BALTIC SEA NEWS

The number of shipping accidents in the Baltic Sea doubled since 2000
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Nordic and Baltic countries swing the NorBalWet Initiative into action
During a preparatory meeting in March 2005, the Ramsar administrative authorities of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the regions around the Baltic Sea of the Russian Federation agreed to embark on a regional initiative, the Nordic-Baltic Wetlands Initiative (NorBalWet), under the Ramsar Convention.
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Finnish budget to boost environment spending
Finland's environment policy budget will rise by 4% to E980m in 2007, with an increase in environmental farming subsidies planned, the environment ministry has announced. Major planned investments include E10m towards a new pollution-combatting vessel for the Baltic Sea, and increased spending on managing oil wastes and reclaiming contaminated sites, to be financed through an increase in oil waste charges.
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Oxygen situation extremely poor on the Baltic Sea Proper and Gulf of Finland sea bottoms
The oxygen situation near the bottom of the Baltic Sea Proper has continued to worsen. The oxygen situation near the bottom of the Gulf of Finland is worse than it has ever been during 44 years of surveys.
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Cormorant populations still growing in the Archipelago Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia
The breeding populations of cormorant in this summer amounted to some 5700 pairs in 23 colonies. The population grew by 25 % from the last year. This is the second lowest growth rate during the monitoring period of 10 years. A common feature of the low-growth seasons is the cold winter before the breeding season.
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BREAD AND FISH Summer University in Ratzeburg
took place on 1-7 August. In 2006, the theme of the Summer University was sustainable agriculture. Over 30 speakers from the Baltic Sea countries gave a broad overview of problems and sustainable solutions related to agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region.
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Baltic pipeline could stir up toxic waste
The Baltic Sea risks a major environmental disaster if the construction of a pipeline planned to carry Russian gas to Europe continues as planned, the Swedish prime minister has warned.
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DatabasiN - Information management system and infrastructures for the transboundary Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins
The new project is being set up for Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia, funded by the Swedish EPA and co-ordinated by UNEP/GRID-Arendal.
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Swedish financier Bjorn Carlson receives the 2006 Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award
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International cooperation crucial in tackling marine eutrophication
A redoubling of international cooperation to reduce phosphorus inputs to the Baltic Sea. That is the most crucial factor of all in halting eutrophication according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, which has taken a fresh look at the problem of nitrogen and phosphorus in the marine environment
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HELCOM published mariners' routeing guide for the Baltic Sea
The Helsinki Commission has released a mariners' routeing guide for the Baltic Sea entitled the HELCOM Transit Guide for the Baltic Sea, which provides essential information for a safe navigation in the region. The Guide supplements the nautical chart portfolio for the Baltic Sea. It includes information on reporting systems, ice conditions, maritime assistance services, special regulations, as well as water levels and land rise.
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HELCOM released latest statistics on ship traffic in the Baltic Sea
More than 50,000 vessels annually pass the Skaw at the northernmost tip of Denmark on their way into or out of the Baltic, according to the latest statistics provided by the new HELCOM Automatic Identification System (AIS) for monitoring maritime traffic in the Baltic Sea area.
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HELCOM announced the elimination of several major pollution Hot Spots in the Baltic Sea region
The Heads of Delegation to the Helsinki Commission for the protection of the Baltic marine environment (HELCOM), meeting in Lithuania's capital from 21 to 22 June, approved the removal of several Hot Spots from the list of the Baltic Sea's most significant pollution sources following an extensive review of the clean up efforts. Among these Hot Spots are several industrial plants and municipalities in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia, which have made vast improvements in updating of their processes and/or pollution abatement technologies.
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HELCOM released Annual Report on 2005 activities
The report summarises the activities of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) related to the protection of the Baltic marine environment over the period March 2005 to March 2006. It provides latest HELCOM assessment of the current trends in the Baltic marine environment, as well as details recent HELCOM activities aimed at curbing the eutrophication caused by the excessive nutrient loads entering the sea, preventing pollution involving hazardous substances, improving safety of navigation and accident response capacity as well as halting habitat destruction and the decline in biodiversity.
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View the report