Baltic Sea Pollution

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Baltic Sea Pollution

• By Sarah Nye and Asaf Levy

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Background

• Baltic Sea located in Eastern Europe and
  surrounded by nine developed countries, such as
  Sweden, Germany and Russia
• Up until the 1960s, the Baltic Sea had been
  relatively unharmed and unpolluted by its
  surrounding countries.

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Background

• Post-60s The nations surrounding this body of
  water began to heavily pollute this shared
  natural resource.
• Pollution comes primarily from factory waste
  products and agricultural runoff, coming from
  both the bordering countries and the Western
  countries. However, only the former are affected.
• Examples of pollutants mainly oil, chemical

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Instrumental Value

• Many important services are being threatened by
  the input of pollutants into the Baltic Sea
• Main examples
• Fishing Industry - "The value of the catches,
  which amounts today to about 540 million European
  currency units (ECU) per year, is an indication
  of the considerable economic importance of the
  Baltic fishery. American University Case Study
• Tourism vacation hot spot for many Europeans,
  provides employment for residents of surrounding
  countries

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Consequences of Pollution

• Fish populations decimated by overfishing, made
  more vulnerable to pollution (lack of
  biodiversity) becoming commercial extinct
• Sweden especially affected as fish is a staple of
  their diet

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Vulnerabilities of the Sea

• Takes long time for sea to purify its waters
  because has to flow through a narrow path to
  reach the North Sea where it can replenish its
  water supply (25-30 years)
• Surrounded by many industrialized, developed
  countries
• Water tends to settle out into layers which
  inhibits oxygen content in each layer, harming
  marine life

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Helsinki Convention

• Convention to attempt to deal with the great
  amounts of pollution affecting the Baltic Sea
• Regulates dumping into the Sea (deliberate
  disposal at sea or into the seabed of wastes or
  other matter Helsinki Convention)
• Employs the precautionary principle in protecting
  the natural resources
• It was the first treaty of its kind, bringing
  together many separate nations to try to solve a
  problem of abusing common or shared property
  resources

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Helsinki Convention Flaws

• Does not protect water directly offshore on the
  borders of the surrounding nations
• Does not address problems of air pollutants
• Regulations do not apply to military vessels
• Need more money, stricter regulations

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The Future

• Helsinki Convention must be put into firmer
  circulation
• Must be all-encompassing to include military
  vessels and offshore waters
• Must raise more funds for building of waster
  treatment plants
• Must have more support from the public

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Bibliography

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageBaltic_Sea_map.
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• www.american.edu/ted/baltic.htm
• httpnews.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3007228
  .stm
• http//www.helcom.fi/