Major coalition complains to the EU about Lynetteholm blocking water flow

CCB • July 13, 2022

17 organisations from the Baltic Sea countries with more than 1.5 million members are now going to the EU to stop the Lynetteholm blockage of the water flow to the Baltic Sea.

Photo: Excavator removes sludge in connection with the establishment of Lynetteholm. Photo: Ariel Storm / the Climate Movement in Denmark.

The construction of Lynetteholm in Copenhagen could literally be a plug in the Øresund, blocking the flow of water to the Baltic Sea. An independent assessment by the Dutch company Deltares shows that it may block water flow by up to 0.5%, which can have significant negative consequences for the marine environment. Therefore, 17 organisations from the Baltic Sea countries, counting more than 1.5 million members, are now joining forces to petition the EU to stop the project:


"Blocking the water flow into the Sound could have major consequences for the ecosystems of the Baltic Sea. Therefore, it is imperative that the government consults the countries concerned before proceeding with the project. Time is against us because work on phase 1 of the project is continuing, and if the project is not put on hold, it may soon be too late.", says Frederik Sandby, head of the secretariat of the Climate Movement in Denmark and initiator of the coalition together with the Danish Society for Nature Conservation and the Coalition Clean Baltic.


As even minimal changes in the water flow into the Baltic Sea can affect the entire Baltic Sea and thus the marine environment of all the countries around the Baltic Sea, a long-standing practice in Denmark and understanding among the Baltic Sea countries has ensured that no large construction projects can restrict water flow into the Baltic Sea - an understanding also referred to as a 'zero solution'.


Major negative impacts on the marine environment
In the petition, the signatory organisations call for the project to be modified to ensure a zero solution for saltwater flow into the Baltic Sea, that a new consultation is carried out among all the Baltic Sea countries and that the project is put on hold until such consultation has taken place. It is hoped that through this request, the matter will be advanced and raised in the relevant international fora and with the Danish government.


"After pressure from the Swedish authorities, in particular, the Danish Minister of Transport thankfully decided to stop dumping contaminated sludge in the Køge Bay - but the environmental impact of contaminated sludge on the Baltic Sea is 'peanuts' compared to the environmental impact of reduced saltwater flow. That is why we hope that the Danish government will again listen to its neighbours and safeguard the Baltic Sea for the future", says Michael Løvendal Kruse, chairman of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation's Stevns branch.


Breaking with previous practices
With the approval of the Lynetteholm project, the Danish state has deviated from previous practice in relation to a zero solution, as the project could block the water flow into the Baltic Sea by up to 0.5%.


Under the UN Espoo Convention and the EU's SEA/EIA Directives, the authorities of a country are obliged to consult all countries that may be environmentally affected by a construction project unless "significant transboundary impact can be excluded with certainty". The coalition behind the letter believes that this cannot be ruled out with certainty and therefore demands that the Lynetteholm project be put on hold until a consultation of all Baltic Sea countries has been carried out, and the Danish state has secured a zero solution for the project. The coalition, therefore, believes that it is imperative that the project is suspended immediately while all relevant countries and organisations are consulted.


"Unilateral Danish adoption of the Lynetteholm project breaks with decades of good cooperation between the Baltic Sea countries on the Baltic Sea environment. This is why the project will have to be stopped until all relevant countries are consulted," says Mikhail Durkin, head of the Secretariat of the organisation Coalition Clean Baltic.


The project was adopted despite Swedish criticism
So far, only Sweden is being consulted under the Espoo Convention. But although the then Swedish Minister for the Environment and Climate Per Bolund, on 6 May 2021, in a direct letter to the Danish Minister of the Environment, very clearly requested that Denmark not adopt the construction law until the environmental impacts of the project had been sufficiently studied and Espoo negotiations concluded, this was ignored, and the construction law was adopted by a majority in the Danish Parliament on 4 June 2021.


With this initiative, the coalition is trying to gather political support in the Baltic Sea countries to slow down the project. After intense debate, the Danish government stated in May 2022 that the possibility of technically making a zero solution for the Lynetteholm project will be investigated. To ensure that this happens, the coalition believes that public awareness and political pressure must be maintained.


Margrete Auken pulls the EU into the case
EU MEP Margrete Auken, who has already helped the case in the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions, is now trying to mobilise the Commission by questioning the legality of the way the Lynetteholm project was done.


In an email to her green EU colleagues from the other Baltic countries, she also urges them to put pressure on the Danish government to ensure that all rules are respected.


"At the time of writing, Denmark is undertaking a construction project that will most likely reduce the water flow into the Baltic Sea and seriously damage its delicate marine ecosystems!" writes Margrete Auken and adds, "The Baltic Sea countries have a long tradition of working together to protect the Baltic Sea's fragile marine environment, and we believe that with a united, coordinated approach we can make an impression on the Danish government."


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Read the full letter here.


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Results of an independent review on Lynetteholm's blocking effect published in 2023 (article translated from the Danish magazine Ingeniøren).

