individual fish. The monitoring also includes the analysis of physico-chemical water parameters.

A nuclear power plant affects the marine environment mainly through the use of large volumes of seawater for cooling. The cooling water is purified at the intake, which to some extent reduces the loss of organisms that would otherwise accompany the intake, but for those who follow, mortality occurs mechanically and thermally when the water passes through the power plant. The outgoing cooling water is 10° C warmer than the water taken in. The hot water is then spread over relatively large areas, where the organisms can be affected. The warm water can also make it easier for non-indigenous species to get established than in other areas. To control the effects of cooling water use, extensive control programmes have been established at and around the Swedish nuclear power plants since the nuclear power plants were established. In Sweden, there are nuclear power plants at one site in the North Sea (Ringhals nuclear power plant) and two in the Baltic Sea (Forsmark nuclear power plant and Oskarshamnsverket). Electricity production at the power plant in Barsebäck by the Sound ceased in 2005. Monitoring in the North sea started in 1968 and in the Baltic sea in 1969. Monitoring frequency varies from daily during spring/summer, to monthly or yearly depending on the parameter, location and purpose. Details are described in the monitoring fact sheet linked below. The nuclear power plants are undergoing a slow decommissioning, for example at Ringhals, two out of four reactors are planned to be shut down in the near future. As the monitoring is connected to the industry, it will also in the long run be phased out after the activity has ended and the effects have ceased.

In the regular sampling carried out on board commercial fishing vessels in accordance with EU data collection regulations ((EU) 2017/1004, (EU) 2016/1251), as well as the regulation on the conservation of fishery resources and the protection of marine ecosystems (EU ) 2019/1241, information regarding by-catch is obtained. All fish species, commercial shellfish, mammals and birds are noted. Sampling takes place mainly on vessels fishing with various bottom trawls. Data collection carried out according to the EU data collection regulations is coordinated internationally between Member States in regional data collection coordination groups. Sweden participates in two such groups RCG Baltic and RCG North Sea and Eastern Arctic (to which the Skagerrak and Kattegat belong). Furthermore, a lot of international coordination and development work is done within ICES´s various expert groups (for by-catches mainly WGBYC). Sweden participates actively in these groups. Pilot studies were carried out in 2017-2019 with the aim of conducting by-catch sampling in 2020 in fisheries that use passive gear (nets and hooks). The purpose is to increase knowledge about by-catches in these fisheries, to test whether it is possible to estimate by-catches by having observers on board fishing boats, and if this is an effective method. Sampling of nets in the Sound and in the Kattegat will be included in the regular sampling from 2020. However, no ongoing monitoring of passive gear is currently planned in the Baltic Proper as previous pilots observed fewer by-catches there. So based on risk, monitoring in the Sound and Kattegatt are therefore prioritized. The Skagerrak could possibly be added after the pilot study there is completed in 2021. The pilot studies have shown that it also works to monitor the fish with passive gear with the help of observers (the challenge is that the vessels are small). However, the question remains whether this is the most effective way of estimating the total amount of by-catches in the fisheries. The problem is that observers can only cover a small part of the total fishing effort and that by-catches of many species (such as harbour porpoises and various birds) are relatively uncommon. This means that there will be few observations and thus uncertainty in the estimates of the total amount of by-catches. In 2020, therefore, a new pilot project was initiated where surveillance with the help of cameras is tested and compared with surveillance with the help

Commercial fishing in this case refers to the commercial fishing that requires a fishing license and has an obligation to report its fishing activity. The obligation to report their catches and fishing activities is governed by both EU legislation and Swedish legislation. This information is used for the national quota allocation for fish stocks and as a basis for the biological stock estimate (see also programmes Offshore fish and coastal fish). Economic statistics are collected to monitor economic drivers in the fisheries sector. The statistics are collected to meet the requirements from the EU via Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 and implementing decisions (EU) 2019/909 and (EU) 2019/910. In addition to this reporting, statistics are used within the Swedish Fisheries Administration. In addition to the pressure in the form of extracting fish, the monitoring of other parts of the fishing activities' impact is described in the programmes Physical disturbance and loss (bottom trawling) and in By-catch.

