Now that we have the new Baltic Blue Beard Oil, it's good time to see what's going on at the Baltic Sea itself. There are many beneficial projects and foundations working towards healthier state of our northern sea.
What's so special about it
The Baltic Sea has some special climatic and hydrographical conditions and is known for having one of the largest bodies of brackish water. It is composed of the streams and fresh water of the rivers and the salty water from the North East Atlantic. This is a rare condition and this is why the Baltic Sea has a very sensitive ecosystem that translates in a unique fauna and flora. And due to this, over the last century, this region has been deteriorating dramatically.
Shoreline neighbors
One of the problems that is preventing us from taking measures and find solutions for the Baltic Sea is the fact that it is surrounded by 9 different countries - Russia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia. And these translates into different perspectives in what comes to social, economic, and political realities. However, if there is a positive side on all this, is that 8 out of the 9 countries are a part of the European Union. The ninth is Russia. So, it's easier to get an agreement between the EU and Russia, than between 9 different countries.
There are many different subjects that need to be discussed (and are already being discussed at this point) about the Baltic Sea and its future. We just can't let the fauna and flora to continue to degrade. So, questions like management, the sustainable use, and, obviously, the environmental protection are just three of the main questions that need to be addressed.
One of the things that turns the Baltic Sea degradation more worrying is the fact that it is one of the most intensely used seas in the planet. And both projects and investments in this area of the world continue to appear.
What has been done
Some measures are already taken place, especially in what concerns the European Union. Some of the most recent ones include:
- Back in October 2009, the UE created the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The main goal is to address the environmental changes that are taken place in the Baltic Sea and that are turning into destruction.
- The HELCOM, the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area", was signed by all the 9 countries mentioned above and the main goal is to restore the "Good Ecological Status" by 2021.
- In what concerns with the health of the sea, the EU also has set two different directives to make sure that all the measures are taken in order to reestablish the good ecological status.
Despite all the measures that are being taken, there is a lot that still needs to be done. The Baltic Sea is an amazing place, with a lot of history behind and we just can't let it degrade this way.
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