Member State report / Art18 / 2018 / D2 / Estonia / Baltic Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 18 Interim report on programme of measures
Report due 2018-10-15
GES Descriptor D2 Non-indigenous species
Member State Estonia
Region/subregion Baltic Sea
Reported by Estonian Environment Agency
Report date 2019-09-30
Report access msfd-ART18_1_EST_Final__30.09.2019.xml
Marine reporting units
Features
Measure code
BALEE-M003
BALEE-M004
BALEE-M006
Measure name
Increasing knowledge on non-indigenous species to control their spread
Ratification and implementation of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWMC), and participating in the regional information system
Supporting the marketing/the use of limited value fish
Measure category (type)
2a
Progress in implementation
Implementation started
Measure withdrawn
No
Reason for withdrawal
Year of implementation (Temporal coverage - timeline for implementation)
2022
2020
2023
Delay
2
0
3
Reasons for delay
Other
Other
Other obstacles (Obstacles to implementation)
No
Type of obstacle
Further information on obstacle (Description)
Implementation of the activities of the measure are funded by European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014–2020 and financial activities of the fund are eligible until 2023. As this is an economic measure and according to the reporting guidance document the year of implementation refers to the date when the financial instruments or incentives are all fully financed, in force or actionable. Therefore, this measure can’t be implemented before last projects are finished.
Brief description of progress (measurement of effectiveness of measure)
Activities related to collecting and systemizing data on NIS are ongoing, data collection and systemising is being done under national monitoring programme and through different projects (incl Helcom activities, eg Holas II). Activities related to providing information on NIS to the public and stakeholders are not fully implemented. The information sharing activities (eg TV or radio broadcasts, newspaper articles etc) are covered for some species, eg round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and Harris mud crab (Rhithropanopeus harrisii), however other NISes haven’t got enough attention yet.
Estonia ratified the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWMC) in February 2018. However there is an INTERREG Baltic Sea Region project ‘Completing management options in the Baltic Sea Region to reduce risk of invasive species introduction by shipping (COMPLETE)’ ongoing which supports the implementation of the International Maritime Organization’s convention on ballast water management by triggering regional cooperation, developing risk assessment procedures for ballast water management exemptions and setting a monitoring system of non-indigenous species in the Baltic Sea (project ends in September 2020). In addition, there is a national project on sampling of microorganisms and pathogens from ballast waters tanks ongoing which ends in 2020.
The activities related to marketing/the use of limited value fish are being financed from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014–2020. Last projects under this fund will end in 2023.