Project tittle: Promoting the protection of endangered Baltic Sea habitats and species in the Gdansk Bay region
Project dates: 1 September 2014 – 30 April 2017
Total cost of the project: PLN 2,224,776.00
Qualified costs: PLN 2,224,776.00
Co-financing from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management under the EEA FM 2009-2014: PLN 1,891,059.60
https://www.nfosigw.gov.pl/
Co-financing from the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdansk: PLN 250,000.00
Own contribution: PLN 83,716.40
Project objective(s)
The objective of the project is to protect biological diversity on the level of habitats and species in areas of environmental value diagnosed to be severely affected by human impact.
Project description
The project focuses on the diagnosed problem of human impact on species and habitats in the Gdansk Bay region. Environmentally valuable Natura 2000 areas and nature reserves experience conflict between environmental protection and tourism and local fishery. The dangers concern, among other things, dune and wash margin habitats, seal colonies in the process of formation, fish migration routes (salmon, sturgeon, twait shad, river lamprey) and the hatching areas of the sandwich tern, little tern and common tern. Rare protected species need to be monitored. In order to minimise the problem of human impact, it is necessary to strengthen the means of institutional and social control against the identified threats and develop pro-environmental attitudes in the society in general as well as in social groups engaged in the exploitation of the sea.
Protection activities will focus on the Gdansk Bay region, especially its Natura 2000 areas. The tools for species and habitat protection will be:
- Monitoring the level of biological diversity in selected areas (the Hel Peninsula, the Wisła Przekop river mouth);
- Implementing a preventive control system and quick reacting;
- Developing pro-environmental attitudes through active education and dissemination of information;
- Supplying collected data to environmental protection institutions in order to promote pro-environmental decisions.
The locally implemented project will have a supraregional effect by presenting case studies and knowledge to supraregional audiences and media users (via the Internet) as well as organising educational activities and exhibitions. The supraregional nature of the project is also associated with the migration of the species covered by the project (the seal, porpoise, fish).
The target group is the general society who use the goods and services offered by the marine ecosystem. Information and education activities are addresses to school students who attend SMIOUG classes as well as adults, youth and children who visit the Seal Centre and attend various events, such as the Fish Day. Information campaigns will also be addressed to the personnel of environmental protection institutions and fishermen. The project will be useful for researchers.
The expected result of the project will be:
- Limiting human impact in areas of environmental value in the Gdansk Bay region;
- Limiting the threats to biological diversity;
- Maintaining biological diversity;
- Raising social awareness and educating the society;
- Ensuring efficient diagnostic and rehabilitation facilities to compensate for the mortality of mammals.