 

The coalition consists of:
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. Karin Lexén, Secretary General
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. Tapani Veistola, Executive Director
BUND Schleswig Holstein. Ole Eggers, Director
Green Foundation GAIA, Poland. Jakub Skorupski, dr. inz.
The Lithuanian Fund for Nature. Edmundas Greimas, Director
WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme. Johanna Fox, Director
Greenpeace Nordic. Mads Flarup Christensen, Executive Director
Deutscher Angelfischerverband. Florian Stein, Fachreichleiter
The Swedish Anglers Association. Sten Frohm, Secretary General
Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund. Lars Rasmussen, CEO
Dansk Ornitologisk Forening / BirdLife Denmark. Egon Østergaard, Chairman
Dansk Sejlunion. Christian Lerche, Director
Dansk Jægerforbund/Danish Hunters Association. Claus Lind Christensen, Chairman
Byen for Borgerne – Stop Lynetteholm. Lone Johnsen.


As well as the initiators:
The Danish Society for Nature Conservation. Maria Reumert Gjerding, President
The Climate Movement in Denmark. Frederik Sandby, Head of Secretariat
Coalition Clean Baltic. Mikhail Durkin, Executive Secretary.

For further information, please contact:
Michael Løvendal Kruse The Danish Society for Nature Conservation
michael@dn.dk (+45) 3154 0601


Frederik Roland Sandby The Climate Movement in Denmark
sandby@klimabev.dk (+45) 2295 4047

NGOs urge stronger action as 2027 Baltic Sea fishing limits fall short of securing full recovery of fish populations

By CCB • October 27, 2026
27 October 2026 , Luxembourg - EU fisheries ministers increased central Baltic and Bothnian herring catch limits beyond the European Commission’s proposals and significantly increased the sprat catch limit, falling short of the precaution needed to protect the role of herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea food web. The Council also rejected proposed cuts to accidental catches of severely depleted cod and western Baltic herring populations. NGOs warn that fishing limits remain too high and urge EU ministers to follow the agreement with concrete plans to rebuild depleted fish populations. Herring: further measures needed to safeguard fragile recovery and protect vulnerable populations EU fisheries ministers increased the catch limit for central Baltic herring to 165 228 tonnes, a 71% increase compared with 2026. The population has shown signs of improvement after years of depletion. However, the central Baltic herring population remains vulnerable, and rebuilding must restore healthy age and size structures as well as overall abundance. Although below the scientific headline catch advice, the Council’s decision exceeds the Commission’s proposal, which was more precautionary and recovery-oriented and should have been followed by the ministers. “Ministers have recognised the need for caution, but still allowed more herring to be caught than the Commission proposed. These vulnerable populations need a stronger chance of lasting recovery, with clear rebuilding targets, a timetable for reaching them and measures that are implemented and enforced ,” said Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer, Senior Fisheries Policy Advisor at Coalition Clean Baltic. For Bothnian herring , ministers retained the three-month spawning closure but increased the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) by 12% , despite the population remaining below healthy levels. The Commission’s proposed TAC for this fish population was already a compromise between population rebuilding and maintaining fishing opportunities. The agreed higher TAC poses a risk to the recovery of the Bothnian herring population and creates increasing uncertainty for the industry. “ Fisheries decisions must also account for the risks to fish population recovery. Even catch limits within the ICES advice range can leave stocks at risk of remaining below the biomass levels that should trigger recovery measures. Fishing opportunities must give depleted populations a real chance to recover to healthy level s,” said Beatrice Rindevall, Chairperson of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. The Gulf of Riga herring TAC was also set above NGOs’ recommendations, with an increase of 11% compared with 2026, despite the recent decline in its spawning biomass and its importance to the Baltic food web. Lower limits for this fish population would have better supported population health and long-term resilience. Sprat: recovery must extend to the Baltic Sea food web The sprat agreement remains a significant concern. The Council’s decision, in line with the Commission’s proposal, to increase the sprat catch limit by 44% to 291 590 tonnes exceeds the level NGOs recommended. Although the population has increased, the agreed limit does not sufficiently account for sprat’s importance as prey for cod, salmon, seabirds and other marine wildlife, persistent catch misreporting or the risk of catching vulnerable herring alongside sprat. “ Herring and sprat are vital to the Baltic Sea ecosystem. When setting fishing opportunities, decision makers must leave enough prey in the water to support predators like cod and salmon, to rebuild ecosystem health and align with the EU’s nature restoration ambitions ,” said Justyna Zajchowska, Fisheries Lead for WWF Baltic Sea Programme. Salmon: no increase in catch limits, but stronger protection needed NGOs welcome the decision not to increase salmon fishing opportunities. However, fishing should be restricted to compensatory hatchery-released salmon or salmon from rivers where populations are at full reproductive capacity. Fishing on vulnerable wild populations must be avoided and, if returning salmon numbers are insufficient, additional adaptive management measures should be deployed immediately, considering the impact of recent poor spawning runs. “ Good returns to some large rivers are encouraging, but they do not demonstrate recovery across the Baltic region. Many smaller river populations remain in serious difficulty. We need fishing restrictions that protect those vulnerable salmon throughout their migration and allow enough fish to reach their spawning grounds ,” said Thomas Johansson, Chairman of Östersjölaxälvar i Samverkan and Secretary General of the Baltic Salmon Fund. Cod, western Baltic herring and plaice: Council misses opportunity to curb bycatch Both Baltic cod populations and western Baltic herring remain severely depleted. Targeted cod fisheries remain closed, while ministers retained the small-scale fisheries exemption for western Baltic herring. Yet ministers agreed bycatch quotas well above the Commission’s proposals for 2027 and at the same level as 2026, falling short of the protection sought by NGOs. For all three populations, the agreed bycatch quotas permit continued catches despite ICES advice for zero catch. The Council’s decision to increase the plaice TAC to 11,237 tonnes , well above the level NGOs recommended, missed an opportunity to secure a reduction in accidental cod catches. The decision also does not reflect the very low reported landings of this species. Declining weight and condition of plaice also warrant greater caution. The TAC must be combined with effective enforcement of mandatory selective gear to reduce cod bycatch and the implementation of the landing obligation. Annual fishing limits must support lasting recovery The Council’s decisions on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027 are not ambitious enough to secure restoration of all Baltic Sea fish populations. These decisions should be seen in the context of last year’s joint commitment by the European Commission and Baltic Sea Member States to seek dedicated scientific advice from ICES on rebuilding pathways for fish populations. In the absence of such rebuilding-oriented advice, and whilst we are waiting for it, decisions should be more cautious and based on the available recovery-focused catch options provided by the scientists in their traditional advice. Fisheries management must also support EU marine restoration objectives and the achievement of good environmental status in the Baltic Sea. Restoring fish populations and food webs is essential to the recovery of the sea itself and to the long-term future of Baltic fisheries and the coastal communities that depend on them. ENDS *** Further information: Link to Council decision Link to Commission’s proposal Link to Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027 Media contact: Beatrice Rindevall, Chairperson, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, ordforande@naturskyddsforeningen.se Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer , Senior Fisheries Policy Advisor, Coalition Clean Baltic, Cathrine@ccb.se Justyna Zajchowska , Fisheries Lead, WWF Baltic Sea Programme, jzajchowska@wwf.pl Dr. Katja Hockun, Senior Expert Meeresschutz, Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V., hockun@duh.de Konrad Stralka , Executive Director, BalticWaters, konrad.stralka@balticwaters.org Magda Jentgena , Baltic Sea and Freshwater Programme Manager, Pasaules Dabas Fonds, mjentgena@pdf.lv Regan McEnroe , Chairperson, Nature and Youth Sweden, ordforande@faltbiologerna.se Tapani Veistola, Executive Director, Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation), tapani.veistola@sll.fi Thomas Johansson , Chairman, Östersjölaxälvar i Samverkan, and Secretary General, Baltic Salmon Fund, thomas@balticsalmonfund.com .

