The cancellation of the Baltic Sea National Park in March this year was a decisive political move. However, there is no doubt that the commitment to improving the condition of the Baltic Sea remains. The Schleswig-Holstein state government has presented a comprehensive catalogue of measures for marine protection with the “Baltic Sea Protection Action Plan 2030”. This plan includes new and stricter protected areas. It is therefore vital to ensure that these protective measures are effective, that they are legally sound and that they are implemented in a socially just and democratically legitimised way.

At a second evening event on marine protection organized by EnJust, Kiel Marine Science and the Center for Ocean and Society at the Welcome Centre in Kiel, we discussed further approaches and perspectives on marine conservation in a panel discussion. The main focus was on questions of involvement, equitable participation, and well-designed participation processes. It was also discussed that many directives and agreements at the EU level are already developed but are insufficiently applied locally. The exchange was very enriching and included valuable contributions from the attendees.

We thank all the speakers for their valuable contributions and also the audience for their active participation!