Eels are monitored along the West Coast and the Baltic Sea. Eels along the Swedish coast are found in three life stages, which are glass eels, yellow eels and silver eels. The monitoring aims to provide a knowledge base for the management of eels. On the West Coast, eels are monitored through fisheries-independent sampling because eel fishing on the West Coast, north of Torekov, is not permitted. In the Baltic Sea, eels are monitored by sampling in commercial fishing. Most studies regarding migratory young eels are done in traps that catch very small yellow eels on migration in running water, in two studies migratory silver eels are caught. The programme describes the composition with respect to age and size at all stages of life. In addition, marking/tagging is done with the aim of estimating the proportion that is caught in commercial fishing, at the same time as an estimate is made of the size of the coastal stock. This monitoring programme applies to eels in the sea. Eels are also caught in freshwater to monitor the impact of, among other things, fishing and hydropower. This monitoring is not described here. Sweden's monitoring is coordinated with other countries that carry out monitoring of eels, by Sweden reporting every three years to ICES, who compiles an overview based on the countries' reporting to an overview analysis that covers the entire eel range (Europe, North Africa and West Asia). Monitoring data from Sweden and other countries are used here, to examine weighted trends in the occurrence of eels, the nature of eels, threats to eels and recommendations for a better knowledge base. Ices also issues annual scientific advice on the eel. Eel is partly monitored using data from commercial fisheries, but since no new licencies are approved this data flow will eventually stop and need to be replaced with monitoring. We are collaborating with DK to tag eels in the Baltic sea and monitor them in the Sound and Danish straits to learn where eels migrate.

Recreational fishing in Sweden is defined as all fishing that does not take place with the support of a commercial fishing license. Recreational fishing includes both fishing with hand gear (eg rod) and catching gear (eg nets). Recreational fishing in Sweden is extensive and therefore good knowledge is needed about the practitioners, where to fish and what is caught. As part of the work to understand and describe the scope and impact, statistics on recreational fishing have been collected since the 1970s to form the basis for decisions within the administration. The first survey was part of the 1973 fishing water investigation, which was also followed up during the 1990s. In 2011, the SwAM became the coordinating agency for official statistics in the area of fishing and was thus given the responsibility to annually collect statistics regarding the extent of recreational fishing in Sweden. This collection takes place via a national survey that started in 2013 and is progressing in roughly the same direction and design today. In addition to the national survey, several fishing sites are visited on a regular basis since 2012. Data collection is carried out annually in the Sound and the southern Baltic Sea in accordance with EU regulations ((EU) 2019/909 and (EU) 2019/910). The data collection aims to cover the fishing for cod and by-catches in this fishery (see programme Bycatch). Monitoring frequency is three times per year (4-monthly). A pilot study (2017-2019) found that the main part of cod catches in southern Baltic Sea and the Sound comes from recreational fishing in the Sound. The monitoring will therefore focus on this during 2020-2021. SwAM is also collaborating with SLU to develop a longterm plan for monitoring of recreational fishing. An ongoing project initiated by Sportfiskarna is about developing an application – FångstDatabanken (Citizen science) for catch reporting. SwAM has since the start in 2012 been part of their reference and development group. Data collection carried out under the EU Data Collection Regulation is coordinated internationally between Member States in regional data collection coordination groups. Sweden participates in two such groups, RCG Baltic and RCG North Sea and Eastern Arctic (to which the Skagerrak and Kattegat belong). Furthermore, a lot of international coordination and development work is done within ICES 'various expert groups (for recreational fishing, especially WGRFS). Sweden participates actively in these g

The monitoring includes the collection of biological data for wild salmon stocks (salmon rivers) as well as statistics for releases and fishing for both wild and farmed salmon. The purpose of the monitoring is to monitor the status and development of wild salmon stocks and to investigate the effects of fishing and hydropower. The purpose of the biological advice is to contribute to the overall goals for salmon management being met both nationally and internationally. These goals are to protect and rebuild weak wild salmon stocks so that they can gradually reach the management goal of Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). Sweden's monitoring is coordinated with similar work in other countries, through guidelines and agreements developed within ICES, the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO), the Regional Coordination Groups (EU RCG) and HELCOM. Sweden actively participates in the regional coordination.

