To meet the goal of protecting at least 30% of the Baltic Sea and ensuring that existing, fragmented MPAs form a coherent network, there is a need for more offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) in theSouth Baltic Area. To support this objective, four partners from three SouthBaltic countries—Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden—are collaborating on the small-scale South Baltic project BLUE CRESCENT:“Promoting the blue economy by establishing a protected area across the maritime border of Poland, Sweden and Lithuania”,Project No. STHB.02.02-IP.01-0001/24.The common challenge addressed in the BLUE CRESCENT project is the need to concentrate efforts to ensure sustainable management of the South Baltic offshore as a clean water area integrated across borders and robust in ecological, biological and economic terms. Also, in the project area, there isa cross-border problem of dumped chemical munitions threatening the prospective offshore wind farms, underwater cables and pipelines, fishing and shipping.
The project approach relies on ecosystem-based MSP across the maritime borders, gathering data and conducting studies to understand the area's ecological and biological significance that will serve as the foundation for involving stakeholders from all participating countries, including government agencies, local communities,NGOs, and industries; collaborating with HELCOM/VASAB; drafting necessary cross-border legal agreements and frameworks.
The project is funded by the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021 – 2027
Priority: Sustainable South Baltic – promoting sustainable development and blue and green economy;
Measure: Promoting sustainable use of water
Lead partner –Administration of Lithuania Minor Protected Areas (Lithuania);
Partner No. 1 – Ecologicalclub “Zvejone“ (Lithuania)
Partner No. 2 -University of Gdansk (Poland)
Partner No. 3 - WorldMaritime University (Sweden)
