Lack of recognition of genetic biodiversity: International policy and its implementation in Baltic Sea marine protected areas.
Genetic diversity is needed for species' adaptation to changing selective pressures and is particularly important in regions with rapid environmental change such as the Baltic Sea. Conservation measures should consider maintaining large gene pools to maximize species' adaptive potential for long-term survival. In this study, we explored concerns regarding genetic variation in international and national policies that governs biodiversity and evaluated if and how such policy is put into practice in management plans governing Baltic Sea Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Germany. We performed qualitative and quantitative textual analysis of 240 documents and found that agreed international and national policies on genetic biodiversity are not reflected in management plans for Baltic Sea MPAs. Management plans in all countries are largely void of goals and strategies for genetic biodiversity, which can partly be explained by a general lack of conservation genetics in policies directed toward aquatic environments.
Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden. linda.laikre@popgen.su.se.
Linda
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9286-3361
L
Laikre
Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden.
Carina
C
Lundmark
Institute of Marine Research, 5817, Bergen, Norway.
Eeva
E
Jansson
Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lovisa
L
Wennerström
Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mari
M
Edman
Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden.
Annica
A
Sandström
D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000235:genetics*; D001454:Baltic States; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D058735:Environmental Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007391:International Cooperation; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011050:Policy Making
CBD; Conservation policy implementation; Convention on Biological Diversity; Genetic variation; Helsinki Convention; MPA