Loss or imminent loss of endangered species in the Black Sea and its wetlands

3.B.2.1

All group of species listed in the table hereunder were selected because of there ecological and/or economic value for the Black Sea ecosystem. They include plants which are mainly keystone species, and are at the center of communities which are highly characteristic of the local environment, and include threatened endemic as well as relict species. By protecting those, it is expected that many others will also become protected, including by the creation or improvement of a number of protected areas, specified in section 3.B.3.1. As reference against which to evaluate present population sizes, we used the population sizes for the 1960s.

Taxon	Population size and geographic range	Current legal status of protection	Main threats	Information gaps	Proposed measures in situ/ ex situ*	Implementing authority	Operational targets	Costs
Bottom plant community							Medium term (by the year 2005)
Red algae: Phyllophora community (in which Phyllophora itself is the keystone species, providing food and shelter to about 60 animal species many of which are endemic or Ponto-Caspian relicts)	3% of reference level on Ukrainian shelf	None	Eutrophication caused by inflow of untreated sewage and otherwise polluted rivers Increased turbidity, inter alia due to use of various type of bottom gear	No quantitative data on standing crop in 1990s Insufficient information on culturing techniques	On the short term (2 years): - Create a marine protected area as defined on the attached map, East of 33 ⁰ 10’ E - Prohibit use of all bottom gear on shelf area, in particular those zones from which water currents would import silt to the reserve - Regulate harvesting elsewhere beginning with a 5 years moratorium on the shelf zone as defined on the attached map - Monitor sensitive areas to assess state and extent of seaweed beds Medium term (by the year 2005) - Reduce nutrient inputs (see section A.1) Captive cultivation as a precautionary measure to preserve part of the gene pool	Ministry of EP Ministry of Fisheries of Ukraine Coastal Guard	Maintain or restore viable populations of about 60 species including fish Create sustainable use of the presently declining economic resource (agar production) Improve ecological conditions of the central NWS	Monitoring - 100k $ per year Enforcement of protection measures, use of boats, running costs and salaries of rangers - 100k $ Development of ex situ culturing techniques - 50k $
Brown algae: Cystoseira barbata community (in which Cystoseira itself is the keystone species)	Less than 1% of reference level on Romanian and Ukrainian shelf	None	Eutrophication from point and non point sources and pollution	None	Reduce eutrophication and pollution by improving quality of riverin input and improve agricultural practices	Ministry of EP and Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine and Romania	Save about 40 species Save source of sodium alginate production
Commercial and/or endemic animals
Mollusks
Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)	30 % of reference level on NWS	None	Hypoxia by eutrophication	None	Prohibit dredging/trawling Reduce eutrophication Stimulate hanging aquaculture in shallow areas (for details see section C.2)	Ministries of Fisheries and Ministries of EP of Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria	Rehabilitate mussel community Restore an economic resource Reduce turbidity by biofiltration
Oyster (Ostrea edulis)	Less than 5% reference level, rocky coasts basin wide	Red Data Book listed in Ukraine	Turbidity in shallow zones caused by sand extraction	None	As proposed in the red data book Aquaculture (for details see section C.2)	Ministries of Fisheries and Ministries of EP of all Black Sea countries	Raise biofiltration to reduce eutrophication Restore an economic resource
Hypanis (3spp)	50 % of reference level, brackish waters in Russia and Ukraine	None	Multiple pollution	Declining, but reason not clear	Reduce pollution of brackish waters	Ministries of EP of Russia, Ukraine and Romania	Save a unique genome
Bottom Crustaceans
Crabs (about 14 species)	30-50 % of reference level, shallow water shelf basin wide	All in red book	Overharvesting	None	Moratorium on harvesting	Ministries of EP of all Black Sea countries	Removal, by scavenging, of dead corpses Reduce microbial pollution
Shrimps (more than 20 species)	40 % of reference level, basin wide	None	Hypoxia Fished for bait	Lack of quantitative surveys	Regulate fishing Aquaculture recommended for largest species (e.g. Palaemon rectirostris)	Ministries of EP and Ministries of Fisheries of all Black Sea countries	Create a new economic resource
Fish (for commercial species see sect. B1.1)
Gobiidae (20 species, 10 commercial, all endemic)	20 % of reference level, NWS	Few species protected, 10 exploited	Hypoxia on bottom, destruction of breeding grounds (sand covering stony substrates for eggs)	Well studied group	More artificial reefs needed (see section B.3) Full protection in breeding seasons	Ministries of EP and Ministries of Fisheries of Ukraine and Romania	Restore endemic population by 2005, including commercial and recreational species	See section on aquaculture
Wetlands communities (see also B.3.1)
Consisting of plants, invertebrates (mollusks, crayfish, insects), amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals in al well over 2000 species	Variable, but declining	Many species already individually protected	Draining of wetlands Eutrophication and pollution mainly from non point sources Overfishing, overhunting	Dependent on groups, satisfactory for higher plants and vertebrates	Protect such areas	Ministries of EP of all the Black Sea countries	Maintain valuable communities and ecosystem services	See section B.3.1.
Marine mammals
3 dolphins (endemic subspecies)	5-10 % of reference level, basin wide	No hunting allowed, but poor enforcement	Biomagnification of various pollutants Accidental or illegal killing as bycatch in fisheries	No recent comprehensive census available	Reduce pollution Enforce ban on hunting Develop a regional rehabilitation center in Batumi to raise public awareness and implement ecotourism, including in the adjacent marine dolphins park in Kolkheti (see section B.3.1.)	Ministries of EP and Ministries of Fisheries of all Black Sea countries	Partial recovery of declining population by 2005 AD	300k ECU
Monk seal	Few specimens left	Fully protected, but no active enforcement	Lack of reproduction in coastal areas Biomagnification of various pollutants	No recent comprehensive census	Provide sufficient sanctuary area for reproduction in the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Turkish waters Reduce pollution [recovery of popoulation may no longer be possible]	Ministries of EP of all Black Sea countries	Partial restoration of Black Sea population by 2010 AD	Estimated at no less than 50k $ by country per year

See also

	1.1	Perceived major problems: their main root causes and areas where action is proposed
	1.2.3	Main root causes