Pilot Projects are important means of stakeholder involvement, as well as educational and awareness raising instruments. Pilot Projects on the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Georgia and establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Ukraine are currently implemented.

The ICZM Pilot Project in Georgia is realized in Tskhaltsminda village, a coastal community of Supsa municipality, District of Landskhuti in the Region of Guria and applies a “Methodology for Spatial Planning for the Coastal Zone”. The Project is focused on the two main goals:

• testing assumption of ICZM strategy at the local level and facilitating sustainable coastal community development in Tskhaltsminda village;
• development of the ICZM Territorial Plan for Tskhaltsminda village.

The Pilot Project on Marine Protected Areas in Ukraine is concentrated on:
• gaining experience with the establishment of MPA in the Black Sea
• preparation of the a management plan for MPA in Ukraine.

Pilot project for setting up a marine reserve system in Ukraine

This activity is a practical demonstration to other parties of the Bucharest Convention on how the marine protected areas policy. It follows international best practice in identifying the existing and potential biodiversity resource base (species, habitats and ecosystems) within the Black Sea biogeographic zone, describing and mapping these resources (data base and GIS techniques), and application of appropriate criteria (e.g. those used for selecting Natura 2000 sites in the EU) in order to draw up a proposed marine protected area system in Ukraine.

After consultation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection in Ukraine, the Permanent Secretariat of the Black Sea Commission and national Scientific Institutes it was decided that the location for the pilot project was Karkinitsky Bay, located between northwest Crimea and Kherson oblast (see picture). It is known as Small Phyllophora Field. Studies are done to determine the biodiversity value of the area, and the management and research activities that are needed.

Desk Study and Field Survey of Karkinitsky Bay is implemented by the Institute of Biology of Southern Seas, Odessa branch (IBSS).

The Desk Study on Karkinitsky Bay is already completed and the the baseline report developed. An English summary of the report is being prepared. The stakeholder analysis of the report is under way.

The survey methodology for the fieldwork was agreed with the Project Biodiversity and MPA Key expert. Up to 14 survey points distributed throughout Karkinitsky Bay were to be sampled. Each survey point is at the centre of the 10 x 10 km pan-European grid which has been laid over the Bay.
The Field Survey was conducted in September 2008 by the specialists from the Institute of Biology of Southern Seas (IBSS), Odessa branch. The outcomes of the survey are presented in the report developed by the performing organization.

Desk Study and Field Survey of Karkinitsky Bay was substantially edited during December 2008 and January 2009. The GIS maps of Karkinitsky Bay were completed in November 2008. These outputs were combined to create the Karkinitsky Bay MPA designation dossier, which was translated into Ukrainian in February.

Preparation of GIS Maps of Karkinitsky Bay is accomplished by the Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of Sea (UkrSCES).

All available digital geographic information about Karkinitsky Bay was collated in the GIS, based on official marine charts, as well as information collected from previous projects (BSERP, BSEP, PlanCoast etc) providing the most comprehensive geographic data set ever assembled for Karkinitsky Bay.

In addition, the EEA pan-European 50 x 50 km chorological grid for biodiversity monitoring was superimposed on the study area, and broken down to show sub-units of 10 x 10 km and 2 x 2 km.
Each cell has been numbered and cross-referenced to the geographical coordinates. There are 14 of the 10 x 10 km cells which will be used as the basis for field sampling provided by the IBSS. A laminated A1 size print-out of the map has been provided to IBSS for field use.

IBSS received training (under a separate project) from Lithuanian experts in using submarine video cameras to record and analysis seabed habitats in the framework of the EU Habitats Directive and AG-CBD marine habitat classification. 

The GIS maps of Karkinitsky Bay were completed in November 2008. These outputs were combined to create the Dossier for the designation of the Small Phyllophora Field MPA in Karkinitsky Bay, which was translated into Ukrainian in February.