73
© The Author(s) 2016
M. Gilek et al. (eds.), Environmental Governance of the Baltic Sea,
MARE Publication Series 10, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-27006-7_4
Chapter 4
Biological Invasions: A Case Study of Baltic
Sea Environmental Governance
Katarzyna Smolarz , Paulina Biskup , and Aleksandra Zgrundo
Abstract This chapter describes bioinvasions as an example of a relatively new
crosscutting domain of environmental governance whose management is affected
by a high level of uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. In the Baltic Sea region,
legislation and policies related to invasive alien species (IAS) are still under development, and as a consequence, there are a few legally binding instruments dealing
with the problem. Due to the fact that environmental changes linked to other environmental risks (eutrophication, maritime transportation, climate change) may
intensify biological incursions, development of a uniform policy, followed by its
ratifi cation among EU Member States in the Baltic Sea region as well as Russia, is
generally seen as a top priority for many actors involved in environmental governance. Hence, the adoption of a precautionary approach and the Ecosystem
Approach to Management (EAM) driven by precise goals and executed by policies
and best practices are proposed as holistic and necessary management tools for
preventing and controlling bioinvasions. This chapter focuses on barriers and opportunities for the implementation of the EAM concept and on identifying possible
ways to improve the effectiveness of IAS management. Finally, we argue that biological invasions and in particular their consequences may impact on a wide set of
ecosystem goods and services, and therefore, holistic management that takes into
account interdependencies among environmental issues is required.
Keywords Baltic Sea • Invasive alien species (IAS) • Ballast water management •
Ecosystem approach to management • Maritime transportation
K. Smolarz (*) • P. Biskup • A. Zgrundo
Department of Marine Ecosystem Functioning, Institute of Oceanography , University of
Gdańsk , Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46 , 81-378 Gdynia , Poland
e-mail: oceksm@univ.gda.pl; paulina_lemke@wp.pl; oceazg@ug.edu.pl
© The Author(s) 2016
M. Gilek et al. (eds.), Environmental Governance of the Baltic Sea,
MARE Publication Series 10, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-27006-7_4
Chapter 4
Biological Invasions: A Case Study of Baltic
Sea Environmental Governance
Katarzyna Smolarz , Paulina Biskup , and Aleksandra Zgrundo
Abstract This chapter describes bioinvasions as an example of a relatively new
crosscutting domain of environmental governance whose management is affected
by a high level of uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. In the Baltic Sea region,
legislation and policies related to invasive alien species (IAS) are still under development, and as a consequence, there are a few legally binding instruments dealing
with the problem. Due to the fact that environmental changes linked to other environmental risks (eutrophication, maritime transportation, climate change) may
intensify biological incursions, development of a uniform policy, followed by its
ratifi cation among EU Member States in the Baltic Sea region as well as Russia, is
generally seen as a top priority for many actors involved in environmental governance. Hence, the adoption of a precautionary approach and the Ecosystem
Approach to Management (EAM) driven by precise goals and executed by policies
and best practices are proposed as holistic and necessary management tools for
preventing and controlling bioinvasions. This chapter focuses on barriers and opportunities for the implementation of the EAM concept and on identifying possible
ways to improve the effectiveness of IAS management. Finally, we argue that biological invasions and in particular their consequences may impact on a wide set of
ecosystem goods and services, and therefore, holistic management that takes into
account interdependencies among environmental issues is required.
Keywords Baltic Sea • Invasive alien species (IAS) • Ballast water management •
Ecosystem approach to management • Maritime transportation
K. Smolarz (*) • P. Biskup • A. Zgrundo
Department of Marine Ecosystem Functioning, Institute of Oceanography , University of
Gdańsk , Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46 , 81-378 Gdynia , Poland
e-mail: oceksm@univ.gda.pl; paulina_lemke@wp.pl; oceazg@ug.edu.pl