CCB position on grey seals in the Baltic Sea

CCB • June 28, 2018

The grey seal count for 2017 in the Baltic Sea was above 30 000 individuals. According to the IUCN, the counted animals are thought to be 60-80% of the total population, given that not all seals are on land during the count. Even before the Second World War, the size of the Baltic grey seal population was estimated at around 100 000 individuals ( Rydén et al. 2003 , Kauhala et al 2014 ).

Densities are generally greater in the northern Baltic Sea than in the southern Baltic Sea ( HELCOM SEAL 2017). The count for central Sweden and southwestern Finnish archipelago was close to 20000 animals in total in 2014, while the count for southern Sweden/Danish Baltic Sea area was approximately 2500. The estimate for the German Baltic is approximately 100 animals, and for Poland around 400 animals. Restoration of the Polish population of the grey seal is the result of many years of efforts of the Hel Marine Station of the University of Gdańsk, conducting a reintroduction program of this species on the Polish coast.

In line with Art. 14-16 of the EU Habitats Directive , hunt on specific seal populations can be allowed, under strict conditions, provided that the conservation status of the population is monitored to ensure that it is maintained at a favourable conservation status. Based on this, grey seal hunt is only allowed in Sweden (600 animals), Finland (1050), Åland (450), Estonia (37) and Denmark (only Bornholm, 40).

However within 2017-2018 several incidents of suspected deliberate illegal killing of grey seals were observed in Lithuania (26), Germany (23-27, Rugen), Finland (2, Hamina), Poland (>10, Eastern Pomerania) and Russia (3, Kaliningrad). In Finland, entangled seals were abandoned at sea with a gear. In many cases, human efforts to remove predators have led to ecosystem effects that were not intended ( Lennox et al. 2018 ). There is a great risk that increased killings of grey seal in the Baltic Sea will have effects on the already beset Baltic ecosystem, that we cannot foresee today.

CCB position with these regards is as follows:

  1. Un-authorized killing and especially committing alleged violations of seals hunt ban (including grey seal) is a crime!
  2. Regulation of grey seal population as an extraordinary measure can be acceptable only in cases of grey seal density being confirmed to be above safe ecological level.
  3. Authorities must thoroughly investigate all cases of suspected killing of seals and prosecute the convicted.
  4. Adequate measures minimising loss of seals’ population (e.g. bycatch, pollution and illegal hunt) must be taken.

 

21 June 2018 – Release of rehabilitated seals to the sea, Kaliningrad, Russia (Photo credit: Svetlana Sokolova, Director of Kaliningrad Zoo)

 

26 May 2018 – Gdynia, Poland (Photo credit: WWF Poland)

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.