Goals for marine area protection

The plan states that biodiversity must be protected and that the transition is going far too slowly, and wants to see ambitious environmental targets that are monitored with strict legislation and practical work. A weak formulation about contributing to the international target is the opposite; the plan points toward its own milestone target of at least 30 percent protected and 10 percent strictly protected with adequate financing. The plan also emphasizes protection of coastal and beach areas and work toward rich ecosystems.

• protect biodiversity quicklydecisive»Vi måste lösa klimatkrisen och skydda den biologiska mångfalden – omställningen går alldeles för sakta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must solve the climate crisis and protect biodiversity – the transition is going far too slowly.”
• ambitious environmental targets»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental targets that are monitored with strict legislation and practical work.”
• protection of beach and natural areas»Skyddet av skogs- och strandområden är en viktig del för att värna den svenska allemansrätten och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protection of forest and beach areas is an important part of protecting Swedish public access rights and biodiversity.”
• rich ecosystems and restored nature»skapa goda villkor för rika ekosystem, bland annat genom att återställa« (party programme ↗)“create good conditions for rich ecosystems, among other things by restoring”

The election manifesto states that species extinction is accelerating and that biological diversity is threatened, and the party programme that diversity must be protected and that Sweden shall be a leader. An interim goal of at least 30 percent protected and 10 percent strictly protected sea areas, with quality and financing, follows from this. The plan thereby also addresses the committee's grounds that protection should be expanded.

• protect biological diversitydecisive»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected.”
• threatened biological diversity»Samtidigt accelererar artdöden och den biologiska mångfalden hotas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Meanwhile species extinction is accelerating and biological diversity is threatened.”
• unsustainable use»naturtillgångar och ekosystem utnyttjas i dag över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara« (party programme ↗)“natural resources and ecosystems are exploited today beyond the limit of what is long-term sustainable”
• Sweden as leader»vara en föregångare i den egna, nationella klimatpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“be a leader in its own, national climate policy.”

The plan commits to protecting at least 30 per cent of the world's oceans and 30 per cent of Sweden's nature, and notes that protected areas today are too small to ensure biological diversity. An independent intermediate target of at least 30 per cent protected and 10 per cent strictly protected, with better quality and financing, is stronger than merely contributing to the goal and is therefore in line with the plan.

• at least 30 per cent protected oceandecisive»skydda minst 30 procent av världens hav.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect at least 30 per cent of the world's oceans.”
• 30 per cent protected nature»skydda 30 procent av Sveriges natur, bland annat våra unika sammanhängande fjällskogar och skyddsvärda skogar i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect 30 per cent of Sweden's nature, including our unique contiguous mountain forests and protected forests throughout the country.”
• insufficient protected areas»Sveriges och EU:s skyddade arealer är« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's and the EU's protected areas are”
• marine reserves and fishing-free areas»sätt att öka skyddet är att inrätta marina reservat« (party programme ↗)“way to increase protection is to establish marine reserves”

The plan commits to saving Sweden's seas, that harmful fishing shall not destroy the marine environment and that biological diversity shall be developed. An own interim target of at least 30 per cent protected and 10 per cent strictly protected marine areas with adequate funding is a means to exactly that. The plan emphasises at the same time voluntariness and property rights in nature conservation, which is a qualification but weighs lighter in the matter of marine areas.

• protect the marine environmentdecisive»Rädda Sveriges sjöar, vattendrag och hav. Våra barn ska kunna bada utan att utsättas för gifter, nedskräpning eller algblomning. Skadlig bottentrålning ska inte få förstöra för varken havsmiljön, den småskaliga fiskenäringen eller sportfisket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save Sweden's lakes, watercourses and seas. Our children shall be able to swim without exposure to toxins, litter or algal blooms. Harmful bottom trawling shall not be allowed to destroy either the marine environment, small-scale fishing or sport fishing.”
• protect biological diversity»Mänskligheten är beroende av de ekosystem vi har omkring oss och som vi är en del av. Att skydda den biologiska mångfalden är nödvändigt för att ekosystemen ska kunna fortleva.« (party programme ↗)“Humanity is dependent on the ecosystems around us and of which we are a part. To protect biological diversity is necessary for the ecosystems to be able to continue.”
• nature conservation with voluntariness»Sveriges natur ska vårdas och den biologiska mångfalden utvecklas. Mer måste göras för att restaurera våtmarker, bekämpa invasiva arter och underlätta för markägare att bidra, då frivillighet och äganderätt är grunden för en bättre naturvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's nature shall be cared for and biological diversity developed. More must be done to restore wetlands, combat invasive species and make it easier for landowners to contribute, as voluntariness and property rights are the foundation of better nature conservation.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto promises that the most valuable sea areas shall be protected as marine reserves and that work to protect valuable nature and biological diversity continues, while the party programme wishes to give nature conservation a renaissance with more protected continuous areas in water. Its own interim goal of at least 30 percent protected and 10 percent strictly protected with sufficient financing aligns with these commitments. The plan does not specify percentage targets, so the coverage is derived.