CCB's submission on sustainable fishing in the EU

By CCB • August 31, 2026
Uppsala, 31 August 2026 - Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) welcomes the Commission’s recognition that declining fishing pressure has not consistently delivered higher biomass, that recruitment and biomass are deteriorating for a number of stocks, and that Baltic fisheries urgently need rebuilding trajectories. These findings must now shape the Council’s decision on the 2027 fishing opportunities and the Commission’s position during the Council negotiations. The poor status and decline of many Baltic Sea fish populations have been documented over several decades and show that the ecosystem is in severe distress. Cumulative human pressures have contributed to major ecosystem shifts, and at the same time climate change is making the shallow, semi-enclosed Baltic Sea warmer and less saline. These combined pressures affect not only fish biomass but also recruitment, population age and size structures, species interactions and the functioning of the wider food web. The Baltic crisis reflects the persistent failure to fully implement the CFP and the Baltic MAP, including their precautionary safeguards and the legal obligation to apply ecosystem-based fisheries management. Fishing opportunities for 2027 must therefore mark the first concrete step towards ambitious, timebound rebuilding trajectories that reduce fishing pressure and enable depleted populations to recover to healthy levels. These trajectories must include implementation of an ecosystem based approach by accounting for species interactions, food-web needs, habitat conditions, environmental and climatic change and scientific uncertainty, while reinforcing, not replacing the CFP’s objectives and the Baltic MAP’s existing safeguards in Art. 4.6. The Commission’s 2027 proposal is now before the Council. The October Council must turn the commitment to rebuild Baltic fish populations into measurable action by adopting fishing opportunities that deliver rapid and sustained recovery. Under no circumstances should the TACs adopted be higher than levels proposed by the European Commission. Fishing opportunities aligned with scientific evidence, legal safeguards and ecosystem needs are the basis for both a recovering Baltic Sea and viable fisheries in the long term. Read the full CCB's submission and recommendations here .