79
Leppäkoski and Gollasch 2006 ). Long-term data, made available on a centralised
platform, on potentially invasive species regarding ecology, introduction routes and
recent changes in ecosystems, are essential for developing multiple risk scenarios
and appropriate management options for the Baltic Sea. Moreover, better knowledge about possible consequences of IAS is of great importance, since such knowledge is essential for developing early warning systems, constructing target IAS lists
and undertaking cost-benefi t analyses of management options and environmental
status assessments (Olenin et al. 2010 ).
Targeted monitoring programmes for nonindigenous species are limited and
often restricted to a few invasive species in selected areas. Consequently, relevant
data is collected mostly as a result of incidental recordings of IAS during already
ongoing biological monitoring. Since the monitoring objectives of such tasks are
different than observations meant specifi cally for IAS introduction, the skills of the
people gathering this data and the data quality cannot be guaranteed. Obtained
records often appear to be of low quality and should be supplemented by targeted
monitoring in high-risk areas of both invasive nonindigenous and indigenous species (EC 2011 ). Unless better monitoring is in place, there will be no reliable basis
for providing advice to management, which would be a major obstacle for ecosystem management of IAS regulation/management in the Baltic Sea. One example of
an international project that aimed at improving the prevention of pollution , including IAS spread, from maritime transport was Baltic Master II, a strategic European
Union project for the Baltic Sea region. Some improvements can be seen worldwide
in recent assessment-management interactions because new programmes have
started to deal with uncertainty via targeted monitoring and surveillance , the gathering of new data (e.g. on the biology and ecology of potentially invasive species), the
routes and mechanisms of bioinvasion as well as the identifi cation and monitoring
of vulnerable sites/routes. The major focus of this development seems to be facilitating the implementation of global ‘mitigating’ regulations such as the International
Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments
(the Ballast Water Management Convention; BWMC ),
4 particularly since the lack
of data can be seen as a potential problem for such implementation. Environmental
governance, the precautionary principle and EAM are responses to scientifi c uncertainties and sociopolitical controversies. These approaches are held forward as fruitful alternatives to executive risk-based and sector-restricted regulation, as discussed
later in this chapter. However, in the Baltic Sea, IAS is still not regarded as an
4 The BWM Convention (BWMC 2004) is a voluntary agreement of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO), the latter belonging to the family of UN organisations and shipping industry
(in particular, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Association of Independent
Tanker Owners and classifi cation societies), to directly address the main vector of alien species
introduction. The convention gives specifi c guidelines regarding risk assessment and management
plans. BMWC will be brought into operation in the near future (HELCOM 2013 ), namely, when at
least 30 countries with 35 % of the registered tonnage of the world merchant fl eet have ratifi ed the
Convention-for-the-Control-and-Management-of-Ships%27-Ballast-Water-and-Sediments%28BWM%29.aspx
4 Biological Invasions: A Case Study of Baltic Sea Environmental Governance
Leppäkoski and Gollasch 2006 ). Long-term data, made available on a centralised
platform, on potentially invasive species regarding ecology, introduction routes and
recent changes in ecosystems, are essential for developing multiple risk scenarios
and appropriate management options for the Baltic Sea. Moreover, better knowledge about possible consequences of IAS is of great importance, since such knowledge is essential for developing early warning systems, constructing target IAS lists
and undertaking cost-benefi t analyses of management options and environmental
status assessments (Olenin et al. 2010 ).
Targeted monitoring programmes for nonindigenous species are limited and
often restricted to a few invasive species in selected areas. Consequently, relevant
data is collected mostly as a result of incidental recordings of IAS during already
ongoing biological monitoring. Since the monitoring objectives of such tasks are
different than observations meant specifi cally for IAS introduction, the skills of the
people gathering this data and the data quality cannot be guaranteed. Obtained
records often appear to be of low quality and should be supplemented by targeted
monitoring in high-risk areas of both invasive nonindigenous and indigenous species (EC 2011 ). Unless better monitoring is in place, there will be no reliable basis
for providing advice to management, which would be a major obstacle for ecosystem management of IAS regulation/management in the Baltic Sea. One example of
an international project that aimed at improving the prevention of pollution , including IAS spread, from maritime transport was Baltic Master II, a strategic European
Union project for the Baltic Sea region. Some improvements can be seen worldwide
in recent assessment-management interactions because new programmes have
started to deal with uncertainty via targeted monitoring and surveillance , the gathering of new data (e.g. on the biology and ecology of potentially invasive species), the
routes and mechanisms of bioinvasion as well as the identifi cation and monitoring
of vulnerable sites/routes. The major focus of this development seems to be facilitating the implementation of global ‘mitigating’ regulations such as the International
Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments
(the Ballast Water Management Convention; BWMC ),
4 particularly since the lack
of data can be seen as a potential problem for such implementation. Environmental
governance, the precautionary principle and EAM are responses to scientifi c uncertainties and sociopolitical controversies. These approaches are held forward as fruitful alternatives to executive risk-based and sector-restricted regulation, as discussed
later in this chapter. However, in the Baltic Sea, IAS is still not regarded as an
4 The BWM Convention (BWMC 2004) is a voluntary agreement of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO), the latter belonging to the family of UN organisations and shipping industry
(in particular, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Association of Independent
Tanker Owners and classifi cation societies), to directly address the main vector of alien species
introduction. The convention gives specifi c guidelines regarding risk assessment and management
plans. BMWC will be brought into operation in the near future (HELCOM 2013 ), namely, when at
least 30 countries with 35 % of the registered tonnage of the world merchant fl eet have ratifi ed the
Convention-for-the-Control-and-Management-of-Ships%27-Ballast-Water-and-Sediments%28BWM%29.aspx
4 Biological Invasions: A Case Study of Baltic Sea Environmental Governance