News
September 25, 2013
Wavering commitments threaten the restoration of the Baltic Sea
Earlier this week governmental representatives from all Baltic Sea countries met in Copenhagen, Denmark to review current targets in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) for the coming Ministerial Meeting on October 3rd. The Ministerial Declaration is still lacking in clear targets and deadlines for the coming years, and a number of issues remain unresolved.
September 5, 2013
Diverging views between governments put the future of the Baltic Sea in jeopardy
Baltic Sea Environment Ministers will put pen to paper and sign the review of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in less than a month. Surprisingly, Sweden seems to be blocking any real progress, changing positions on a number of key issues.
September 4, 2013
BalticSTERN shows benefits of action to European Parliament
At a seminar today in the European Parliament, several of the authors behind the BalticSTERN report showed how the net gain of action to curb eutrophication in the Baltic Sea in line with the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan could be up to 1,5 billion EUR per year.
September 3, 2013
More action needed to safeguard Baltic Sea
In just a month’s time, the Baltic region’s Environment Ministers will meet in Copenhagen to review the Baltic Sea Action Plan from 2007. Many of the original deadlines have been missed and to reach the overarching vision of the plan, Ministers now need to recommit to the plan and set out a clear path of action.
August 29, 2013
Turning Baltic adversity into opportunity
At its 11th Baltic Sea Festival seminar, WWF together with the Boston Consulting Group published a report outlining possibilities to turn the current problems in the Baltic Sea region into opportunities.
August 29, 2013
A new study published reveals the damages caused by trawling and dredging on shellfish reefs
Shellfish reefs are some of the most important habitats in the marine ecosystem. These important reef systems provide habitats and homes for many other marine organisms such as anthozoans, hydrozoans, bivalves, echinoderms and ascidians.
August 28, 2013
BALTFISH faces up to the complex reality of a discard ban
At the latest BALTFISH forum, at which representatives of Baltic EU Member States and stakeholders such as the Commission, ICES, HELCOM, the Baltic Sea RAC, NGOs and fishermen’s representatives meet, Danish-led proposals for the discard ban were discussed.
August 27, 2013
A joint call for action for the Baltic Sea
FISH together with CCB and Oceana sent a letter to each minister around the Baltic Sea calling for action to secure the environmental objectives agreed upon in the 2007 HELCOM BSAP and 2010 Moscow Ministerial declaration.
August 27, 2013
Key issues for the Baltic discussed by regional forum today
Over the next two days, the regional forum created by Baltic Sea Member States – BALTFISH – is meeting in Riga, Latvia, to discuss issues that will greatly affect the future of fishing and management in the region.
August 23, 2013
Commission proposes 2014 Baltic TACs and quotas
Yesterday, the Commission announced proposals for the TACs and quotas of Baltic Sea fish stocks in 2014. These will be discussed at the BALTFISH meeting in Riga next week, and if a unanimous agreement is made by Member State representatives there, this would likely be rubber stamped at the October Council by all EU fisheries ministers.