Application of the marine ecosystem services approach in the development of the maritime spatial plan of Latvia

Abstract

The Maritime Spatial Plan for Internal Waters, Territorial Waters and Economic Exclusive Zone of the Republic of Latvia is a long-term spatial planning document, which defines the permitted uses of the sea and conditions for development. Work on maritime spatial planning (MSP) in Latvia was a novel process from different aspects including incorporation of the concept of ecosystem services (ES) into MSP. In the course of the MSP process, marine ES were mapped and assessed, and impacts of proposed spatial solutions for the use of the sea were assessed. The scope of mapping and assessment of ES was limited by data availability and expert knowledge on marine ecosystems. MSP in Latvia was an open and transparent process with an active involvement of different stakeholder groups. Marine ES assessment results were visualized and used during the public consultations to highlight the marine areas providing the most significant social benefits as well as to facilitate debate about potential impacts arising from proposed uses of the sea. The marine ES approach, in a spatially explicit manner, provided stakeholders and policymakers with a strategic framework to address a complex social-ecological system.

Mapping and assessment of cultural ecosystem services of Latvian coastal areas

“…The specificity of CES, related to tourism and recreation, is that the place of service production and where the benefits are realised (Fisher et al 2009, Syrbe and Walz 2012, Kulczyk et al 2018) is always the samein situ as resources are consumed in the same location. This also includes the surrounding landscape, which serves as a background for in situ experiences (Fisher et al 2009).…”

“…The seaside is characterised as a tourism destination, but it could also be linked to a smaller unit, namely, a recreational area serving certain needs of the local population (Gunn 1979, Smith 1995. A destination is an open system, where visitors can designate their own borders and create relationships amongst these various elements (Murphy et al 2000, Framke 2002, Cooper and Hall 2008.…”

“…The importance of sustainable use of marine goods and services has also been highlighted by the marine and maritime policies of the European Union (European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (EP CEU) 2008, European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (EP CEU) 2014). Thus mapping and assessment of the coastal ecosystem service supply is becoming extremely important within the science-policy-practices interface for supporting decision-making on the management and sustainable use of coastal areas (Veidemane et al 2017, Drakou et al 2018. The mapping results can provide an essential contribution to maritime spatial planning (MSP) -an established decision-making process that applies research data and geospatial information for addressing the sea use conflicts and organising human activities in order to avoid negative impacts on marine health, functions and services (Center for Ocean Solutions 2011).…”

“…The suitability of the Latvian coastal areas for tourism and leisure activities was one of the ecosystem services mapped for the development of the draft Maritime Spatial Plan for Latvian marine waters in 2015 (subsequently referred to as -the Latvian MSP case), carried out from January 2015 to May 2016 (Veidemane et al 2017). Besides the characterisation of the ecosystem service supply in the coastal areas, the purpose of this mapping exercise was also to identify the areas where the priority in the MSP would be given to tourism development.…”

Operationalising marine and coastal ecosystem services

“…The inclusion of ecosystem services into the Latvian marine spatial planning is reported by Veidemane et al (2017). The authors map and assess MCES, and evaluate different uses of Latvian marine waters.…”