188
These three sites of uncertainty and stakeholder disagreement in EU and Baltic
fi sheries management reveal key challenges of dealing with highly politicised cases
of environmental governance infl icted by social and economic values within a
classically designed science-policy interface.
8.3.2.2 Eutrophication
Eutrophication and related management objectives to combat it comprise enormous
complexities not only in ecosystem functioning but also with respect to a diverse
political arena of governments, economic sectors and stakeholder groups affected
by strategies to control eutrophication via nutrient reductions . There are ecosystem
structures that lead to particular environmental phenomena in the Baltic Sea such as
a relatively slow turnover rate of water (approximately 30 years) and nutrient storage and release from sediments. Furthermore, there are indications that large-scale
environmental change (so-called regime shifts) can be amplifi ed by, for example,
overfi shing of cod (Casini et al. 2009 ). These complexities lead to several complications for science-policy interactions such as long time lags between implementation
of management measures and potential positive effects on environmental status.
Such time lags open up for a critique of the scientifi c basis of taken and proposed
measures as well as with regard to general complaints over policies for nutrient
reductions , since it is uncertain if and when the desired environmental objectives
can be reached. Despite the complexity of the natural and social systems linked to
eutrophication management in the Baltic Sea, interactions between scientists and
policymakers were quite smooth for a period of time, even if serious questions are
now being raised by stakeholders (see below). While a controversy existed earlier
(mostly between scientists) about which nutrients needed to be primarily controlled
to combat eutrophication – nitrogen , phosphorus or both – there is now a general
consensus that both nutrients need to be controlled (Conley et al. 2009a ).
However, particularly at the national implementation level, discussions are ongoing about which objectives to set and which nutrient reduction measures might be
most cost effective (e.g. Elofsson 2010 ; Gren 2008 ; LRF 2013 ). Moreover, so -called
engineering approaches to counter eutrophication problems, such as chemical
sequestration of phosphorus or artifi cial oxygenation, are put forward by various
actors but are also criticised by most marine scientists as inappropriate to combat
large-scale offshore eutrophication in the Baltic Sea (Conley et al. 2009b ; Conley
2012 ). The academic debate regarding whether man-made oxygenation may or may
not be a means to reduce eutrophication effects in the Baltic Sea is still not over
(cf. Stigebrandt and Kalén 2013 ; Stigebrandt et al. 2014 ). Although substantial
uncertainties exist regarding eutrophication assessments and advice, as well as
about the ways in which management should best distribute the costs of nutrient
reductions among Baltic countries and stakeholders within them, lack of data, scientifi c uncertainty and stakeholder disagreements have, in contrast to fi sheries, not yet
sparked similar levels of confl ict and public controversy about appropriate policies,
management objectives and political decisions.
S. Linke et al.
These three sites of uncertainty and stakeholder disagreement in EU and Baltic
fi sheries management reveal key challenges of dealing with highly politicised cases
of environmental governance infl icted by social and economic values within a
classically designed science-policy interface.
8.3.2.2 Eutrophication
Eutrophication and related management objectives to combat it comprise enormous
complexities not only in ecosystem functioning but also with respect to a diverse
political arena of governments, economic sectors and stakeholder groups affected
by strategies to control eutrophication via nutrient reductions . There are ecosystem
structures that lead to particular environmental phenomena in the Baltic Sea such as
a relatively slow turnover rate of water (approximately 30 years) and nutrient storage and release from sediments. Furthermore, there are indications that large-scale
environmental change (so-called regime shifts) can be amplifi ed by, for example,
overfi shing of cod (Casini et al. 2009 ). These complexities lead to several complications for science-policy interactions such as long time lags between implementation
of management measures and potential positive effects on environmental status.
Such time lags open up for a critique of the scientifi c basis of taken and proposed
measures as well as with regard to general complaints over policies for nutrient
reductions , since it is uncertain if and when the desired environmental objectives
can be reached. Despite the complexity of the natural and social systems linked to
eutrophication management in the Baltic Sea, interactions between scientists and
policymakers were quite smooth for a period of time, even if serious questions are
now being raised by stakeholders (see below). While a controversy existed earlier
(mostly between scientists) about which nutrients needed to be primarily controlled
to combat eutrophication – nitrogen , phosphorus or both – there is now a general
consensus that both nutrients need to be controlled (Conley et al. 2009a ).
However, particularly at the national implementation level, discussions are ongoing about which objectives to set and which nutrient reduction measures might be
most cost effective (e.g. Elofsson 2010 ; Gren 2008 ; LRF 2013 ). Moreover, so -called
engineering approaches to counter eutrophication problems, such as chemical
sequestration of phosphorus or artifi cial oxygenation, are put forward by various
actors but are also criticised by most marine scientists as inappropriate to combat
large-scale offshore eutrophication in the Baltic Sea (Conley et al. 2009b ; Conley
2012 ). The academic debate regarding whether man-made oxygenation may or may
not be a means to reduce eutrophication effects in the Baltic Sea is still not over
(cf. Stigebrandt and Kalén 2013 ; Stigebrandt et al. 2014 ). Although substantial
uncertainties exist regarding eutrophication assessments and advice, as well as
about the ways in which management should best distribute the costs of nutrient
reductions among Baltic countries and stakeholders within them, lack of data, scientifi c uncertainty and stakeholder disagreements have, in contrast to fi sheries, not yet
sparked similar levels of confl ict and public controversy about appropriate policies,
management objectives and political decisions.
S. Linke et al.