Summary of Working Paper No. 60-1996

II.4.2: Selection of Marine Bird Valued Ecosystem Components and Descriptions of Impact Hypothesis in the Northern Sea Route Area

By Vidar Bakken and Kjell Isaksen, The Norwegian Polar Institute, Oslo, Norway, Maria Gavrilo, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia, and Karl-Birger Strann, Foundation for Nature Research and Cultural Heritage Research, Tromsų, Norway.

This Working paper presents results dealing with the Valued Ecosystem Components (VECs)s of Marine birds. It is described how the modified Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management (AEAM)-method used in the INSROP EIA is aplied to marine birds in the NSR-area.

The aim of this paper is to identify vulnerable species groups among marine birds along the NSR and to identify which new threats the NSR-activity will lead to for these birds. In this context it is important to pinpoint the importance of a network of protected areas to minimise these threats; of special importance are the management principles in the protected areas and the enforcement of these principles. Protected areas are especially important for marine birds as it is known that habitat degradation and disturbance are among the main threats to some of these birds.