Environmental NGOS: Call for action to restore threatened Baltic Sea

Reducing eutrophication, rebuilding our fish stocks, and securing threatened ecosystems by setting aside marine areas that are large enough for protection: these are the crucial issues to restore the health of the Baltic Sea, say Coalition Clean Baltic, F

Press Release Date: June 18, 2013

Location: Madrid

Contact:

Marta Madina | email: mmadina@oceana.org | tel.: Marta Madina

Governmental representatives will today review the current targets and discuss the future of the Baltic Sea in Helsinki, Finland. In a call for action, the NGOs Coalition Clean Baltic, FISH, and Oceana have made a joint statement and launched a public campaign – Race for the Baltic – to implement the already approved HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

The Action Plan to restore the Baltic Sea environment was approved by the region’s Environment ministers in 2007. Implementation of the plan is currently under review, and a new Ministerial Declaration will be signed in October 2013. It is clear from the ongoing preparations that there is a lack of progress on a number of issues, and that further actions are necessary. Diverging views and hesitation between different delegations are obvious. But in order to restore the health of our sea, Baltic governments need to deliver on the environmental promises already made. We want to see commitment and clear actions in order to:

  • Restore water quality through significant reduction of the amount of agricultural nutrient run-off –  the main cause of eutrophication in the Baltic Sea.
  • Recover the natural wealth of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea in order to ensure long-term sustainability and ecosystem integrity.
  • Revive the biological diversity by protecting significant areas from destructive practices and putting in place proper management plans and measures.

Learn more: www.raceforthebaltic.org

RACE FOR THE BALTIC (RFTB) is a multi-stakeholder campaign calling for action and implementation of environmentally sustainable and scientifically supported practices throughout the region in order to restore the Baltic Sea environment.

RFTB was launched, and is coordinated, by Zennström Philanthropies, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), the Fisheries Secretariat (FISH), Oceana, and GLOBE Europe.