The document summarizes the process of creating a pilot maritime spatial plan for the Bothnian Sea between Sweden and Finland. It involved collecting spatial data on various human uses and natural features of the Baltic Sea from the HELCOM map service to understand that the Baltic Sea is a busy area with oil rigs, wind farms, shipping lanes, fishing grounds, and protected areas. The project tested a transboundary, offshore maritime spatial planning process and found it important to make all data and plans openly available online. It concluded that planning is an ongoing and iterative process.

1. The fascinating story of
how we made a MSP test
planbothnia.org
Manuel Frias
SUBMARINER final conference
Gdansk, 5th September 2013

2. Once upon a time...

3. Year 2010
Lead Partner

4. DG MARE
Co-funded under European
Integrated Maritime Policy
Phase 1
Data collection
December 2010
Phase 2
Spatial Plan
May 2012

5. Objective: Test a MSP process
Transboundary
Offshore

6. The Bothnian Sea:
a pear-shaped sea

7. Why is
Maritime Spatial Planning
important?

8. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

9. Really?

10. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

11. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

12. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

13. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Natura 2000
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

14. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Natura 2000
Shipping accidents (2009)
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

15. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Natura 2000
Shipping accidents (2009)
Illegal oil spills (2009)
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

16. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Natura 2000
Shipping accidents (2009)
Illegal oil spills (2009)
Fisheries (Surface and mid. gear 2007)
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

17. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Natura 2000
Shipping accidents (2009)
Illegal oil spills (2009)
Fisheries (Surface and mid. gear 2007)
Shipping density (2009)
and much more...
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

18. The Baltic Sea:
a quiet corner of
Northern Europe?
Really?
Oil rigs
Wind farms (current and projects)
Baltic Sea Protected Areas
Natura 2000
Shipping accidents (2009)
Illegal oil spills (2009)
Fisheries (Surface and mid. gear 2007)
Shipping density (2009)
Not really...
The Baltic Sea is busy
– and getting busier!
and much more...
Manuel Frias. Data available in HELCOM GIS

20. Where is the data?

21. Luckily we have the
HELCOM map and data service
maps.helcom.fi

27. The process
Data collection
Synthesis
The pilot plan!

28. What did we learn?

29. Everthing we did was
open!

32. Maritime Archaeology @ University of Southern DK's
We found very little or no data at all for certain topics as
offshore underwater archaeology

33. Summing up

34. We tested a
transboundary,
offshore MSP

35. maps.helcom.fi
HELCOM map and data service
to the rescue

36. (Try to) be open!!

37. PLAN BOTHNIA.org
Manuel Frias
”Plans are nothing
planning is everything”
Dwight D. Eisenhower