CCB team took part in HELCOM Stakeholder Conference on Marine Litter

CCB • March 11, 2016
Hazardous wa

HELCOM invited a wide array of stakeholders to announce – or reiterate – their commitment for combating marine litter in the Baltic Sea under recently adopted Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter at a Stakeholder Conference, held on 9 March 2016 back-to-back with HELCOM 37-2016.
Key focus of the Conference was to strengthen and broaden the ownership in pushing into action the 30 agreed regional tasks of the Plan.

Key messages (outcome),  conference report  and  presentations  a re made available at HELCOM Meeting Portal.
  1. Marijana Toben, Friends of the Earth  / BUND für Umwelt und Naturschutz
  2. Justyna Rudnicka Polish Ecological Club / PKE, Eastern Pomerania
  3. Elita Kalniņa Environmental Protection Club of Latvia, VAK
  4. Darja Mytareva Friends of the Baltic, St. Petersburg, Russia
  5. Edmundas Greimas Lithuanian Fund for Nature, LGF
  6. Dmitry Filippenko Green Planet, Kaliningrad, Russia
  7. Tatsiana Kuzniatsova Center for Environmental Solutions, Minsk, Belarus
  8. Ellen Bruno Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, SSNC
  9. Tina Sommarstorm Finnish Society for Nature & Environment / Natur och Miljö
  10. Tapani Veistola Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, and
  11. Mikhail Durkin CCB Secretariat, Sweden

The team presented  work done by CCB on marine litter topic within recent years , including activities of each organisation, and an overview of mobile applications (apps) helping to fight marine litter problem. In addition, CCB Executive Secretary Mikhail Durkin together with the Director of Waste Dept. from the Ministry of Environment of Estonia Peeter Eek provided presentation on land-based actions to prevent and reduce inputs of marine litte r.

The Conference was also preceded by a CCB Workshop on marine litter that has concluded on the results of 2015 “Plastic Free Baltic” campaign and discussed the plans for 2016-2017. The workshop also formally launched CCB brochures on microplastic pollution, being produced in all Baltic Sea Region languages (except Danish and Ukrainian), see links for download in the dedicated campaign webpage.

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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.

EU Commission upholds Fisheries Law: Finland's 2025 Atlantic Salmon quota reduced after unjustified overfishing in 2024

By CCB • May 7, 2025
7 May 2025 - Yesterday the European Commission took a strong decision to deduct Finland´s 2025 Atlantic Salmon quota due to unjustified overfishing last year. This action is a clear application of the EU fisheries rules - aiming to ensure sustainable fishing practices and compliance with established quotas - and an important precedent for the consistent enforcement of fisheries law. In 2024, Finland was allocated a strict by-catch quota for Atlantic salmon, with direct fishing prohibited, except for some specific, minor exceptions. Despite this, Finland reported catching 3,162 salmon in a targeted fishery, under a claimed derogation stating the fishery was for scientific research purposes. Upon review, the European Commission concluded that these activities did not meet the legal standards for such an exemption and therefore found this claim unjustified. The number of vessels participating, 32, the number of salmon caught as well as the fact that Finland refused to re-release the salmon after conducting the “scientific research” are all reasons why the fishery cannot be considered to have been carried out for scientific research purposes. As a result, the same number of salmon caught beyond the legal limit in 2024 is now being deducted from Finland’s 2025 quota, from the same stock. “ We welcome the Commission's decision to take enforcement action and apply the law as intended. It sends a clear message to Member States that exceeding quotas will have consequences. However, more consistent enforcement is urgently needed across EU waters, especially in the Baltic Sea, where many fish stocks are collapsing and the ecosystem is in a poor state ” said Aimi Hamberg, CCB Marine Policy Officer. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland has already responded to the Commission´s quota reduction for Atlantic salmon by stating that this decision “is not legally justified” and they will consider taking legal action against it. As this matter continues to evolve, it is highlighting the importance of collective responsibility in managing fish stocks sustainably. Species like salmon, herring and cod , are under increasing pressure due to overfishing, climate change and habitat loss. In this context, rule enforcement is not just a bureaucratic step but a necessary action to ensure the long-term sustainability of marine life in the Baltic Sea.