• marine reservesdecisive»Kampen mot övergödningen ska fortsätta, industrifisket ska begränsas och de mest värdefulla havsområdena skyddas som marina reservat.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against eutrophication shall continue, industrial fishing shall be limited and the most valuable sea areas protected as marine reserves.”
• strengthened nature conservation»Naturvården måste få en renässans.« (party programme ↗)“Nature conservation must have a renaissance.”
• protect biological diversity»Då behöver vi fortsätta arbetet med att skydda både värdefull natur och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Then we need to continue the work of protecting both valuable nature and biological diversity.”
• protection of sea environments»Sverige omges av hav som behöver skyddas genom avtal mellan alla kuststater.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden is surrounded by seas that need to be protected through agreements between all coastal states.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that biological diversity shall be valued and that protection in sufficient scope is needed to preserve it, with stewardship that takes responsibility for future generations. Only contributing to the international target is weaker than what the plan presupposes. Its own staged target with sufficient funding thereby lies in line with the plan, with the reservation that the fishing industry shall remain viable.

• protection in sufficient scopedecisive»skog behöver reservatsskyddas i tillräcklig omfattning« (party programme ↗)“forest needs to be protected in sufficient scope”
• value biological diversity»Att slå vakt om den biologiska mångfalden är viktigt« (party programme ↗)“Safeguarding biological diversity is important”
• responsibility for future generations»långsiktig helhetssyn med respekt för vår samtida omgivning och kommande generationer.« (party programme ↗)“long-term holistic perspective with respect for our current surroundings and future generations.”
• viable fishing industry»Den svenska fiskerinäringen måste ges förutsättningar att även i framtiden vara livskraftig.« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish fishing industry must be given conditions to also in the future be viable.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The counter-proposal wants to bind Sweden to its own targets of at least 30 percent protected and 10 percent strictly protected marine area. The plan's line in protection matters is quality before area targets: already protected areas should be better maintained, the area exempted from use should shrink and formal protection should happen through voluntariness with strengthened property rights. New national area targets beyond the international commitment run counter to that prioritization. Marine protection is not explicitly addressed, hence derived coverage.

• quality before quantitydecisive»Vårda redan skyddad skog bättre för att stärka den biologiska mångfalden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Maintain already protected forest better to strengthen biodiversity”
• smaller exempted area»Minska ytan av skog som är undantagen från skogsbruk« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the area of forest exempted from forestry”
• voluntariness in protection»Stärka skogsägarnas äganderätt genom att formellt skydd av skog ska ske genom frivillighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen forest owners' property rights by making formal protection of forest happen through voluntariness”
• protected and accessible nature»Sveriges fantastiska natur ska skyddas och vara tillgänglig så att var och en kan njuta av den.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's fantastic nature shall be protected and be accessible so that everyone can enjoy it.”

The plan's line in protection issues is that goals should be reached with the most effective methods and new technology rather than through costly and extensive expansion of reserves, and that adapted management is prioritized before area allocation. Its own target of at least 30 percent protected and 10 percent strictly protected sea is precisely an area target of the kind the plan rejects. That the plan wants to prioritize the sea environment over too intensive fishing is a counterweight, but does not carry the requirement.

• against extensive reserve allocationdecisive»Biologisk mångfald går hand i hand med ett aktivt och produktivt skogsbruk där man genom ny teknik och smarta metoder kan uppnå målen utan kostsam och omfattande utbyggnad av reservaten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Biological diversity goes hand in hand with active and productive forestry where through new technology and smart methods one can achieve goals without costly and extensive expansion of reserves.”
• management before area protection»Att anpassad skogsskötsel prioriteras före reservatsavsättning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That adapted forest management is prioritized before reserve allocation”
• effective species preservation»Sverigedemokraterna fokuserar på vad som mest effektivt bevarar arter, ibland med nya tekniker.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats focus on what most effectively preserves species, sometimes with new technologies.”
• prioritized sea environment»Vår havs- och vattenmiljö måste prioriteras tydligare framför ett allt för intensivt fiske och omfattande vindkraftsutbyggnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our sea and water environment must be prioritized more clearly before too intensive fishing and extensive wind power expansion.”