Coastal fish refer to the fish species that live a significant part of their lives in the coastal ecosystem, such as flounder (Platichthys flesus), perch (Perca fluviatilis) and eelpout (Zoarces viviparus). Coastal fish monitoring (trawls, nets, hydroacoustics) aims to describe changes in the fishing community as a whole, in terms of species composition, relative occurrence of different species and size structure. In addition, changes at species level are followed up by analyzing changes in the number and size structure of the most common species in the catch. In some surveys, individual sampling of selected species is performed. The individual sampling aims to provide information about, for example, individual weight and condition, and provides material for further analysis of, for example, age and fish health. The state of coastal fish reflects the coastal ecosystem and the impact of small-scale coastal fishing and recreational fishing (see programmes Commercial fisheries and Recreational fisheries). Long-term changes in the abundance of different functional groups of coastal fish can also be affected by eutrophication, deteriorating habitats and changes in predation. The latter may be due to imbalance in the food web due to human impact such as fishing and loss of important habitats. Monitoring in the Baltic Sea started in 1960 while in the North Sea it started in 1969. Abramis bjoerkna, Arnoglossus laterna, Callionymus lyra, Chelidonichthys gurnardus, Myoxocephalus scorpius and Trachinus draco are also monitored but they were not included in the element lists for Coastal fish nor Commercial fish

Offshore fish refers to those fish species that live a significant part of their lives in the open sea off the coast, such as herring, sprat and cod. The monitoring of these species and also commercial crustaceans such as crabfish, North Sea shrimp and lobster is coordinated between several countries in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea area, and takes place via acoustic methods and trawl surveys. Data are also collected by sampling on board commercial fishing boats and catches in ports. Several of the species monitored are used in commercial fishing (see programme Commercial fisheries) and all surveys described here are carried out within the framework of the data collection on fish and fisheries governed by EU legislation ((EU) 2017/1004, (EU) 2019 / 909 and (EU) 2019/910). The data collection forms the basis for the scientific basis for the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the information is used in the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to produce a basis for the fishing quotas decided by the EU. Data collection is also done for bycatches in the fishery, see programme Bycatch. Trawling of demersal fish in the North Sea (IBTS) started 1972 Trawling of demersal fish in the Baltic Sea (BITS) started 1978 Acoustic survey of pelagic fish (BIAS) started 1978 (Baltic Sea only) Sampling on board commercial fishing boats in the Baltic Sea and Kattegat stareted 1996 Sampling on board commercial fishing boats in the Skagerrak started 2002 Sampling of commercial catches in ports: different starting years for different species Frequency: Trawl surveys are carried out 6-monthly and control of fisheries 3-monthly.

Monitoring, where biological effects are studied at both subcellular and cellular levels, can be used to describe the general state of health of different organisms and provides an opportunity to demonstrate the toxicity of unknown and known substances in a study area. The national monitoring of the health status of coastal fish aims to use proven and sensitive methods to demonstrate the presence and effects in fish of a possible large-scale impact of hazardous substances in coastal reference areas in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The aim of the monitoring is to be able to describe the current state of the environment in coastal reference areas regarding effects of mainly hazardous substances on the state of fish health by following time trends of biochemical, physiological, histological and pathological effect variables in fish. The surveys shall also provide reference data for surveys on fish in regionally and locally affected areas and provide a basis for monitoring environmental quality objectives, regional environmental objectives and the effects of measures taken to reduce chemical emissions. The national monitoring of fish health began with surveys of perch in 1988 in the Baltic Sea and in 1989 the programme was expanded with eelpout from the North Sea. During 2020-2021, the monitoring of the effects of hazardous substances will be evaluated in order to be able to optimize the monitoring programmes both in terms of coverage and costs and to provide a better basis for state assessment and determining the causes of the effects.