Nature and Environment
The state of the Baltic Sea
Well into the 1970s, the Baltic Sea was regarded as little more than an insignificant, almost landlocked stretch of water on the outskirts of Europe. It led a quiet existence its waves lapping languidly at the shoreline. Few people took the time dwelve into the many secrets of this forgotten place and even fewer ever asked themselves if it was anything more than just a water filled basin where boats floated around, fish were in abundance and where wastewater could be conveniently dumped. In the collective mind of the general public there were bigger things to worry about. After all you could still swim in its waters, catch a few fish, and visit its many islands and skerries at a time where sales of leisure boats without septic tanks had never been so strong. Life on the water was so wonderful and the sea was so blue.
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But then people started to notice that things were no longer as they once were. Strange abscesses were discovered on fish, seals became infertile, the water turned turbid and widespread algal blooming arose during the summer months. All this was rather suspicious, but more data was needed, especially long-term studies of what it was that was happening.
A few decades later, we have that data and unfortunately it speaks for itself. The environmental impact of human activity has had a negative influence on the Baltic Sea’s entire ecosystem. What is positive, however, is that this hasn’t gone unnoticed and the problems which have arisen have been highlighted in a never-before-seen way. Many reports, based on solid research have been presented over the years giving us a fact-based insight into issues such as oxygen deficiency and nitrogen deposits in the water and on the sea floor due largely to the growth of industrialized agricultural practices. Other studies have brought to light an increase in untreated waste that is simply flushed into the sea as well as exploitive fishing practices and their devastating effect on fish stocks and
sensitive seabeds. All of these are important issues which
need to be addressed, but at the same time it is hard for the average person to comprehend just how a change for the better could ever be possible.
Is there a real likelihood that we can: “Save the Baltic Sea” or is it already too late?
The simple answer is that all these problems can be dealt with. But it will take time.
Having said that, the term: "Saving the Baltic Sea" is somewhat misleading. A better way of putting it would be that we have to improve our environmental practices if it has a chance to recover. Then, and only then will it have a fighting chance to recapture the qualities it once had. The important thing here is that we can all, though a range of initiatives, care for our sea and show it the respect that it rightly deserves. That we collectively and individually take responsibility for the marine environment we share with the people who live around it. The research and all the reports about the problems that the Baltic Sea faces today clearly demonstrate that demands must be made for the implementation of sustainable and effective measures to aid its recovery. But how will we achieve this? Is there the will? The funding? And how can we create a momentum that builds opinion to create such change?
The Baltic Sea Spirit is convinced that the best way to do this is to engage the general public by simply telling them about our sea and all its amazing facets, teach them that it is the oceans which control the future of our planet and how this simple fact affects all of us. Ultimately it is about how we ourselves look upon the sea and to ask if our own inner spirit is actively involved in making a difference.
Baltic Sea Watch
When you spend time on and around the Baltic Sea you will soon discover that your understanding of its inner workings are in themselves enough to teach you what needs to be done to keep it safe. Getting to know its diversity will give you a clearer perspective of this constantly changing place. Obviously, it is not an exact science and there is no single answer to all of the challenges that lie ahead. A physical presence is required and in contrast to the inadequate exposure to actual marine environments offered to a large proportion of today's researchers, continuous stays on and by the sea often prove extremely valuable if we are to better understand the bigger picture. There are lessons to be learned and many conclusions can be drawn by sensing, observing and registering your surroundings. This is just part of what the Baltic Sea Watch does allowing us to tell you about what we have observed and experienced.
Counting Eider
Counting birds is not easy and anyone expecting to get exact numbers will always be disappointed no matter how hard they try. For example, National Geographic writes that estimates of the number of birds worldwide is somewhere between 50 and 428 billion. This can hardly be called a reliable count as the gap in the statistics is simply too large. For the same reason, determining the number of eider in the wild is just as difficult to determine. The reason for this largely depends on where the birds actually are at any given moment, the logistics of getting to where they are nesting and the fact that their colonies are constantly on the move. In addition, visibility is a problem. Waves can obscure your line of sight and difficult light conditions can often make accurate estimates impossible. Ideally, any attempt to get a reliable count should be based on simultaneous surveys carried out in as many places as possible. A seasoned ornithologist can get a rough estimate of current numbers, but more often than not the figures are based upon whether the population is decreasing, increasing, or has remained constant by comparing recent data with previous observations.
Another, if rather problematic, way to determine bird numbers is to find the eider's nesting sites and start from what you find there. But these have changed drastically since the you find there. But these have changed drastically since the year 2000. As previously mentioned, the predatory nature of eagles has altered the eider's natural nesting habits and thereby its chances of raising its young. There are now numerous observations which support this theory. Among other things, their nesting sites have almost entirely shifted from the outer archipelago to far inland and they are now more commonly found in larger bays and on islands close to the mainland. Curiously, eider seem to be
increasingly seeking refuge in places where there is a fairly dense human presence. As a species, eider are not particularly shy birds, and it seems that they have become used to recurring contact with the people who live nearby.In certain places, this is quite obvious. For example in Stockholm's southern archipelago, on the island of Krokskär, you can experience this first-hand. During the eider’s breeding season, a handful of people live on this island in cabins and cottages, and it seems as if the birds have no problem with them being around. They chose to build their nests under stairs, among flower beds and even under piles of garden paraphernalia.
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The lord of the manor guards his own nesting site while keeping an eye on his damsel’s small, adjacent cottage saving her and her young from the ravages of hungry eagles. So far that is. As eagles are constantly increasing in number and their search for food is slowly pushing them closer into areas inhabited by humans, they probably understand that they are a protected species with little to fear for their own safety. The lord of the manor guards his own nesting site while keeping an eye on his damsel’s small, adjacent cottage saving her and her young from the ravages of hungry eagles. So far that is.
