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Project within the framework of the South-East Finland - Russia
Neighbourhood Programme
PEOPLE,
NATURE AND HARBOURS
Metsähallitus,
Natural Heritage Services, Southern Finland,
St. Petersburg Naturalists Society
Interreg
0610003
Tacis
2006/132-844
The
project is funded by
the European Union within the framework of the South-East Finland-Russia Neighbourhood
Programme. The project consists of the Interreg part, which is carried out in Finland, and the Tacis part, which is carried out in Russia.
The
project is implemented
by Metsähallitus, Natural Heritage Services, Southern Finland and the Baltic Fund for Nature of the St.
Petersburg Naturalists Society in cooperation with the Committee
for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Leningrad Region and
Lenoblpriroda Fund.
Project manager: Matti Määttä, Metsähallitus
Project
co-ordinators:
Arja Halinen, Metsähallitus
Sergey Rezvyi, St. Petersburg Naturalists Society
Project
inplementation period:
The Interreg
part: 1.10.2006-31.12.2007,
The Tacis
part: 15.01.2007-14.01.2009
Project
areas:
The
Tacis part:
1 Kurgalsky
(Ramsar site and Regional Nature Reserve)
2 Lebiazhie
(Ramsar site and Regional Nature Reserve)
3 Berezovye
Islands
(Ramsar site and Regional Nature Reserve)
4 River Svir Delta (Ramsar
site, including Nizhne-Svirsky
Federal Strict Nature Reserve)
The Interreg part:
5 Eastern
Gulf of Finland National Park
6 Pihlajavesi Natura 2000 site
 The project’s aims are introduction of sustainable approaches to nature
management in the catchment area of the Eastern part of Gulf of Finland, promotion of stakeholders’ collaboration for the
purpose of preservation and sustainable development of valuable natural areas in
the region, and monitoring of natural complexes. The overall aim is mitigation
of the human impact on the Gulf
of Finland,
direct as well as indirect.
A brief description of the project (see
hyperlinks for more detailed descriptions of the project’s components).
The project “People, Nature and Harbours” has three
components: valuable natural areas of the Eastern Gulf of Finland
catchment area, monitoring of seals
and birds and marine inventories.
The main focus of the project is on valuable
natural areas. In Russia
four Ramsar sites have been chosen as pilot areas: Berezovye Islands, Kurgalsky Peninsula, Lebyazhie and River Svir Delta. Activities of the
Finnish part of the project will take place in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park and on Lake Pihlajavesi, which is a Natura 2000 site. As for each of the
pilot areas, the project aims at encouraging participation of local
stakeholders and interest groups towards management of sites of great natural
value. Management plans with a focus on
participatory planning will be established for River Svir Delta and Lake Pihlajavesi. Since an important activity to be developed in the
pilot areas is ecological tourism, modest recreational facilities such as
nature trails will be planned and constructed at certain sites, e.g. Kurgalsky Peninsula.
The monitoring part comprises seal
censuses and estimations of numbers of migrating and nesting birds. Finally, an
important component of the project is making marine inventories of underwater plants,
animals and habitats. In the Interreg part, special attention will be paid to possibilities
of using these inventories for climate change assessment. The results of
monitoring and inventories will be made accessible to public, administration
authorities and enterprises, to be used for planning of social and economic
activities.
Important tasks of the project
are work towards general recognition of natural
values, involvement of industrial companies into environment protection and
promotion of collaboration between stakeholders in the region. For that
purpose, several seminars and study tours will be held and information
materials will be published.
The
key operators in the project are Metsähallitus,
Baltic Fund for Nature of St. Petersburg Naturalists Society, the Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection of Leningrad Region Administration and Lenoblpriroda Fund. Two organisations not acting as partners but closely
involved in the project are Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (RKTL) and Finnish
Environment Centre (SYKE). An active participation of the local
interest groups, representatives of harbours and oil companies, municipal
administrations and scientific organisations is expected and encouraged.
The project “People, Nature and
Harbours” forges a link of cooperation between the stakeholders in the eastern Gulf of Finland catchment area and develops a comprehensive approach to the specific
problems of this important and fragile region. In this way, it serves the
purpose of the sustainable nature management, which is only possible by joint and
coordinated efforts of the authorities, the conservation bodies, the industrial
sector and the people.
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