Member State report / Art8 / 2018 / D4 / Baltic

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 8 Initial assessment (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2018-10-15
GES Descriptor D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Region/subregion Baltic
Reported by Member state
Member state
Finland
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Germany
Denmark
Sweden
Member state report
Marine reporting units MRUs used
  • BAL-FI
  • BAL-EE-AA
  • BAL-LV-AAA-006
  • BAL-LT-AA-01
  • BAL-LT-AA-02
  • BAL-LT-AA-03
  • BAL-POL-MS-001
  • L2-SEA-007-POL
  • L2-SEA-008-POL
  • L2-SEA-009-POL
  • BALDE_MS
  • BAL-DK-TOTAL
  • DK-TOTAL-part-BAL
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_12n_Osterg_Stockh_skargard
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_12s_Ostergotland_skargard
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_16_S_Bottenhavet_inre
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_18_N_Bottenh_H_kusten_inre
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_20_N_Kvarken_inre
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_21_N_Kvarken_yttre
  • BAL-SE-AA-K_22_Bottenviken_inre
  • BAL-SE-RG-Ostersjon
Features Ecosystems, including food webs
  • Coastal ecosystem (16)
  • Coastal ecosystem (6)
  • Coastal ecosystem (2)
  • Coastal ecosystem (8)
  • Shelf ecosystem (2)
  • Shelf ecosystem (26)
  • Coastal ecosystem (2)
  • Shelf ecosystem (2)
  • Shelf ecosystem (8)
  • Coastal ecosystem (14)
  • Ecosystems, including food webs (3)
Element All trophic guilds
  • D4C1 (4)
  • D4C2 (10)
  • D4C3 (1)
  • D4C4 (1)
  • D4C1 (1)
  • D4C3 (1)
  • D4C1 (1)
  • D4C2 (1)
  • D4C1 (1)
  • D4C3 (1)
  • D4C4 (1)
Element Primary producers
  • D4C2 (1)
  • D4C1 (1)
  • D4C2 (3)
  • D4C1 (1)
  • D4C2 (1)
Element Secondary producers
  • D4C3 (1)
  • D4C1 (1)
  • D4C2 (1)
Element Filter-feeders
  • D4C1 (3)
Element Deposit-feeders
  • D4C1 (3)
Element Planktivores
  • D4C2 (1)
  • D4C3 (6)
  • D4C2 (1)
  • D4C2 (7)
Element Sub-apex pelagic predators
  • D4C2 (1)
  • D4C2 (1)
  • D4C2 (7)
Element Sub-apex demersal predators
  • D4C3 (1)
  • D4C3 (3)
  • D4C2 (1)
Element Apex predators
  • D4C1 (5)
  • D4C2 (5)
  • D4C4 (3)
  • D4C2 (1)
Element Fish community
  • D4C2 (2)
  • D4C3 (1)
Element2
  • Primary consumers
  • Sub-apex demersal predators
Element sources No. of elements per level
  • EU (0)
  • HELCOM (16)
  • National (0)
  • EU (3)
  • HELCOM (3)
  • National (0)
  • EU (0)
  • HELCOM (0)
  • National (2)
  • EU (0)
  • HELCOM (10)
  • National (0)
  • EU (0)
  • HELCOM (26)
  • National (0)
  • EU (1)
  • HELCOM (0)
  • National (7)
  • EU (3)
  • HELCOM (14)
  • National (0)
Criteria and parameters used (number of parameters) D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Criteria and parameters used (number of parameters) D4C1 Trophic guild species diversity (1.7, 1.7.1)
  • Other - Benthic species community (BQI) in offshore (1)
  • Other - Benthic species richness (beta diversity) in offshore (1)
  • Other - Coastal benthic species community (1)
  • Other - Phytoplankton assmeblage (1)
  • Other - Fish community trophic index (1)
  • Other - indeksas (1)
  • Other - Abundance (1)
  • Other - Abundance in breeding season (2)
  • Other - Abundance in wintering season (2)
  • Other - B-index (1)
  • SPP-C (5)
  • Other - Parameter wurden noch nicht festgelegt (2)
  • Other - Diversity of primary producers see report in D1 pelagic habitats (1)
  • Other - Diversity of secondary producers see report in D1 pelagic habitats (1)
  • Other - Trophic guild species diversity (1)
Criteria and parameters used (number of parameters) D4C2 Abundance across trophic guilds (1.7, 1.7.1, 4.3, 4.3.1)
  • Other - Abundance of breeding waterbirds (1)
  • Other - Abundance of coastal cyprinid fish (1)
  • Other - Abundance of coastal piscivore fish (1)
  • Other - Abundance of grey seals (1)
  • Other - Abundance of ringed seals (1)
  • Other - Abundance of wintering waterbirds (1)
  • Other - Cod spawning stock biomass (1)
  • Other - Herring spawning stock biomass (1)
  • Other - Sprat spawning stock biomass (1)
  • Other - Zooplankton mean size and total abundance (1)
  • Other - Abundance of coastal Fish key functional groups: abundance of cyprinids in monitoring catches (1)
  • Other - Abundance of coastal Fish key functional groups: abundance of piscivores in monitoring catches (1)
  • Other - Balance of lower guilds (1)
  • Other - Mezo-plėšrių žuvų gausumas (1)
  • Other - Žuvų bendrijos gausumo indeksas (Plėšrių žuvų gausumas) (1)
  • Abundance (1)
