What is the current condition of the Baltic Sea?

A total of 85 million people live in the catchment of the Baltic Sea. Over the years, the sea has been used as a dump for uncleaned community water, wastewater from industry, agriculture and ship traffic, and different kinds of solid refuse. The bottom sediments of the Baltic Sea still contain large volumes of heavy metals and other environmental toxins. Since the 1990s, the amount of toxins and heavy metals in the fish population of the Baltic Sea has reduced, but the concentrations still remain very high.

Ship traffic on the Baltic Sea is increasing all the time, which means that the risks related to oil damage are increasing as well. Minor cases of oil damage occur on the Baltic Sea each year, but major oil catastrophes have so far been avoided. The size of tankers operating on the Baltic Sea is also increasing continuously. Therefore, in order to prevent large-scale oil disasters, it is essential for oil spill recovery and to prevent oil damage by investing in maritime safety.

Increased sea traffic has brought several foreign species into the Baltic Sea as stowaways on ships. Many of these invasive alien species are random visitors, but others have become naturalised in the Baltic Sea, and they may have substantial effects on the ecosystem and the existence of local species. Alien species are forced to compete for living space, and they might replace local species, which may change the balance between the organisms in the Baltic Sea. The spread of alien species is monitored, since they may also lead to unexpected financial effects.