9 countries and 85 million people
The Baltic Sea is one of the world's most heavily impacted seas. It supports unique ecosystems, which are severely affected by global threats such as biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as by local pressures such as eutrophication, overfishing, elevated levels of contaminants from pharmaceuticals etc., and litter—particularly plastic waste.
At the same time, the Baltic Sea basin—which is four times the size of the sea itself—is home to nine countries with a combined population of over 85 million people. A total of around 100 cities lie along the Baltic’s shores, bringing high levels of pollution.
100 species of fish
Fish play an important role in the Baltic Sea’s ecosystem. They act as essential consumers of plankton and benthic invertebrates and serve as a food for top marine predators.
An estimated 100 species of fish, 450 species of macroalgae, 1000 zoobenthos species, 3000 plankton species and many thousands of unknown species of bacteria and viruses make up the unique underwater biodiversity of the Baltic Sea.
The Baltic Sea’s fish populations are affected by fishing, eutrophication, oxygen depletion, high levels of hazardous substances, as well as natural factors such as cold winters and varying salinity levels.
Cod populations have crashed and not recovered. Cod is the most important predatory fish in the Baltic Sea and it plays a key role in the marine ecosystem. For decades, the large eastern cod stock has declined dramatically. The once flourishing European eel has been fished to near extinction, and the Baltic Harbour porpoise, our only cetacean, has only around 500 individuals left.
One of the most polluted sea in the world
Pollution is a very significant pressure on the Baltic Sea, with the potential to significantly degrade the status of the marine environment. In the Baltic, the sea’s unique ecosystem provides food, livelihood, and cultural identity for the people living in the region. Yet, human activity has officially pushed the Sea to its limits. For example, between 50 and 300 litter items are found along every one hundred metres of Baltic Sea beach. The most frequently found items littering Baltic beaches come from eating, drinking or smoking activities—such as food wrappers, bottles and their lids, as well as plastic pieces of varying sizes. The highest density of beach litter occurs in the Gulf of Finland, the Bothnian Sea and Northern Baltic Proper. Up to 3000 fishing nets are lost into the Baltic Sea each year, posing threats to fishes, birds and animals.
In addition to pollution from agriculture and shipping, the issue of marine litter is becoming increasingly important. For example, there is still a low level of awareness about the fact that a cigarette butt discarded on the streets of Tallinn can easily end up in the Baltic Sea via the sewage system, and that each butt can pollute up to 1000 litres of water. Marine litter is not only an aesthetic problem; it incurs socioeconomic costs, threatens human health and safety, and impacts on marine organisms.
It is vital we raise awareness about the acidity of the Baltic Sea, and the ways in which everyone living along it can contribute to restoring it to a healthy condition. We want to involve coastal communities in preserving the biodiversity of the Baltic Sea, involve its neighbouring countries in Green Capital activities, and thereby strengthen cooperation between the cities around the Baltic Sea to work together for its preservation.
Dead zones are growing
Dead zones are low-oxygen, or hypoxic, areas in the world’s oceans and lakes. Because most organisms need oxygen to live, few organisms can survive in hypoxic conditions. That is why these areas are called dead zones.
The Baltic Sea dead zone is the world's largest dead zone. The Baltic Sea's waters have been overwhelmed by phytoplankton, which deplete oxygen levels and suffocate marine life. Over 97% of the Baltic Sea is now impacted by eutrophication due to human activities on land, with dead zones covering an area 1.5 times the size of Denmark.
The Baltic Sea has been affected by huge amounts of algal blooms, which are caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus. These come from a variety of sources—mainly agricultural fertilisers and sewage, which cause the nutrient enrichment and the dead zone to form. The huge drainage area that surrounds the Baltic Sea includes large areas of farmland. When downpours occur, the excess fertilisers run-off from the land and enter the Baltic Sea. The urban wastewaters being dumped into the Lake also increase the risk of eutrophication.
Constant noise
The Baltic Sea is already one of the most densely trafficked sea regions in the world. 2000 large vessels sail in the Baltic Sea at any given time. Over the next 20 years, the number of shipping vessels is expected to double. The resulting underwater noise is categorised as either continuous or impulsive and can lead to environmental impacts—causing, in particular, direct harm or disturbance to noise-sensitive species.
Medicine pollution
Pharmaceuticals represent a major group of emerging pollutants found in freshwater and coastal waters. For example, about 25% of samples taken from the marine environment contain the pain reliever diclofenac. Some of the ringed seals were unable to give birth due to the accumulation of environmental toxins in their bodies.
Limited circulation
The Baltic Sea is one of the world's youngest and most sensitive seas with a very slow water circulation—it takes approximately 30 years for its waters to be fully exchanged. Therefore, its capacity to compensate for negative pressures from human activities and other factors is quite limited. The Baltic Sea is therefore highly sensitive to all kinds of environmental changes and pollution.
As the health of the Baltic marine environment is of crucial importance for society, for national and regional economies, and for the wellbeing of present and future generations, the EU has set up a Strategy for the Baltic Sea region (EUSBSR). It is a macro-regional strategy aiming to strengthen cooperation between the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, in order to meet the common challenges and benefit from common opportunities in the region. Solving the issues at hand through cooperation is therefore a strategic goal for the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea.
The best way to meet the Baltic Sea’s challenges is by working together with all neighbouring countries, cities, organisations and citizens. This way, we will not only raise awareness of the importance of the Baltic Sea in our daily lives, but also create a sustainable impact on people's behaviour—to keep the environment clean for the long-term.
So, in the context of Tallinn’s year as European Green Capital, the Mayors of Tallinn and Helsinki are inviting cities in the Baltic Sea Region to cooperate locally and globally for the wellbeing of the Baltic Sea, in close cooperation with the NGO Let’s Do It World (LDIW)—the biggest environmental civic movement in the world, and the organisers of World Cleanup Day (WCD).
Let’s Do It World is a global organisation that tackles the mismanaged waste problem by mobilising millions of people, communities, enterprises and governments to build a clean and waste-free future! Let's Do It World leaders and teams, most of whom are volunteers, have become a force that binds together groups, individuals and organisations who would otherwise never dream of working together.
