Baltic Rim Economies 1/2021
A special issue on the Baltic Sea protection
Published on the 25th of February 2021
State of the Baltic Sea is a priority to the Finnish government
“Climate change affects marine life and increases nutrient loss from the catchment area. Although work to improve the state of the Baltic Sea has been carried out for several decades, much still needs to be done.”
Krista Mikkonen,
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change,
Ministry of the Environment,
Finland
Sustainability as the policy framework
“We have truly lived through extraordinary times for over a year now. Although practically the whole world has had to concentrate on fighting the pandemic, the fundamental challenge of the whole humankind has not changed: climate change and the sustainability of our planet.”
Minna Arve,
Mayor,
City of Turku,
Finland
Maritime spatial planning for improved environment in the Baltic Sea
“The recently published EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy has put Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) in the spotlight as one of the focus areas in order to achieve the set targets for renewable energy production. MSP is a tool and an instrument to balance various interests in the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, the MSP process is an enabler for blue growth, increasing competitiveness and achieving European climate targets, while still ensuring environmental protection of the marine areas.”
Liene Gaujeniete,
Spatial Planning Expert,
EUSBSR PA Spatial Planning Coordinator,
VASAB Secretariat,
Riga, Latvia
Protection Fund for the Archipelago Sea finances concrete water protection actions
“The Archipelago Sea located in Southwest Finland consists of thousands of islands and is a unique place in many ways. No wonder that the Archipelago is one of the most popular places to spend summers, both inland and on the sea. It is also a place many people call their home. But unfortunately not all news is good: the shallow Archipelago Sea has become one of the most polluted part of the Baltic Sea, and is the last HELCOM Hotspot in Finland.”
Kirsi Ahlman,
Deputy Director,
Centrum Balticum Foundation,
Finland