After several years of preparation the Baltic Sea Regional Project, BSRP was launched in 2003 and were running up to July 2007. The main aim of the BSRP was to create preconditions for application of the ecosystem approach in managing the Baltic Sea Large Marine ecosystem in order to achieve and maintain sustainable biological productivity of the Baltic Sea.

The BSRP was executed, overall coordinated, monitored and evaluated by HELCOM (Executing Agency) and ICES in collaboration with the IBSFC (dissolved January 2006) and with the Swedish Agriculture University, SLU, in Uppsala, Sweden. The GEF (World Bank) provided a grant of US$5.5 million. Other co-financers and beneficiaries including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, United States (NOAA), the World Wild Fund for Nature, WWF, and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation, NEFCO, increased the total budget to approximately $16 million. Over 30 partner institutes in the beneficiary countries and about 10 institutes in the donor countries were involved in the BSRP which had a staff counting over 70.

The BSRP and its two main components, the LME activities and the Land and Coastal activities, were based on the Large Marine Ecosystem concept. The LME concept comprises activities and assessments of key environmental issues within 5 modules: 1. Productivity, 2. Pollution and Ecosystem Health, 3. Fish and Fisheries, 4. Socio-economics, and 5. Governance. The BSRP organization was also built in accordance with this modular system through the establishment of Coordination Centers for Productivity, Ecosystem Health etc to which a series of activities at designated Lead Laboratories were to be reported and coordinated by.

Over the years the BSRP LME Component produced over 3 000 pages of scientific and popular reports, about 150 power point presentations and the BSRP came to be considered as a major key player in the formation of the present and future strategies and actions to improve the status of the Baltic Sea environment.

Through its activities within the BSRP ICES also became engaged in two other prominent projects, the BONUS ERA-NET (Baltic Sea Science – Network of Funding Agencies), and the SAFMAMS project (Scientific Advice for Fisheries Management at Multiple Scales. The BONUS ERA-NET was launched in 2003 and ended in 2008 when BONUS EEIG succeeded this project. A major contribution from ICES to the BONUS project was the production of the BONUS-169 Baltic Sea Science Plan. The SAFMAMS project was launched in 2005 and ended in 2008. One contribution from ICES/BSRP to the SAFMAMS project was the production of the report “Reversing the Burden of Proof for Fisheries Management”, which might be considered as a petition to the discussions concerning a new European common fisheries policy.

The implementation and impact of the BSRP activities has been evaluated (ICR, 2008) and it may be relevant to quote the last paragraph under the headline: “Lessons learned”: “The lessons of the project have been incorporated into the BSAP, Bonus +, and other programs whereby they will inform improved management of the Baltic environment in the future. Through these initiatives, the Baltic is also providing a pioneering example for implementation of the new EU Marine Strategy Directive, as well as global commitments made under the convention on Biological Diversity, The world Summit on sustainable Development and the Rio Declaration”.

A general review of the Baltic environment and of the BSRP and some of its activities can be found  in Thulin 2009. Furter information can be found in Heileman and Thulin 2009. A compilation of project reports produced and presentations made within the BSRP LME component is found here.

The Implementation and Completion Report of the BSRP produced by the World Bank in 2008 can be seen here.

Go to the website of: BONUS, SAFMAMS, and HELCOM.

Download BSRP files
- Project Appraisal Document (2.5mb zipped pdf file)
- Project Implementation Plan - text and annexes (zipped Word files)
- Additional annexes: Vol.2 A 1, Vol.2 A 1 Annex 3, Vol.2 A 2,
    Vol.2 A 2 Annex 9, Vol.2 A 2 Annex 10 Map 2.
- BSRP Mid-term report (Word file)

References
Thulin, J. 2009.  The Recovery and Sustainablility of the Baltic Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. In: Sherman, K., Aquarone, M.C. and Adams, S. (Editors) 2009. Sustaining the World´s Large Marine Ecosystems. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. Viii-142p. 63-75. Download the full volume here.

Heileman, S. and J. Thulin. 2009. XII-35 Baltic Sea LME. In: Sherman, K. and Hempel, G. (Editors). 2009. The UNEP Large Marine Ecosystem Report: A perspective on changing conditions in LMEs of the world´s Regional Seas. UNEP Regional Seas Report and Studies No. 182. United Nations Environment Programme. Nairobi, Kenya. 499-510. Download the full volume here.

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