Deletion of water bodies in Estonia – an action that was finally repealed

CCB • April 30, 2011

In April 2011 a precedent occurred in the domain of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Estonia in the form of deleting a large amount of the officially registered water bodies (lakes, streams, rivers and even entire bay areas). As a result of a dispute, the Ministry of Environment requested in a letter to revise the objects in the national environment register and make corrections so that it would comply with the lists of the books for lakes and rivers, published in 1964 respectively 1986. However, in reality there are many objects in these books that either no longer exist or have changed in some way. Other objects are not included as these have been created or emerged later than these books were published. Consequently the letter resulted in the “deletion” of more than 4600 water bodies from the publicly accessible part of the national environment register.

Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2026

By CCB • June 17, 2025
On Wednesday, 28 May, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) published its scientific advice for fish stocks in the Baltic Sea . In response, environmental NGOs from around the Baltic Sea region urge the European Commission to propose, and fisheries ministers to adopt, fishing opportunities at levels well below the headline advice to safeguard ecosystem needs and dynamics and allow for rapid recovery of Baltic Sea fish populations.

NGOs to EU decision makers: Commit to a Genuine Baltic Sea Recovery Plan

By CCB • May 28, 2025
Key Baltic fish populations are in crisis, warn environmental NGOs. New scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, confirms the poor condition of key Baltic fish populations, several of which remain collapsed (1). EU fisheries ministers must set 2026-catch limits well below ICES advice and prioritise long-term recovery over short-term economic gains.