Bycatch of critically endangered Baltic Sea harbour porpoise must stop

CCB • May 16, 2021

May 2021 – The Baltic Sea harbour porpoise is facing extinction. Only a few hundred animals are left, and under continued threat from bycatch, environmental contaminants, prey depletion and disturbance from underwater noise. Today, on the International Day of the Baltic harbour porpoise, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) and WWF urge Baltic Member States to uphold their legal obligation to protect the Baltic porpoises, in particular from bycatch, which is recognized as the greatest cause of their mortality in the Baltic Sea.

Even a single death could have a devastating impact on the ability of the population to recover, or even stabilize. Therefore, in order to prevent this critically endangered population from going extinct, bycatch must be reduced – ideally to zero.

Mitigation measures can be put in place and the legal requirements to implement them exist through EU legislation. The Natura 2000 network of the Birds and Habitats Directives is the cornerstone of the EU’s efforts to protect biodiversity and threatened species, but Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated for Baltic Sea harbour porpoise must be effectively managed to achieve their objective to truly preserve these animals. Moreover, the EU Technical Measures Regulation should be implemented to protect the species from getting caught in fishing nets within the species range. Why are Member States so slow to act? Why are the ambitions set so low?

The ongoing process on measures to prevent bycatch of the Baltic Sea harbour porpoise, taking place in the Baltic Sea Member States regional group – BALTFISH, is our chance to save this cetacean population. In addition, the current revision of the EU fisheries control regulation is an opportunity for decision makers to address the bycatch of sensitive species, by introducing Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) on vessels, to gather currently lacking data on bycatch instances.

“ A failure to act on the scientific measures that can safeguard the Baltic Sea harbour porpoise and to use the legal frameworks already in place is risking the survival of this population. Effective management measures in the range of this cetacean population is the only opportunity we have for its recovery in the Baltic. ” Ottilia Thoreson, Programme Director, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme.

WWF and CCB’s recommendations for Baltic Sea fisheries ministers and BALTFISH are in line with the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) [1] advice, which recommends taking the following actions:

  1. Follow the scientific advice on emergency measures to prevent bycatch of Baltic Proper harbour porpoise issued by ICES in May 2020 at the request of the European Commission.
  2. Implement spatial-temporal closures for fishing with static nets within harbour porpoise Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
  3. Use Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs)/pingers on static nets (trammelnet, gillnet, and semi- driftnet) in the rest of the population distribution range.

    In addition, we suggest to secure funding from sources such as European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to test alternatives to gillnets and to compensate where fishing with gillnets overlaps with harbour porpoise habitats and natural range.

    Urgent action can still prevent the extinction of the Baltic Sea harbour porpoise. Safeguarding this critically endangered population is every Baltic coastal country’s legal and moral duty.

Notes to editors:

CCB – Coalition Clean Baltic is a politically independent, non-profit association, which unites 23 member organizations and 1 observer, with over 850,000 members in all countries around the Baltic Sea. The main goal of CCB is to promote the protection and improvement of the Baltic Sea
environment and its natural resources. More info at www.ccb.se.

WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme – is an ambitious and highly influential force working to conserve and restore the health of the Baltic Sea. The programme is comprised of WWF and NGO partners in
each of the nine coastal Baltic Sea countries. Representing the region’s largest membership network, the programme’s approach has been to work with public and private sector partners toward
ensuring a healthy, productive Baltic Sea through sustainable, ecosystem-based management. More info at:  https://www.wwfbaltic.org/

Additional information about Baltic Proper harbour porpoise conservation

The harbour porpoise is listed in Annex II and Annex IV of the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC). Annex II stipulates that EU Member States shall designate areas of the harbour porpoise’s habitat as Natura 2000 sites and under Annex IV Member States are required to establish a system of strict protection throughout the natural range of the species. The protection measures shall encompass, for example, a prohibition of all forms of deliberate killing in the wild, deterioration or destruction of breeding sites, and deliberate disturbance, particularly during breeding, rearing and migration.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has defined “deliberate” as acceptance of the possibility of the disturbance, capture or killing of a specimen belonging to a protected animal species. The measures on cetacean bycatch in the ‘Technical Measures’(Regulation 2019/1241) regulation are the minimum expected from Member States to comply with the obligation under the Habitats Directive (Article 12) in relation to cetaceans, however, implementation is lacking here too. The failure of the Member States to adopt a system of strict protection for the Baltic harbour porpoise and lack of compliance with bycatch monitoring obligations is currently risking the survival of this population. Researchers say that bycatch beyond 0.7 animals per year is unsustainable.

