WWF: Finland falls short of target in protecting Baltic Sea

Slight increase reported in nitrogen emissions from agriculture

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The international conservation organisation WWF says that Finland has fallen short of its goals in fighting eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. According to a WWF study, targets set for controlling nutrient output into the sea have been met only in the fish farming industry.
     Overall emissions of nitrogen have declined since the early 1990s by only four per cent, while phosphorous emissions have gone down by 22 per cent. The goal set by a programme for water protection was to halve both by 2005.
     
Agriculture is the main culprit: its emissions of nitrogen have actually increased, while phosphorous output has declined by only about 25 per cent, even though nearly all of Finland's arable land is covered by environmental subsidies.
     "The present methods are inefficient", noted Jari Luukkonen, head of conservation at the Finnish section of WWF. He says that environmental subsidies for agriculture should be changed in a way that more reduces nutrient emissions more effectively.
     He adds that only a fraction of the more efficient voluntary methods, such as protective zones and wetlands, have been implemented.
     WWF feels that Finland should promote a ban on the use of phosphates in detergents at the European Union level, and to implement sewage treatment in sparsely populated areas as soon as possible.
     
WWF published its report on Tuesday on the marine research vessel Aranda on a foggy Gulf of Finland.
     Taking part in the cruise organised by WWF and the Marine Research Institute were Members of Parliament, researchers, and civil servants, as well as Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) and Minister of the Environment Paula Lehtomäki (Centre).
     The two made no commitments to implement changes in environmental supports for agriculture, or to budget more money for the purpose. Vanhanen said that the greater need would be to educate farmers on the matter.
     Both agreed that more protective zones and artificial wetlands should be set up as a way of keeping nutrients from flowing into the sea.
     
Lehtomäki noted that Finland's emissions are marginal on the scale of the whole Baltic Sea, which gets about five per cent of its nitrogen and seven per cent of its phosphorous input from Finland.
      WWF is in favour of a special Baltic Sea strategy for the European Union. MP Pertti Salolainen (Nat. Coalition Party), chairman of the administrative council of WWF Finland, said that Finland could take the initiative in the matter.
      Vanhanen said that first it would be necessary to find out what advantages the strategy would entail.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  VTT reports on emissions from ships in Baltic (13.3.2007)
  Winter storms improve oxygen situation at bottom of Gulf of Finland (21.1.2007)
  Gulf of Finland in record-poor shape; bottom is dead and oxygen low in many areas (18.8.2006)
  Bottom of Gulf of Finland remains in poor condition (22.8.2005)
  Weekend winter storm may improve water quality in Gulf of Finland (12.1.2005)
  Gulf of Finland still in bad shape (23.8.2004)
  Removal of phosphorous from St Petersburg waste water to begin next year (11.10.2005)
  Water quality in Gulf of Finland deteriorates alarmingly from last year (11.8.2003)

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