Ny möjlighet för dig som enskild rotarian: den nya kommittén fokuserar på det kommersiella fiskets påverkan på Östersjöns ekosystem. Gå med i kommittén som leds av Eva Nisser i Nacka RK!
The impacts of commercial fishing on the Baltic Sea ecosystem
Are you interested in joining BASRAN’s new Action Committee?
Why do we need another Action Committee?
It is a huge challenge to transform the most polluted inland sea in the world to a healthy environment. The ecosystem of the Baltic Sea is reaching a tipping point and among other issues the collapse of the food chain may soon become irreparable. The disappearance of cod which we have already seen, may be the fate for other fish including native pike and perch threatened by the spread of the stickleback.
However, these are challenges to be overcome.
What is the goal for this Action Committee?
When we talk to researchers, two actions stand out as especially important to save the Baltic Sea. One is to promote establishments of many wetlands around the Baltic Sea. The other is to change the fishing quotas. If there could be no industrial trawling for, let’s say, five years, there could be a real possibility for the whole food chain to recover and to give researchers the opportunity to study and develop a necessary action plan towards habitat restoration.
How can we proceed?
Our objectives represent actions which must be addressed before damage to the ecosystem becomes irreversible. To implement these actions, we will create a plan to inform decisionmakers in our respective countries so that they understand what must be done before we reach a tipping point. The next step thereafter will be advocacy work towards the European Union. However, this must be based on strong and research-based argumentation from our side to achieve democratic support from the governments in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea.
We must collect information and find out how to present it in a convincing manner which could finally lead to wise decisions taken by our politicians in our respective countries as well as by the European Union.
The power of Rotarians
As Rotarians we can play an important role by spreading information, enthusiasting clubs and connect people at all levels – individuals, clubs, districts, zones and also the top level. Our RI president Jennifer Jones has a great understanding for this problem. Imagine the power we achieve when we cooperate for an important, cross-border, mutual goal!
The research community will be of help when we build up our argumentation. Just to give one example: https://helcom.fi/baltic-sea-
In Sweden we sell a book named “50 ways to save The Baltic Sea” with easy, practical advice. That could perhaps be translated into the different languages around the Baltic Sea.
This action committee is of great importance for our work within Rotary and BASRAN to save the Baltic Sea. We must convince the politicians in all the nine countries adjacent to the Baltic Sea to take good decisions but also give constructive propositions to the civil society that we ourselves belong to. Service above self!
I look forward to you joining this vital Action Committee! Please send me an e-mail immediately but at the latest on February 28th, 2023, if you are interested in joining this new Action Committee.
Eva Nisser
Chair of the Action Committee
Member of Nacka Rotary club in Sweden
Member of the district committee 2370 Saving the Baltic Sea
Ambassador for Saving the Baltic Sea
Contact details
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BASRAN - nätverket för rotarianer runt Östersjön
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