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.

COP30 brings ocean and water to the center of climate policy

By CCB • December 5, 2025
In Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference COP30 immediately set the bar high. In his opening speech, Brazilian President Lula da Silva stressed that climate change is no longer a "threat to the future", but a tragedy that the world is already experiencing here and now, and called on countries to accelerate actions rather than limit themselves to promises. However, as is often the case in COP meetings, the political reality turned out to be more complicated than ambitions. Negotiations were difficult: the countries could not agree on a clear and binding plan to phase out fossil fuels. It is important to note that the Global Action Plan has provided a platform for discussing the development of a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. At the same time, COP30 has brought tangible progress in other areas: the countries agreed to triple the amount of adaptation funding for developing countries by 2035, strengthened the forest and ocean agenda, and expanded the range of practical initiatives under the Action Agenda . COP30 consolidated the trend: from "water at the center of the climate crisis" to a holistic ocean agenda closely related to energy, food, biodiversity and sustainable coastal development. From the COP29 Water Declaration to the COP30 Enhanced Ocean Water Program At COP29 in Baku, the Declaration on Water for Climate Action was adopted , with the aim to applying comprehensive approaches to combating the causes and consequences of climate change for water basins, emphasizing also the need to integrate water-related mitigation and adaptation measures into national climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). COP30 did not reverse this logic, but expanded it towards the ocean and coasts. Both processes "aquatic" and "oceanic" are moving in the same direction: integration of water, coasts and ocean into the climate plans of countries; development of nature-based solutions; strengthening transboundary management of water and marine systems; recognizing adaptation as an equal part of climate policy, rather than an "adjunct" to emissions reduction. Task Force on Oceans and the Blue NDC Challenge The international Task Force on Oceans , led by Brazil and France, was officially presented at the high-level ministerial meeting "From Ambition to Implementation: Delivering on Ocean Commitments" on 18 November, integrating oceans into a global mechanism to accelerate the incorporation of marine solutions into national climate plans. The Blue Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Challenge encourages countries to set ocean protection targets when updating their NDCs. The goal is to transition the Blue NDC Challenge into an Implementation Task Force. Members of the Blue NDC Challenge, currently 17 countries, can adopt a broad set of actions aimed at the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.These measures include the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, supported by tools such as marine spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management, and climate-aligned marine protected areas. Countries are also encouraged to support sustainable and climate-resilient fishing and aquaculture, ensuring ocean health and long-term food security. B razil has set a clear example: its updated NDC includes a separate chapter on the ocean and coastal zones. For the first time, the national climate plan (Plano Clima) until 2035 includes a thematic adaptation plan for these areas. Priorities include the completion of national Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) by 2030 and major programs for the conservation and restoration of mangroves and coral reefs (ProManguezal, ProCoral).

Pathway to Tox-Free Living: Policy and Action

By CCB • November 24, 2025
Leading scientists, consumer advocates and policymakers gathered on November, 18th in Brussels for the conference "From Evidence to Policy: Toward a Tox free Living Environment" . They warned that exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in homes and consumer products represents a silent but severe public health and economic crisis. New findings presented to over 65 participants by the EU Baltic Sea Interreg project NonHazCity3 , LIFE ChemBee and the ToxFree LIFE for All projects as well as revealed widespread contamination of European households by complex chemical mixtures of hormone system disrupting substances (so called endocrine disrupters – EDCs) that contribute to chronic disease and impose enormous health costs. According to the key note speaker Dr. Aleksandra Rutkowska, the home environment is a significant source of exposure to EDCs through indoor air, dust and daily contact with common products. Current research links such exposure to a shocking amount of lifestyle diseases including 22 cancer outcomes, 18 metabolic disorder outcomes and 17 cardiovascular disease outcomes. Scientists also stressed that the crisis spans generations. EDCs trigger epigenetic changes that not only affect today’s population but also future children and even grandchildren. Other effects include reproduction disorders. Over the last decade, 150 million babies were born preterm, and evidence shows that reducing the use of plastics by half could cut the risk of preterm birth by half as well.