Basis for a valuation of the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea: Rationale and quest for tools

This paper summarises current knowledge of goods and services in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea ecosystem. It reviews specific properties of the Baltic that could be used for economic valuation. Goods and services range from the familiar resources of fish and minerals, which were valued with the Productivity Method, to less obvious services provided by the ecosystem such as biofiltration in coastal sands, valued with either the Replacement Cost or Damage Cost Avoided methods. Disservices to the marine ecosystem are also considered, e.g. erosion and coastal flooding, including the costs of planned mitigating measures. This paper emphasises the importance of using valuation methods to help make better-educated decisions for the sustainability of the Baltic Sea.