COMPLETE

The COMPLETE project developed practical tools and proposals for preventing the introduction of alien species to the Baltic Sea.

Streamlined actions

For preventing the spread of harmful invasive species and potentially pathogens, the project developed the tools for harmonised implementation of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention. By updating the AquaNIS information system, which is a multipurpose data provider on non-indigenous species, the project equipped the public authorities and shipping companies with useful tools in assessment, selection of Target Species and storage of port baseline data. New approaches to the storage of metadata on molecular markers of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens as well as selection of likely biofouling organisms ensured a more aligned, holistic and reliable way of addressing the challenges.

Biofouling Management mapped

Based on best practices on biofouling management, the project additionally elaborated a proposal for Regional Baltic Biofouling Management Roadmap which serves as a recommendation for policy makers to implement sustainable biofouling management strategies in shipping and boating. By integrating the contents of the Roadmap into official HELCOM documentation in the project extension phase, the project paved the way for positioning the Roadmap strategically and created value added for the implementation of the coming HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. The upgraded Risk Assessment tool under the HELCOM-OSPAR Joint Harmonised Procedure equipped authorities and shipping companies with needed knowledge. Evaluation of non-indigenous species appearance risks between two ports in the OSPAR and HELCOM areas has become feasible.

Non-indigenous species better monitored

Thanks to the project, non-indigenous species (NIS) in the Baltic Sea can be monitored in a coordinated and consolidated way by the HELCOM countries. The upgraded monitoring programme will facilitate reaching the targets of the Baltic Sea Actions Plan (no introductions of alien species from ships) and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely alter the ecosystems).

Thanks to EUR 3.12 million of support from the European Union, the Interreg project COMPLETE ensured the reduction of the uncontrolled introduction of invasive species and introduced a unified approach to monitoring and operational risk assessment to streamline the national actions across the Baltic Sea region.