  • Biomass (3)
  • Other - Abundance in breeding season (2)
  • Other - Abundance in wintering season (2)
  • Other - Parameter wurden noch nicht festgelegt (2)
  • Biomass (3)
  • Other - As reported under D1C2 for birds (1)
  • Other - Biomass as reported under D1 pelagic habitats (1)
  • Other - Biomass of zooplankton see report under D1 pelagic habitats. (1)
  • Abundance (14)
Criteria and parameters used (number of parameters) D4C3 Trophic guild size distribution (4.2, 4.2.1)
  • Other - Zooplankton mean size and total abundance (1)
  • Other - Abundance index of large (TL>250 mm) perch (Perca fluviatilis) in monitoring catches (1)
  • Other - Mean maximum length across all fish species found in monitoring catches (MMLI) (1)
  • Other - Biomasė (2)
  • Other - Bomasė (1)
  • Other - Žuvų bendrijos dydžio indeksas (1)
  • Size distribution (3)
  • Size distribution (4)
  • Other - Trophic guild size distribution (1)
Criteria and parameters used (number of parameters) D4C4 Trophic guild productivity (4.1, 4.1.1)
  • Other - Blubber thickness of grey seal (nutritional status) (1)
  • Other - Abundance (1)
  • Other - Abundance in breeding season (2)
  • Other - Trophic guild productivity (1)
Threshold values % of parameters with values (no. of parameters)
37% (6)
100% (6)
100% (10)
88% (23)
0% (0)
0% (0)
82% (14)
Threshold value sources D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Threshold value sources D4C1 Trophic guild species diversity (1.7, 1.7.1)
  • HELCOM (1)
  • National (1)
  • WaterFD (1)
  • Other (1)
  • MS(sub)region (1)
  • Birds (4)
  • Other (1)
  • WaterFD (6)
Threshold value sources D4C2 Abundance across trophic guilds (1.7, 1.7.1, 4.3, 4.3.1)
  • HELCOM (9)
  • National (1)
  • Other (2)
  • MS(sub)region (2)
  • Birds (4)
  • HELCOM (3)
  • Other (1)
  • HELCOM (14)
Threshold value sources D4C3 Trophic guild size distribution (4.2, 4.2.1)
  • Other (2)
  • MS(sub)region (3)
  • HELCOM (1)
Threshold value sources D4C4 Trophic guild productivity (4.1, 4.1.1)
  • HELCOM (1)
  • Birds (2)
  • Other (1)
Value achieved upper % of parameters with values (no. of parameters)
37% (6)
100% (6)
100% (10)
92% (24)
0% (0)
25% (2)
82% (14)
Value achieved lower % of parameters with values (no. of parameters)
0% (0)
0% (0)
0% (0)
0% (0)
0% (0)
25% (2)
0% (0)
Value unit/Value unit other (count of use per criterion) D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Value unit/Value unit other (count of use per criterion) D4C1 Trophic guild species diversity (1.7, 1.7.1)
  • not applicable (1)
  • indeksas (1)
  • Appearance of grey seals at haul-out (1)
  • percentage (4)
Value unit/Value unit other (count of use per criterion) D4C2 Abundance across trophic guilds (1.7, 1.7.1, 4.3, 4.3.1)
  • (number of) individuals (2)
  • Catch-Per-Unit-Effort (2)
  • percentage (2)
  • ratio (1)
  • tonne (1)
  • Catch-Per-Unit-Effort (1)
  • not applicable (1)
  • ratio (1)
  • Metinių medianų mediana (2)
  • percentage (4)
  • mg C per cubic meter (1)
  • tonne (1)
  • deviation from baseline (14)
Value unit/Value unit other (count of use per criterion) D4C3 Trophic guild size distribution (4.2, 4.2.1)
  • ratio (2)
  • (mg/m3) (3)
  • Metinių medianų mediana (1)
  • Vidutinis dydis (µg/ind.) (1)
  • vidutinis dydis (µg/ind.) (2)
Value unit/Value unit other (count of use per criterion) D4C4 Trophic guild productivity (4.1, 4.1.1)
  • millimetre (1)
  • percentage (2)
Proportion threshold values Range of % values (no. of parameters)
Range: 50-50% (1 of 16 parameters)
Range: 100-100% (6 of 10 parameters)
Range: 100-100% (13 of 26 parameters)
Proportion values achieved Range of % values (no. of parameters)
Range: 26-26% (1 of 16 parameters)
Range: 100-100% (3 of 10 parameters)
Range: 100-100% (13 of 26 parameters)
Proportion threshold value units
% area of MRU achieving threshold value
% area of MRU achieving threshold value
% of stations achieving threshold value
% of population achieving threshold value
Trends No. of trends per category
  • Deteriorating (0 or 0.0%)
  • Improving (7 or 43.8%)
  • Not relevant (0 or 0.0%)
  • Stable (8 or 50.0%)
  • Unknown (1 or 6.2%)
  • Deteriorating (0 or 0.0%)
  • Improving (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not relevant (6 or 100.0%)
  • Stable (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Deteriorating (2 or 20.0%)
  • Improving (3 or 30.0%)
  • Not relevant (0 or 0.0%)
  • Stable (4 or 40.0%)
  • Unknown (1 or 10.0%)
  • Deteriorating (7 or 26.9%)
  • Improving (2 or 7.7%)
  • Not relevant (0 or 0.0%)
