The Baltic Sea, the pristine water that we all know and love. Every year, thousands of Swedes enjoy the water and are comforted by its constant presence. Imagine yourself standing at the Stockholm harbor, a cool breeze in your hair, seagulls squawking and the smell of salt in the air. There is a distinct possibility that this reality be short lived. The threat of oil pollution dangles menacingly over our heads.
It is a fact that the especially fragile ecosystem in our beloved sea is threatened by oil pollution, every single day. The Baltic Sea is a highway for oil transport and the consequences of a big oil spill would be disastrous. Since the Baltic Sea is deemed a PSSA (a particularly sensitive sea area) it would be especially detrimental, “which means that it’s possible to have more restrictions on things like boat traffic in the Baltic and the requirements for double hulls on boats/tankers and requirements for a higher level of education for the crew etc.” says Miljöpartiets Charles Berkow.
Now you are probably thinking that a big oil spill is unlikely ever to happen. Why should it? The harsh truth is that small amounts of oil are released into the sea every time oil ships use it to wash their tanks. It is illegal, but many ships still do it and will continue to do so, unless serious measures are taken. About 500 illegal cleanings are recorded every year, together releasing a significant amount of oil. It should be taken into account that this figure is the amount of people that were caught. This leaves much room for error; the real number is probably much higher.
However, not only big oil tanks release oil, smaller incidents and daily negligence adds up to a substantial part of the pollution.
As an individual, there is not much to do to prevent these occurrences from happening, but according to Miljöpartiets Charles Berkow, there are some simple actions to minimize the effect we have on the sea. One of Miljöpartiets suggestions is to implement something that is called a scrapping fee.
This means that if you have an old boat-motor, you can hand it in and get a discount when you buy a new and more environmentally friendly one. This would be effective, since old motors have a tendency to release more oil into the water. Miljöpartiet also wants to improve the traffic in the Baltic Sea, since accidents are a big cause for oil pollution.
The question is, if there are rules and restrictions, why are they not followed? From the government’s point of view, they can do much more. Oil pollution is, after all, not only bad for the ecosystem in the Baltic but also for our economy. Each time the water is polluted, money is wasted on both lost resources and on restoration. Employed cleaners are required, as well as equipment and time – all costly to our country and ourselves.
Our situation is, however, not hopeless. There is still time to save our Baltic sea if we care to invest our valuable time and money. The survival of our environment depends on our commitment and resolution. It is going to take a lot of work, but stopping the oil pollution of our seas is a step in the right direction.
By: Rebecka Rosenberg and Victoria West (Kungsholmens Gymnasium)
Did you know…
… that at least 100.000 seabirds die every year only in the Baltic Sea because of oil pollution?
… that in 2003 only 1 of the 207 recorded operational tank-cleanings led to a conviction?
… that one of the biggest oil spills ever released 41.9 million liters of oil? This happened when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef outside Alaska in 1989. The spill killed 250.000 seabirds.
… that the Baltic Sea is noted as unusually vulnerable to oil? This is because of the lack of different species and the low temperature of the water. It slows down the decomposition of the oil.
… that remediation of the beach costs 10 to 100 times more than remediation of the sea?
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