CCB Achievements

1. CCB is involved in river-watch programmes in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. Thousands of young people have already participated in these programmes.

2. CCB has organized inventories of Baltic salmonid fish species in more than 50 smaller rivers and watercourses in Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia, and proposed management measures.

3. CCB has restored salmon spawning grounds in Latvia and Lithuania, and has constructed a fish ladder for salmon in Lithuania.

4. CCB has highlighted the devastating Baltic fisheries practices, with problems on overfishing, discards and by-catch, and now the Baltic fisheries issue is high on the political agenda.

5. CCB promotes the development of sustainable wastewater concepts and has raised the interest for sustainable wastewater management solutions (sewage). CCB activities include exhibitions, information folders, books and seminars in direct co-operation with municipalities in several Baltic Sea countries.

6. For demonstration purposes, CCB has installed nutrient recycling toilet systems (Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine), a constructed infiltration wetland (Estonia) and a wetland biopond systems (Lithuania).

7. CCB has highlighted the risks of increased oil handling in the Baltic Sea Region, and now the oil issue is included on the political agenda. CCB has also influenced more environmentally friendly oil handling and construction of harbours, especially in the eastern and south-eastern part of region.

8. CCB has organized Baltic Sea Ship Campaigns in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. During these summer campaigns, large number of people – including decision-makers and the media – have effectively been reached by information about the sea, its environment and how everyone in their daily life can contribute to the protection of the Baltic Sea.

9. CCB, as being the only Environmental NGO observer within IBSFC (International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission), brought in environmental aspects to decision-makers on Baltic fisheries management, via sustained interventions and lobby work for six years within IBSFC.

10. CCB has through long-lasting campaigning to "Stop Drift-nets in the Baltic Sea", substiantially contributed to the EC ban on Baltic drift-nets from 2008.

11. CCB has via lobbying for a separate management of the Eastern and Western Baltic cod stocks, contributed to the adoption of separate management schemes for Baltic cod stocks.

12. CCB has via repeated proposals for sustainable wastewater management, contributed substiantially to the HELCOM recommendation on improvement of on-site wastewater treatment of single-family homes, small business and settlements up to 300 p.e.

13. CCB member's proposals has resulted in new national Polish legislation for Organic Farming.

14. CCB proposals resulted in the first joint Ministerial meeting with Baltic Ministers of Environment and Agriculture to address eutrophication and agricultural nutrient run-off to the Baltic Sea.

15. CCB highlighted harmful nutrient losses from intensive rearing of animals, which resulted in strict rules for livestock manure applied on farmland to avoid nutrient surplus and establishment of a Baltic Industrial farms Hot Spot list, in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 2007.

16. CCB proposals resulted in actions for conservation of threatened wild salmon river populations in the Baltic Sea region, and development of appropriate breeding and restocking practices for salmon and sea-trout to safeguard the genetic variability of native wild stocks, in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 2007.

17. CCB contributed to the development of a number of actions on biodiversity and nature conservation connected to fisheries management, in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 2007.

18. CCB campaigning resulted in high environmental standards for a Russian oil-platform outside Kaliningrad.

19. CCB has through recurrent demands reached openness and transparency for citizens (NGOs) with Baltic Sea Fishery Commission(IBSFC) and with all HELCOM bodies.

20. CCB has organized extensive beach and river cleanup projects in Estonia, Latvia and Poland. Thousands of people have participated year after year.

21. CCB has been active in the inventories of natural values and biodiversity made of ten islets in the Kolga Bay, in the Estonian part of the Gulf of Finland. These islets have now been designated as nature reserves.

22. As a result of CCB activities, there is now a recommendation issued by the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) to remove radio nuclide batteries in light houses in the Baltic Sea.