We are aware that fishing restrictions with static nets in Natura 2000 areas may be regionally opposed by fishermen. At the same time, we are convinced that none of the fishermen want to contribute to the death of porpoises. In such situations, where large fishing effort using static nets overlaps with harbour porpoise occurrence, we suggest some form of compensation for  the fishing restrictions. Moreover, funding has to be provided for programmes and projects aiming at developing and testing alternative gear which potentially can replace gillnets. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is a potential funding source for such programmes. For more effective implementation of ADDs in Baltic Proper gillnet fisheries, we suggest the EMFF and other similar funds can provide the funding to equip fishermen with ADDs.

Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027

By CCB • June 10, 2026
The poor status and decline of many Baltic Sea fish populations have been thoroughly documented over several decades, indicating that the entire ecosystem is in great distress. So far, policy interventions have not reversed, or even halted, the negative trend concerning many of these populations. The European Commission itself recently recognised in its Common Fishery Policy (CFP) evaluation report that progress on stock rebuilding is lacking and the number of stocks “ threatened by collapse due to impaired recruitment has increased during the reporting period ”. Fish populations that once formed the cornerstone of the Baltic Sea fishery, such as the eastern and western Baltic cod and the western Baltic herring, are now doing so poorly that the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is advising zero catch for these stocks. Yet, even with the targeted fishery being closed for some years now, none of these three stocks are showing sufficient signs of recovery. The condition (such as size and weight-at-age) of many flatfish populations, such as plaice, also raises alarm bells. The salmon spawning migration has fallen short of the target level in the past three years5. As a result, even the healthiest salmon stocks are now unlikely to produce enough smolts corresponding to sustainable levels in the coming years. To address the crisis facing Baltic populations and the broader ecosystem, political will and ambition to improve fisheries management, alongside full implementation of the CFP provisions, are needed. The recent INI report on the Baltic Sea Multi-Annual Plan shows that the European Parliament recognises the importance of ecosystem-based fisheries management as well as the need for consideration of environmental legislation when making decisions on fishing opportunities.6 Fisheries managers must now act swiftly and decisively on the commitment the Commission and Baltic Sea Member States made at last year’s October Agrifish Council to rebuild Baltic Sea stocks. This document presents the joint NGO recommendations regarding Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027, prioritising long-term ecosystem health and sustainable fisheries management over short-term economic interests. The recommendations are based on the ICES advice, the objectives and requirements of the CFP8 and the Baltic Multiannual Plan (MAP), specifically to apply the precautionary approach and implement an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, and the objective of achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Last year’s overarching joint Briefing Series on TAC-setting, co-signed by almost 30 organisations across the EU and the UK, including environmental NGOs, recreational fishers, and fishing rights owners, remains valid and provides further context, background and detailed explanations on the cross-cutting issues raised in this document. Read the Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027 here .

Call for Consultant / Expert : CCB Shadow Implementation Plan on the HELCOM Regional Action Plan for benthic habitat restoration

