The Interreg Nord project “SeaCOMBO” – Sea cooperation for management of the Bothnian Bay has increased the cooperation regarding the conservation and management of the marine environment in the Bothnian Bay, the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea.
The Northern Bothnian Bay concerns both Finland and Sweden and it is important to work cross-border to be able to have the best management of the bay both from an environmental perspective but also for everybody living in the area. There is generally a lack of knowledge about the Northern Bothnian bay and its importance to both species and humans. The project has helped increase awareness about the Bothnian Bay to the public, authorities, students etc.
The project partners, Länsstyrelsen I Norrbottens län and Pohjois-Pohjanmaan ELY-keskus has worked with increasing the knowledge amongst professional groups of the marine environment, conservation measures and management, investigated the possibilities for a transnational marine protected area and developed a marine restoration plan for the Bothnian Bay.
Project manager Mary Agrér, Länsstyrelsen I Norrbottens län highlights three achievements:
• The three reports; Restoration in the Bothnian bay, Cross-border marine protected area and Survey study of a protected area.
• The webinar about the “Future of the Bothnian Bay” that brought people together across the borders that work within the same field and opened up for new contacts/networks.
• The field course with students from both countries learning more about the bay, species, inventory methods etc. The course was important because these student can be the future managers of the Bothnian Bay.
You can read more about the project at the website
www.seacombo.com
Here you can find the final reports of the project