by: Dr. Kemal Pinarbasi, HELCOM Secretariat
Kemal Pinarbasi is an expert in marine spatial planning and biodiversity conservation. Since joining HELCOM, he has contributed to pivotal projects, including the Third Holistic Assessment of the Baltic Sea and the MSP4BIO project, where he coordinates the Baltic Sea test site and leads efforts to enhance policy coherence. His work aligns closely with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the Convention on Biological Diversity Post-2020 Framework.
During his presentation, he outlined the current state of the Baltic Sea and the ecological and climate change pressures it is under. He also provided a rough estimate of the costs associated with bottom trawling in HELCOM Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) versus the valuation of ecosystem services.