We have deepened the collaboration with our main partner – a large fertilizer producer in Poland. Site visits were conducted to construct prevention covers at the quayside, and a cooperation agreement is expected to be finalised soon. We also progressed in collaboration with other medium-sized partners in north-western Poland, where discussions on various solutions took place. Additionally, we organised a presentation of two cleaning machines designed for seaport terminals, both worked exceptionally well and will make it easier to collect and remove any residues that may leak onto the quay during loading and unloading. 

The handbook for managing internal load of phosphorus in lakes was published in April, addressing the hidden eutrophication issue caused by phosphorus release from sediments due to low levels of oxygen. Developed as part of the LIFE project Rich Waters, the handbook offers guidance for combating eutrophication. Additionally, in April we started collecting data of water flows and water quality in two bays in Österåker and two bays in Blekinge. The purpose of this project is to learn more about how to deal with internal phosphorus loading in coastal areas.

Seminar at Östersjödagarna in Almedalen
Organisers: LIFE IP Rich Waters, WWF and Race For The Baltic
Location: Cramérgatan 5, Almedalsbiblioteket
Date & Time: June 30th, 12:00-12:45

On the 4th of March 2023, the countries of the world finally reached an agreement to protect the environment in the world's oceans. The agreement creates global rules to limit environmental impact and create marine protected areas in the high seas, which make up 95 percent of the world's ocean volume. The new High Seas Treaty will be critical to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030, which was decided during last year's UN Biodiversity Conference, COP15.

The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) was adopted over 30 years ago in 1991. While it has significantly reduced the adverse effects of wastewater discharges from urban sources, a revision was necessary to address shortcomings and new challenges such as the presence of many more pollutants in urban wastewater than are covered in existing legislation. 

There are many aspects to consider ranging from environmental impact from harvesting, commercial uses of reed to harvesting equipment. While there are many promising uses for reed, such as replacement of peat, straws, biochar, and fodder, ensuring their sustainability remains a challenge.

The project is set to begin this summer and will continue for three years. We are excited to keep you updated on our progress as we move forward.

We are pleased to announce significant progress with our main partner, a large fertiliser producer in Poland, during the first quarter of 2023. We held a high-level meeting where we discussed the framework and scope of our future cooperation, which will formally commence upon signing the agreement. The meeting showcased a consensus on several areas with enormous potential for reducing phosphorus leakage into the Baltic Sea. 

We also deepened collaboration with a medium-sized fertiliser producer and seaport operator. Our site visit confirmed the effectiveness of our prevention cover in reducing spillage. We actively participated in a Helcom workshop on hot spot criteria. 

Information posters distributed to Sweden’s horse community are starting to show up online and in stables around the country! 

Distributed in cooperation with Sweden’s largest horse-riding magazines (Tidningen Ridsport, Häst & Ryttare and Hippson), the poster draws attention to the importance of continuously mucking horses' winter paddocks and serves as an encouraging reminder of how horsekeepers can have a positive impact on the Baltic Sea.

If you want to help spread the word, just send an email to info@raceforthebaltic.com and request a poster or download it here.

RFTB remains engaged in securing a long-term solution to ensure the sustainability of bream and id fishing in the Baltic Sea.

To-date, the fishing has been carried out through a regulation and monitoring cooperation between RFTB, the County Administrative Boards (LS), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and the fishers.

We have successfully implemented a prevention cover for dry bulk fertiliser unloading at a terminal in Gdansk Port. Thanks to excellent cooperation, the cover is now fully operational. We are also in discussions with other terminals in the Szczecin Port area for similar measures. In addition, we recently co-hosted a workshop with HELCOM to discuss strategies for reducing nutrient emissions in Baltic Sea ports, attended by industry and government stakeholders.

The City Accelerator Club is hosting an event in Stockholm from April 25-27, focusing on accelerating solutions against eutrophication in municipalities and protecting the Baltic Sea. Featuring diverse speakers and sessions on topics such as stormwater planning and funding opportunities. Eleven municipalities coming from Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden will get valuable insights and networking opportunities for municipalities. Contact Julia Gerlach at julia@raceforthebaltic.com for more information.

Over the summer we held a high-level meeting with our main partner in Poland – a large fertilizer producer. We managed to pinpoint the most important activities for the second half of 2022 which include investment plans with significant emission reduction potential and a large leap forward in technology. We plan to hold several expert meetings as a follow-up. During Q322 we also initiated some new cooperations with private entities and local authorities.

It’s time to get excited for the next City Accelerator Club event, we at Race For The Baltic are now planning for the Club’s fall digital gathering. This fall event will focus on funding possibilities, municipalities’ ongoing projects and crunching the data of possible solutions.

Municipalities from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Poland and Lithuania have been invited to listen in to topics and solutions regarding eutrophication in the Baltic Sea the 26-27th of October.