At Krokskär, Magnus Rietz and Tommy Paulsson (seasonal resident) count nesting eeds in the spring. The last time was at the end of May 2021. It looked pretty good with at least fifty nests on a relatively limited area. A couple of years earlier, five shelters with roofs had been erected, one of which was now occupied. The others in poor condition were empty. There were some batch of chicks in the water. However, according to Paulsson, many individuals had already been eaten.
Sproge Eagle sanctuary
Every year on the Swedish island of Gotland, many white-tailed and golden eagles are either killed or injured by wind turbines, through collisions with power lines or other objects. Måns Hjernquist runs a clinic housed in a small building located in Sproge, on southern Gotland where he takes care of injured eagles. Here they are given medical treatment and offered rehabilitation.
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This kind of work requires an intimate understanding of the habits and behavior of these remarkable birds and to
put it mildly, his patients are not always the most cooperative of creatures. It takes a great deal of patience convince to a large,
terrified eagle that the medical treatment it is being given is for its own good. But the results speak for themselves, and he has a high rate of success. Every patient is duly logged on arrival and the outcome reported to the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. He also files reports of eagles that have died.
Baltic Sea Spirit contributed towards the construction of the clinic's facilities and follows its work closely. Eagles are one of the uncrowned kings of the Baltic Sea. However, in recent years their numbers have increased and today there might well be too many of them.
Without a doubt, the figures show that the predatory nature of eagles is the main reason for the greatly reduced number of eider along our shores. Deprived of the opportunity to nest and raise their young their population is in decline. For many of us, this is not easy to accept and sooner or later this imbalance will have to be addressed. Otherwise, there will no eider left which will be a sad loss indeed.
White-tailed eagles and seals
The occurrence of both species has increased significantly in the last fifteen years. Even if this is gratifying in many ways – it shows that conservation projects are working – it is not always a good thing for other creatures who share their habitats. The predation of the white-tailed eagle has struck bird populations hard especially among species such as eider, gulls, guinea fowl and even cormorants. Seals are also a problem for commercial fishermen. White-tailed eagles do, however, attack seal cubs which has contributed to a reduction in their numbers in certain areas along the coast. Due to the sheer number of eagles in the Baltic region today, this in part contributes towards keeping their proliferation under control. Faced with the fact that there is a real problem, the Swedish authorities have at last woken up and a law to introduce regulated, license-based hunting of seals is now being processed. This is something that will certainly not apply to eagles, however. Undoubtedly, other measures are required in order to normalize their numbers.
Bästeträsk
Bästeträsk is Gotland's largest lake with the Baltic Sea just a stone's throw away. Its water is crystal clear as the lake bottom basically comprises a single, gigantic limestone slab. Bästeträsk lies adjacent to the Ojnare forest on its southern and eastern shorelines. For a number of years, there was a running battle between Nordkalk (a company that mines the raw material needed for cement manufacture) and some very powerful environmental organizations. Nordkalk wanted to use large parts of the Ojnare forest and the lake for limestone mining, while their opponents fought frantically to stop all such exploitation and protect both Ojnare and the adjacent Bästeträsk. For a couple of years their fight became highly infected with these two unwavering parties frequently airing their grievances in the press. During this period, Magnus Rietz undertook an aerial reconnaissance project looking for eagle nests in and around the forest, an area where wind turbines were to be erected to power the new mining site.
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The images that he captured while aloft were to turn the argument on its head. His pictures clearly demonstrated that the site has a distinctive character and indescribable beauty. He published three images to be used by the media and the general public as a way to
show that the place was more than just a wasteland.
It became a turning point. Campaigners used them in their lobbying efforts and when they were sent to the then Swedish Minister of the Environment, Lena Ek, the politicians finally received a wakeup call. It can be said that the impact they had was overwhelming. Up until then, very few people in Sweden had any idea of the cultural and environmental impact of the proposed project. It wasn’t, as was often depicted by Nordkalk, a worthless area of swampland ripe for exploitation, but rather a shimmering, turquoise paradise much reminiscent of a South Sea atoll. But as the developers were soon to discover, clearing the forest and then draining the lake to begin mining was no longer on the cards. Their plans to send millennia old limestone abroad, piece by piece in large cargo ships were finally thwarted.
The rest is history and now the future of this remarkable place has been secured with work underway to create Gotland's second national park. Bästeträsk, by the way means ‘the largest lake’ in the Gotland dialect. Bästeträsk is an invaluable part of the central Baltic Sea and will most likely be an important destination for visitors to Gotland providing a wonderful place to visit for anyone who wants to experience nature at its finest.
Wildhood Foundation
The organization is a very active and powerful force in the prevention of poaching of wildlife in southern Africa. At first glance this may seem to be a venture that is far removed from our stated mission to promote the recovery of the Baltic Sea. In a way it is, but our philosophy is that physical boundaries have little meaning. It is our common ties that matter and if we can help then we will.
The sight of dead elephants and rhinos with sawn-off tusks and horns is heartbreaking. It is a meaningless trade as these trophies are sold to countries that use them to make potions that have no value other than to serve the vane and superstitious. It is a depressing business and one that should anger us all. This insane slaughter must be stopped. Our commitment to this cause is driven by the same awareness that we have of the imbalance between man and nature that is harming the Baltic Sea. We want to help; we want to do something. And we have. That is why we support the Wildhood Foundation.
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