  • Stable (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (17 or 65.4%)
  • Deteriorating (0 or 0.0%)
  • Improving (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not relevant (0 or 0.0%)
  • Stable (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (4 or 100.0%)
  • Deteriorating (0 or 0.0%)
  • Improving (1 or 12.5%)
  • Not relevant (0 or 0.0%)
  • Stable (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (7 or 87.5%)
  • Deteriorating (0 or 0.0%)
  • Improving (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not relevant (0 or 0.0%)
  • Stable (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (17 or 100.0%)
Parameters achieved No. of parameters per category
  • No (2 or 12.5%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes (13 or 81.2%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (1 or 6.2%)
  • No (5 or 83.3%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes (1 or 16.7%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • No (7 or 70.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes (3 or 30.0%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • No (16 or 61.5%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes (10 or 38.5%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • No (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (4 or 100.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • No (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (8 or 100.0%)
  • Yes (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • No (6 or 35.3%)
  • Not assessed (3 or 17.6%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Yes (8 or 47.1%)
  • Yes, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
Related indicators
  • BAL-FI-IND-BENTHIC_FAUNA
  • BAL-FI-IND-BIRD-BREEDING
  • BAL-FI-IND-BIRD-WINTERING
  • BAL-FI-IND-COD
  • BAL-FI-IND-HERRING
  • BAL-FI-IND-PHYTOPLANKTON
  • BAL-FI-IND-SEAL-ABUNDANCE
  • BAL-FI-IND-SEAL-NUTRITION
  • BAL-FI-IND-SOFT_BOTTOM
  • BAL-FI-IND-SPRAT-SSB
  • HELCOM-ABU_CF_FG
  • HELCOM-ZOOP
  • BALEED4C1.1
  • BALEED4C2.1
  • BALEED4C2.2
  • BALEED4C2.3
  • BALEED4C3.1
  • BALEED4C3.2
  • BAL-LT-D04-4.1.1a
  • HELCOM-ABU_BIRD_BREED
  • HELCOM-ABU_BIRD_WINT
  • HELCOM-Dia/Dino
  • HELCOM-MSTS
  • LFI1
  • PL-B
  • PL-Grey seal 1
  • PL-Grey seal 2
  • PL-Grey seal 3
  • DK-BIRDDIRART12
  • DK-HABDIRART17
  • DK-TOTAL-BALANCE
  • DK-TOTAL-DIVERSITET
  • BALSE-4.2A_Abund_funk_fisk_kust
Criteria status No. of criteria per category
  • Good (11 or 68.8%)
  • Good, based on low risk (1 or 6.2%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (4 or 25.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (1 or 16.7%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (5 or 83.3%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (2 or 100.0%)
  • Not good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (3 or 30.0%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (7 or 70.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (6 or 23.1%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (20 or 76.9%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (4 or 100.0%)
  • Not good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (8 or 100.0%)
  • Good (8 or 47.1%)
  • Good, based on low risk (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (3 or 17.6%)
  • Not good (6 or 35.3%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
Element status No. of elements per category
  • Good (16 or 100.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (1 or 16.7%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (5 or 83.3%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (2 or 100.0%)
  • Not good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (1 or 10.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (9 or 90.0%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (4 or 15.4%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (22 or 84.6%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
  • Good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not assessed (0 or 0.0%)
  • Not good (0 or 0.0%)
  • Unknown (8 or 100.0%)
  • Good (8 or 47.1%)
  • Not assessed (3 or 17.6%)
  • Not good (6 or 35.3%)
  • Unknown (0 or 0.0%)
Integration rule type for parameters
OTH (16 or 100.0%)
NHIE_NWEI (6 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (2 or 100.0%)
OOAO (10 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (8 or 30.8%)
OTH (18 or 69.2%)
Not relevant (8 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (17 or 100.0%)
Integration rule description for parameters
No integration rule agreed. Expert judgement is used.
