The Baltic

A distinctive land and seascape that supports life.

Photo: © Metta Weise, WWF Sweden

Facts about The Baltic

What and where is the Baltic Sea?

The Baltic Sea is the youngest sea on our planet, emerging some 10,000-15,000 years ago as the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age. It is located in Northern Europe, enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

It is one of the planet’s largest bodies of brackish water, where salt water from the North-East Atlantic blends with fresh water from the surrounding rivers and streams. Across the Baltic’s wider catchment area, a sensitive, interdependent marine ecosystem has evolved with unique flora and fauna.

This unique ecosystem has a catchment area four times larger than the sea, and is home to over 85 million people. The Baltic Sea provides food, income, recreation, and well-being. Caring for the health of the Baltic Sea as a shared natural and cultural asset represents a long-term investment in the region’s economic and cultural future.

The Baltic is poised to be a forerunner of a sustainable blue economy. Unfortunately, as a result of large-scale environmental decline, the Baltic Sea economy is underperforming compared to its potential.

Why is it important to protect the Baltic Sea?

The Baltic sea is a place very close to our hearts but unfortunately not always in our minds. As much as we love the Baltic sea, and for all we receive from it, we don’t take care of it.

Marine activities

The Baltic Sea is known to be one of the most intensively used seas on the planet. Marine and land activities range from farming and fishing to shipping and offshore wind energy – and much more. Almost all of these are projected to increase and expand over the coming 20 years, in some sectors by several hundred percent. These activities must be sustainable and properly managed to ensure their environmental impact is minimized.

More about managing marine activities

Sustainable finance

Restoring the Baltic Sea to a healthy state is not only paramount to save threatened species, but can also help fight climate change and safeguard human livelihoods. Businesses depend on ecosystem goods and services for their operations; fisheries depend on healthy fish stocks, and tourisum operators benefit from clean beaches to name a few. Environmental degradation, like that seen in the Baltic poses enormous risks for the finance world. Baltic business as usual is no longer an option.

More about sustainable finance

For centuries the sea has been used and exploited by humans

For centuries the sea has been used and exploited by humans to the point of depletion of its biodiversity and ecosystems. Around 94% of the Baltic Sea is now impacted by eutrophication due to human activities on land, with dead zones covering an area 1.5 times the size of Denmark. Cod populations have crashed and not recovered. The once flourishing European eel has been fished to near extinction, and our only whale, the Baltic Harbour porpoise, has only around 500 individuals left. A warmer and more degraded Baltic Sea may also become an enemy in the fight against climate change by releasing more greenhouse gases than it takes up.

Is this the Baltic sea we want? We will continue to see these kinds of trends until we take collective action toward a healthy Baltic Sea. We must act now!

The latest on the Baltic

Wetland restoration area from above

Restoring the Baltic Sea: Ecosystem Restoration Projects Bring New Life to the Sea