Accelerating the Baltic Sea Action Plan Implementation: A Call to Action for a Healthier Baltic Sea

CCB • December 12, 2024

Uppsala/Helsinki, 12 December 2024 - Today, we have launched a new publication, Accelerating the Baltic Sea Action Plan Implementation, addressing the urgent need for the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) governments to enhance their efforts in implementing the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). As submitted for discussion to the 6th HELCOM Informal Consultation Session of the Heads of Delegation (HOD) - which is currently taking place in Helsinki, Finland - this publication emphasizes that ecological recovery requires immediate, coordinated action.


Our lives in the Baltic Sea region depend on healthy and diverse marine and coastal ecosystems. Protecting, restoring, and maintaining their health is vital to sustaining our future. However, the latest HELCOM holistic assessment (HOLAS 3) shows the Baltic Sea is not on a path to recovery. Pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, and cumulative impacts of human activities continue to grow, jeopardizing our shared marine ecosystem.


In our publication, we outline the critical actions required to reverse this trend and achieve a Good Environmental Status (GES) of the Baltic Sea by 2030. 


Key Recommendations Include:

  • Strengthening political commitment to prioritize BSAP targets;
  • Embedding Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) as a core principle;
  • Allocating necessary financial and human resources to meet BSAP obligations;
  • Enhancing cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration at all levels;
  • Ensuring accountability through transparent evaluation and monitoring mechanisms;
  • Adhering to agreed deadlines with consequences for non-compliance and addressing ongoing ecocide.


“The HOLAS 3 report makes it certainly clear: incomplete and delayed measures are stalling the recovery of the Baltic Sea,” said Mikhail Durkin, CCB Executive Secretary. “Governments must take coordinated and sustained efforts to fulfill their commitments under the BSAP, ensuring a healthy and resilient marine ecosystem for future generations.”


This publication not only identifies priority actions but also highlights the challenges and solutions associated with achieving BSAP targets. We urge all Baltic Sea Region countries to live up to their responsibility and immediately and effectively follow up on the commitments of the HELCOM BSAP.


For further details, or to access the publication, click here.

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.

CCB is looking for a Network Officer to join our team at the CCB International Secretariat (closed)

By CCB • April 9, 2025
Coalition Clean Baltic – CCB is a politically independent network, uniting 27 environmental non-profit organizations, as well as partners and experts from 11 countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The main goal of CCB is to promote the protection and improvement of the environment and natural resources of the Baltic Sea region by encouraging new and constructive approaches and engaging people to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem. CCB Secretariat is based in Uppsala, Sweden.