Baltic Sea needs more protection

Our seas are together with our rainforests, the areas of largest biodiversity in our planet. In order to protect biodiversity in our seas world needs to establish more marine protected areas.

The world's largest international marine conservation Oceana is constantly warning the world leaders about the urgent need for more marine protected areas. In their latest report on biodiversity and marine habitats they have proposed nine more areas in Baltic Sea, with a total of 3,500 Km2, to be included in marine protected areas.

Oceana started it extensive Baltic research in the spring of 2011 and has find areas in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, all of which have an extremely important biodiversity, that need to be protected from human activity in order to halt big biodiversity loss in Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea is experiencing huge biodiversity loss because of pollution and overfishing and giving the status of marine protected area to more areas in Baltic seems like the only logical solution to protect many marine species from extinction.

At this moment, the 12% of Baltic Sea belongs to marine protected area. Way too little according to conservationists who say that a minimum of 30 per cent of the Baltic Sea should be effectively protected.

The recovery of biodiversity in Baltic Sea is only possible with the immediate adoption of protective measures. These measures would over time create healthier marine environment and sustainable fisheries, giving many fish species a chance to recover their populations.

Oceana has proposed nine areas which include offshore waters and host habitats, communities and species that are not sufficiently covered by the current network of marine protected areas. All of the proposed areas are vulnerable to human activities, particularly to bottom trawling.

Oceana has since 2001 protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea creatures. Their admirable work will hopefully achieve even more success in years to come.