In 2009-2013 will be accomplished project of protecting Baltic Sea shore, which belongs to administration of Municipal Office in Gdynia. This undertaking includes four parts of South Baltic Sea shore: Ostrowo, Rozewie, Hel cape and Westerplatte. Total cost of this project will amount to 69 371 175 zl (around 16 000 000 euro), including 57 937 185 zl share that European Union gave to Poland, within the scope of Operation Program – Infrastructure and Environment (POIiŚ).
In Ostrowo area they were fortifying a 2600 m seashore with the aid of the system invented by Italians. It consists in building artificial dune, and the construction consists of 6 floors. The ground floor is based on mattress on which they are layers of “big cages baskets”, in which at the beginning soil and land lay down and then cages. They will plant a special type of grass on this fortification. This type of grass is found in the centre and north parts of Europe, mainly on sea dunes. It produces very long rootstock, what contributes to consolidate dunes.
These fortifications should lasts 100 years and even very strong 12- degrees storms should not destroy them. They are very important because they protect the sole way to Hel cape against flooding and blurring. This place is a very special place in Poland which arouses still growing interests of people attracted by pure, clear air, beautiful sea, and unique Marine Seal Aquarium in Poland.
This part of Poland is one of the most amazing places in Europe, there is a 60-meters dodge , a few meters farther built only from stones and sand. It is one of the most beautiful natural, geomorphical form. Unfortunately the south part of it looks more like a rubble and stockyard than a seashore. So they are going to fortify this 400 meters part of seashore, which is naturally precious and what is more important is a part, as whole Hel cape, of Nature 2000 program. fortifying this area is put under big pressure, also dangerous is chaotic touristic penetration.
This area had been unavailable for tourists before, now where they are allowed to be there, paths located on dunes, are beaten. Last year an important assembly took place of people who take care of this area and they created new model of tourist movements. Which consists of touristic paths, promenade and also footbridge located under very precious dunes. This activities can help in protecting dunes, improving its’ image, and in putting into order touristic movements by creating an attractive touristic place. They want to protect this area because there are found both white dune, and grey dune- a very significant environment for European Union.
In addition to this, building a promenade can emphasize “the cape battery” which was a very important defensive spot in 1939. On the place where sea dune were located, they created Park of Dunes as another attraction of Hel cape. There they want to show a characteristic plants for Baltic seashores with its’ fauna and a special group of plants. In this park were also built footbridges that on the one side tourists can observe the landscape, and on the other side it plays a protection role for dunes and plants located there against walking in there. Before building these footbridges, they had taken away from this place 600 tonnes of rubbish. Now they planted there a lot of characteristic for Baltic seashores plants and others protected species.
What is more there are special summerhouses on which are located sun batteries which give an energy to batteries located under the footbridges. They are turned on during nights and in this way they compensate plants lack of the light during days. What is more it enables plants to make photosynthesis.
As we can see this article is also related to ecotourism, because this type of tourism should “have minimum effects on environment” and “maximize the economic development of host population”. What is more tourists should me more satisfied because of the improvement of places attractive for them. That is why sea shore fortifying is not only good for Baltic beaches, but also for tourists who can be delighted by beautiful views. What is more they can visit this place calmly, unhurriedly, because thanks to these changes, also touristic movement was well- organized.
But some paradoxes can be found, for examples in the first definition of Ceballos- Lascurain, who says that ecotourism takes place in “ relatively undisturbed and uncontaminated natural areas (…) as well as any existing cultural manifestation found in these areas”. According to article chosen by me, these types of paradoxes, off course, are found there, but in this situation, people did not have any choice. If they had not done something beaches, fauna and flora characteristic for this place would have been destroyed and even lost forever.
To sum up, in this case, protection of nature was very necessary, because this part of Poland is called “ the end of Poland”, where you can feel completely different microclimate. Now this place is ”environmentally and culturally – sustainable”.