By CCB • June 2, 2026
About CCB Coalition Clean Baltic – CCB is a politically independent network, uniting 28 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. Background The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) from 2021 includes a commitment to develop a regional action plan for habitat and biotope restoration by 2026. This plan is expected to: Define qualitative and quantitative restoration targets Establish a prioritized list of restoration actions Provide an implementation toolbox of best practices and methods The scope of the HELCOM action plan focuses exclusively on benthic habitats and biotopes , with particular emphasis on active restoration measures . Adoption of the plan is foreseen at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in November 2026. Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) recognizes the importance of the HELCOM process but also the need to strengthen ambition, improve implementation guidance, consider a source-to-sea approach, and ensure long term ecological effectiveness . Therefore, a CCB Shadow Restoration Implementation Plan will complement and critically assess the HELCOM Restoration Action Plan. The purpose of the CCB Shadow Restoration Implementation Plan is to: Provide a science-based and practice-oriented complement to the HELCOM Restoration Action Plan Identify gaps, weaknesses, and missing elements in the HELCOM Restoration Action Plan Propose concrete, implementable actions, under a source-to-sea approach, to ensure effective restoration outcomes Strengthen alignment with the BSAP objectives and broader regional and EU policies Your Role You will compile the CCB Shadow Restoration Implementation Plan with aims to: 1. Assess the proposed HELCOM restoration measures , particularly their expected ecological impact by Reviewing proposed HELCOM actions for benthic habitats Evaluating whether actions are sufficient to achieve good environmental status Identifing missing measures, insufficient ambition, or unclear guidance 2. Define recommendations on how restoration should be implemented in practice including Required scale, intensity, and geographic coverage of actions Feasibility and effectiveness of active restoration methods 3. Propose additional actions and priorities , especially where the scope of the HELCOM action plan is insufficient, such as Integration of a source-to-sea approach for better ecological coherence Passive restoration measures Including actions on riverine systems (barrier removal, flow restoration) and coastal ecosystems (dunes, wetlands, lagoons) Incorporating important fish habitats and spawning/nursery areas, as well as ecosystem connectivity 4. Align HELCOM restoration efforts with other relevant policy frameworks , including the Baltic Sea Action Plan, Marine Action Plan, EU Biodiversity Strategy, Nature Restoration Regulation, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, Water Framework Directive and Common Fisheries Policy. This is a Joint efforts with WWF Baltic Sea Programme The organisations, CCB and WWF Baltic Sea Program, will produce two separate documents with separate logos and will be presented at a joint side-event at the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in November 2026. Actions for the Consultant/Expert & products to deliver The final document of the shadow restoration implementation plan Conduct interviews with all WA Leaders and MOs of CCB working on restoration to gather concrete input Share at the end all notes of the research and transcripts of interviews with MOs Bi-weekly call of consultant + CCB to check-in on progress, problems and next steps Publications/Sources CCB Restoration Guidelines https://irp.cdn-website.com/53007095/files/uploaded/CCB+Restoration+Guidelines_Update+October+2025.pdf CCB BSAP Shadow Plan: https://www.ccb.se/publication/Shadow%20Plan Profile A college degree, preferably in marine science, political science, environmental studies, social sciences, or a comparable field Experience in political campaigning, strategic communication, or advocacy, ideally in environmental, climate, nature, or marine conservation, preferably with an NGO Knowledge about relevant political settings and frameworks in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM, BSAP, MSFD, NRRL, ...) Experience in collaborating with coalitions, initiatives and civil society actors Initiative, independence and reliability working fully remotely Excellent written and spoken English are required Contract Terms Contract Type: can be structured as a consulting contract or a fixed-term employment (for candidates based in Sweden). We are open to discuss what works best depending on your situation. Time: From 15 June until 15 Oct 2026, at 50-75% work pace. Location: Remote position. Application Process: Should you be interested in applying for this position please send your CV (max. 2 pages) together with a personal letter (max. 1 page) before 9 June 2026 to: secretariat@ccb.se *** Being an international organization, CCB’s work is carried out in English. Applications submitted in any other language will not be considered. Incomplete applications (e.g. lacking either CV or personal letter) will be also not considered. We will be reviewing applications as they come in and encourage early applications. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. *** For inquiries , contact CCB Biodiversity Officer: andrea.cervantes@ccb.se Equal Opportunities CCB is an equal opportunity employer. In the application and hiring process, CCB will not discriminate against any individual based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, national or social origin, property, disability, age, family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, economic and social situation.