All Elements (trophic groups) were assessed separately for different Ecosystem elements. Only for Apex predators (benthic feeding birds) there was more than one parameter within criterion and in this case OOAO principle was used to produce the overall assessment of the element.
Integration has not been applied
Integration has not been applied.
Integration rule type for criteria
OTH (16 or 100.0%)
OOAO (6 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (2 or 100.0%)
OOAO (6 or 100.0%)
OTH (26 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (4 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (8 or 100.0%)
Not relevant (17 or 100.0%)
Integration rule description for criteria
No integration rule agreed. Expert judgement is used among 13 indicators.
Integration was not fulfilled at the descriptor level, but for seals criteria were integrated by one-out-all-out method.
Integration has not been applied
The assessment for D4 at criteria level is not done quantitatively due to lack of integration methods.
GES extent threshold
GES extent achieved
GES extent unit
  • Not relevant (6 of 6, or 100.0%)
  • Not relevant (4 of 4, or 100.0%)
GES achieved Coastal ecosystem
  • GES achieved (16)
  • GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported (6)
  • Not assessed (2)
  • GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, Article 14 exception reported (8)
  • GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported (2)
  • Not assessed (14)
GES achieved Shelf ecosystem
  • GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, Article 14 exception reported (2)
  • Unknown (26)
  • GES expected to be achieved later than 2020, no Article 14 exception reported (2)
  • Unknown (8)
GES achieved Ecosystems, including food webs
  • Not assessed (3)
Assessment period
2011-2016 (16 or 100.0%)
2011-2016 (6 or 100.0%)
2011-2016 (2 or 100.0%)
2012-2017 (10 or 100.0%)
2011-2016 (26 or 100.0%)
2012-2018 (4 or 100.0%)
2012-2018 (8 or 100.0%)
2011-2016 (17 or 100.0%)
Related pressures
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities) (16 or 50.0%)
  • Input of nutrients - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition (16 or 50.0%)
  • Changes to hydrological conditions (6 or 16.7%)
  • Eutrophication (6 or 16.7%)
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities) (6 or 16.7%)
  • Input or spread of non-indigenous species (6 or 16.7%)
  • Physical disturbance to seabed (6 or 16.7%)
  • Physical loss of the seabed (6 or 16.7%)
  • Unknown (2 or 100.0%)
  • Changes to hydrological conditions (10 or 23.8%)
  • Eutrophication (10 or 23.8%)
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities) (6 or 14.3%)
  • Litter in the environment (10 or 23.8%)
  • Physical disturbance to seabed (6 or 14.3%)
  • Disturbance of species (e.g. where they breed, rest and feed) due to human presence (26 or 7.7%)
  • Eutrophication (26 or 7.7%)
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities) (26 or 7.7%)
  • Hydrographical changes (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input of anthropogenic sound (impulsive, continuous) (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input of litter (solid waste matter, including micro-sized litter) (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input of microbial pathogens (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input of nutrients - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input of organic matter - diffuse sources and point sources (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input of other substances (e.g. synthetic substances, non-synthetic substances, radionuclides) - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition, acute events (26 or 7.7%)
  • Input or spread of non-indigenous species (26 or 7.7%)
  • Physical disturbance to seabed (26 or 7.7%)
  • Physical loss of the seabed (26 or 7.7%)
  • All pressures (4 or 100.0%)
  • Changes to hydrological conditions (8 or 100.0%)
  • Disturbance of species (e.g. where they breed, rest and feed) due to human presence (17 or 12.7%)
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities) (17 or 12.7%)
  • Input of anthropogenic sound (impulsive, continuous) (3 or 2.2%)
  • Input of litter (solid waste matter, including micro-sized litter) (3 or 2.2%)
  • Input of microbial pathogens (3 or 2.2%)
  • Input of nutrients - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition (17 or 12.7%)
  • Input of organic matter - diffuse sources and point sources (17 or 12.7%)
  • Input of other forms of energy (including electromagnetic fields, light and heat) (3 or 2.2%)
  • Input of other substances (e.g. synthetic substances, non-synthetic substances, radionuclides) - diffuse sources, point sources, atmospheric deposition, acute events (17 or 12.7%)
  • Input or spread of non-indigenous species (3 or 2.2%)
  • Physical disturbance to seabed (17 or 12.7%)
  • Physical loss of the seabed (17 or 12.7%)
Related targets
2
1
1
6
7
3
7