Mid Sweden University

Fiberbanks are pollutant sediment for which no specific actor can be held responsible for their environmental effects. This thesis uses Article 6 of the Habitat Directive, which mandates member states to ensure a favourable conservation status for species within Natura 2000 sites. Through a scoping review including 54 papers, this thesis explores potential environmental effects of pollutants found in two Swedish fiberbanks on adjacent Natura 2000 sites. This data aims to provide information on whether fiberbanks influence the conservation status of these Natura 2000 sites. The results primarily focus on six species (Lutra lutra, Phragmites, Salmo salar, Sphagnum, Sterna hirundo, and Pandion haliaetus), which show negative environmental effects from pollutants present in the included fiberbanks. Such effects could potentially lead to an unfavourable conservation status, thereby making the counties responsible for the protection of Natura 2000 areas liable for remediation of the fiberbanks. However, the thesis only presents potential influences rather than definitive conclusions. It highlights that contaminated sites, like fiberbanks, have a higher pollutant accumulation, posing a greater risk of negative environmental effects and thereby an unfavourable conservation status. While this thesis provides valuable insights, further empirical research in the studied areas could strengthen the conclusions drawn from this research, providing more information on the relationship between fiberbanks and Natura 2000 site conservation status.