The situation along coastlines and at sea
Malin and Jane explore the plastic pollution situation in the Baltic Sea, together with Eva Blidberg, Marine litter expert at the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation and Per Normark, scuba instructor and chair of Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) Sweden. The talk is framed around these questions
Q1. What have you learnt from a decade of litter measurements along the coastlines? (00:30)
Q2. What sources are there to plastic pollution in the Baltic Sea? (01:07)
Q3. How bad is it below the surface? (04:13)
Q4. What have you learnt from locating and removing ghost fishing gear around shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea? (05:00)
Q5. What has surprised you the most? (06:40)
Q6. What is the one thing that we often don’t get, talking about the current status of the Baltic Sea? (08:45)
Links
GUE Sweden, project: removing ghost fishing gear
Credits
Artwork: Giancarlo Mitidieri
Jingle: Frans Sjöberg
Malin:
Let's talk about an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The Baltic Sea is known as one of the world's most polluted seas. It's really bad. And looking at plastic pollution specifically, we have a situation both by the shorelines and at sea. Eva, what have you learned from a decade of litter measurements along the coastlines?
Eva:
In general, we don't find much litter on beaches that are remote or where the litter is expected to be washed up from the sea, but the beaches with visitors usually have a high number of litter items. We also know that some beaches received a lot of litter due to currents and prevailing winds while others do not, so it could be a big difference between beaches that are actually quite close to each other.
Malin:
Now, what sources are there for plastic pollution in the Baltic Sea?
Eva:
Well, we have recreation and tourists as two main sources. And we also, if you want to go to it in more detail, we could refer to the cigarettes butts as a very common litter item on beaches. And we have bottle caps and lids, packaging from snacks, and candy wrappers, and food containers, and straws and packaging of straws, and plastic bags. So these are all consumption litter items that we find. And we also have sewerage in the industry, including litter from building constructions. And, agriculture is also a land-based source, I should say, that is related to litter in the Baltic Sea.
Malin:
So, that was a quick introduction about the problem seen along the coastlines together with a marine litter expert, Eva Bildberg, at the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation. But, Jane, what about the sea below the surface?
Jane:
Yeah, there's probably more to it. I talked with Per Normark, scuba instructor and chair of GUE Sweden. GUE stands for Global Underwater Explorers. It's a global diving association that also has done a lot of work in the Baltic Sea with the purpose of exploring what's below the surface. Hi Per, what's your take on this episode's name Plastic Baltic Sea?
Per:
I think it's relevant in one sense, but there is also more to it than just plastics. When we dive in harbours and in areas close to the shore we often see tires, we see plastic garbage, and other stuff lying around. So, in that sense, it's very relevant. Also, when we talk about ghost nets, they all have some kind of plastic in them, so that is a part of the problem. But I also think there are other issues that we need to emphasize when we talk about the garbage we look at in the sea, and it's, again, in harbours and in other places we have a lot of old batteries, we have electronics laying around which contain substances that are detrimental to the healthy sea. But, of course, plastic is a huge issue and it doesn't disappear that easy.
Jane:
How bad is it below the surface really?
Per:
Well, unfortunate it's bad. We've been using the sea as a dumping ground for years without thinking about the consequences. And the problem is that people don't see the garbage under the water the same way as they do in nature on land. What you see is a shining surface, but in harbours, we find tons of tires, batteries, and other material that is hazardous to the environment. So it's really upsetting to see once you go down below the surface. On shipwrecks, we regularly find dead fish and seals caught in different ghost nets and I believe that the record is 18 dead seals on one wreck only.
Jane:
Oh, that's terrible. If you think about learnings, what would you say you have learned from locating and removing ghost nets around shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea?
Per:
I think there are two or three things that I would like to mention. We have been active mostly in the Southern part of Sweden in the Baltic Sea. And there we have nets on almost all wrecks that are deeper than 30 meters. So, literally all wrecks we've visited we have found nets on. And, partly due to the depth and partly because the ocean is large is that everything takes time. It takes a long time and lots of resources to locate and document the nets, not to mention lifting them out to the water.
Per:
On land, we can see the garbage piling up, it's so obvious. But in the ocean, we need to get our eyes down below to really get an understanding of the situation. The weather conditions are limiting the time we can spend at sea each year. So we have a window of opportunity, so to say, in the spring when it's normally quite calm. The summer is also fine, but then we have a lot of tourist traffic at sea at the same time. And then the work, when we get the winter conditions back, and the storms back, so the window of opportunity to work is limited, and the sea is huge. We use side-scan sonar to facilitate this and then we use divers to document.
Jane:
So, what has surprised you the most?
Per:
I think there are two things there as well. Maybe the most surprising is how little people actually know about the problem, but at the same time, it's inspiring to see them getting engaged once they understand the seriousness of the situation. And when you talk to people you can see this. When we do cleaning in a harbour, people are surprised to see the mountain of tires or batteries that we get up. And they get directly involved and engaged and say, "Oh, this is important. I want to contribute."
Per:
And I think that what is important to emphasize is that regardless of the current situation, we do have an opportunity to influence. There is a possibility to make it right, but then we must act now. If we eat the fish more sustainably, and if we clean the ocean then life can return. Ecosystems are crucial for our survival. We all have to make an effort to contribute to solving the problem.
Per:
Talking to fishermen and divers in the Southern part of the Baltic Sea, 10 years ago, they reported that there was no cod at all. Now, we see and they report that there is more than there were 10 years ago. So actually, by doing something, by limiting fishing, and by making the environment better we can actually turn the tide and make the sea clean and healthier again. And that is, of course, super important that we all work together and persistently to have an impact and turn things in the right direction.
Jane:
Yeah. Now, what is the one thing that we often don't get, talking about the current status of the Baltic Sea?
Per:
I think it's the severeness of the problem and that we need to act now to avoid crossing Rubicon when it will no longer be possible to reverse developments. And governments around the Baltic Sea need to act both in terms of legislation, but also in terms of funding to save this unique and important sea and its inhabitants.
Jane:
Wow. So, and this episode was all about giving you a snapshot of what it's like along the coastlines and at the sea looking at plastic pollution in the Baltic Sea specifically. In one of our coming episodes, we are exploring the business side of this, fisheries and aquaculture facilities. So stay tuned for that one. If you have any questions, or comments, or maybe a reflection you want to share with us, feel free to send us an email to oceanalliance@hsr.se.