Using biological knowledge and decisions of society in spatial prioritization of oil combating

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Using biological knowledge and decisions of
society in spatial prioritization of oil combating
ICES ASC 2007, Helsinki, 17-21.09.2007Taina
Ihaksi, I. Helle, T. Lecklin, R. Ryömä, T.
Kokkonen S. KuikkaUniversity of Helsinki,
OILECO project, Department of Biological and
Environmental Sciences
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Oil transportation has increased
Largest oil terminals
FINLAND
RUSSIA
Kotka
Helsinki
Gulf of Finland
St. Petersburg
Talinn
ESTONIA
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Vulnerability to oil spills

• Limited water exchange
• Slow microbial degradation
• Oil compounds will persist for a long time
• Species living on the edge of their geographic
  distribution
• Refuge for unique evolutionary lineages
• Slow recovery of species after the accident

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Oil spill scenario
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15.06.2008. 194505. Grounding. Double hull
tanker T/B Gavia 264002N 601520E. 300t
medium heavy oil.
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Conservation areas?
FINLAND
Helsinki
Gulf of Finland
ESTONIA
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Which populations should be safeguarded?
Can we predict the location of this species
during the accident?
Does the species have conservation value?
Selection of species
Will this species be safeguarded while
concentrating on the rare species?
Can the oil spill cause long term effects on the
populations of this species?
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Conservation value?

• 1. Rare or threatened populations
• IUCN classification, EU legislation
• Genetically distinct populations

• 2. Populations important for the ecosystem
• Key species
• Keystone species

• 3. Aesthetic species
• Charismatic species that are valued by the public

4. Economically important species
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OILECOs approach
Exposure EXP Mortality MOR
Decisions? Which areas should be
safeguarded?
Recovery potential REP
Booming efficiency BOOM
Conservation value VAL
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Index value
High
Low
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VAL conservation value index
National IUCN classification
CR critically endangered, EN endangered VU
vulnerable, NT near threatened S National
significance of the occurrence
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Index value
High
Low
VAL
OILECO
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OILECO programme
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Conclusions

• Even though the acute mortality is high for
  almost all species there are considerable
  differences in the recovery potential and the
  efficiency of oil booms to safeguard the species
• Sensitivity mapping vs. maps for oil combating?
• Oil combating should be directed to those species
  that have low
• recovery capacity and are possible to safeguard
  with oil combating methods

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Co-operation

• Yksityiset luontoharrastajat
• Regional Environment Centres
• Finnish Adminstration of Forests
• National Board of Antiquities
• Rescue Services
• University of Turku
• University of Helsinki
• Alleco
• Faunatica
• WWF
• Port of Kotka

• Finnish Environment Institute FEI
• University of Technology UT
• Finnish Institute of Marine Research FIMR
• Museum of Natural History
• Finnish Lepidorological Society
• Kotka Maritime Research Center, Merikotka
• Kymenlaakso Polytechnic
• Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute

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Thank you for your attention !
Project Web pages http//hykotka.helsinki.fi/oile
co http//www.helsinki.fi/science/fem/ Taina
Ihaksi Researcher, University of Helsinki
taina.ihaksi_at_helsinki.fi Tel [phone]
4853 Address Sapokankatu 2, 48100 Kotka