The Baltic Sea Region and Ecocultural Identity

The picture is even more bleak when we remember that the Baltic Sea is already affected by pollution and climate change. Due to the proximity to chemical warfare agents dumped at sea at the end of World War II, even a small seafloor disturbance may release hazardous material into the water column. The protection of critical infrastructure in general, and pipelines in particular, is of primary importance, as Poland and other EU countries have decided to diversify their gas supplies through maritime and pipeline transportation of oil and gas.

There is also of course an increased risk of environmental harm arising from Russia’s war against Ukraine. With more than 250 rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, not only from the territories of its coastal states but also Ukraine, the quality of the water flowing to the sea may be compromised, with air and water pollution spreading across state and administrative borders.

The Baltic Sea is in fact on a faster trajectory of climate change than other sea areas. It is an extremely complex marine space affected by local and global migration pressures due to military interventions, water conflicts, and the climate crisis, as well as by the reconfigured security environment, and by the particularly sensitive marine ecosystem.

The situation is further deteriorated by suspended regional cooperation between the Baltic Sea states and Russia. Even in the dark days of the Cold War the protection of the Baltic marine environment within the framework of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) was the key to the integration of the Baltic scientific community and keeping regional dialogue alive. That said, the Baltic Sea states (other than Russia) have shown a remarkable unity when faced with Russia’s military aggression toward Ukraine and its wide-ranging security impacts.

The Hanseatic League or Hanse occurred many centuries ago, but it still relevant to this day. With the city of Lübeck as its center, the Hanseatic League or Hanse was a medieval association of merchants from Northern Europe, a trade federation or a pre-modern league of cities, with its merchant fleet, administrative structures, and negotiating power – all coupled with its strong political and economic ambitions. Not only was it a network that shaped trade relations in northern Europe from the late 12th to the late 16th century, but it was also characterized by cultural exchange. Successful though the Hanseatic League was, it collapsed in the 16^th century as a result of the growth of territorial states and changes occurring in the world economy. The Hanseatic past is still cherished by people in some of the cities in the Baltic Sea Region.

Hanse serves as a source of inspiration for contemporary political and economic structures of the BSR, e.g. the New Hanseatic League – a group of eight Northern European countries established to reform the Economic and Monetary Union of the EU, as well as to protect their interests. The countries include: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Historians as well as other scholars continue to analyse the pervading influence of Hanse: What was the nature of the medieval Hanse: a trading network, a league of cities, an ‘organization’, a ‘proto-EU’ or a colonial structure? A form of cultural dominance, with its city culture, language, and its legal system? Can the Hanseatic legacy be seen as a common legacy?

As top predators, seals are a crucial part of the Baltic ecosystem. Water eutrophication, hazardous substances, noise pollution, habitat loss, and the by-catch of seals in fishing gear have always put an enormous pressure on the Baltic fauna. While in some areas of the Baltic Sea the seal population has rebounded, in others they need to be protected through awareness raising campaigns, alternative fishing gear, and special protection zones designated in their key resting and breeding areas. While the concentration of some hazardous substances, such as DDT or PCBs, has decreased substantially, there are new environmental toxins, known as chlorinated paraffins, entering the marine ecosystem and harming the marine mammals. Found in plastic, paint or rubber, they can disrupt the hormonal system. Conflicts between seals and conservationists on the one hand, and tourism, maritime transportation, coastal fisheries and the hydro-technical construction sector on the other, are by no means rare.

Sick, injured or orphaned, the mammals face multiple threats ranging from injuries, by-catch, habitat loss, through toxic chemicals, marine pollution, and climate change, to conflicts with coastal fisheries. Both we, humans, and Baltic seals are in the same boat: an unhealthy ecosystem is a less resilient ecosystem, and new groups of chemicals threaten us all across the board. It is impossible not to notice two things: 1) the threats are posed mainly by human activities; and, 2) these activities threaten both humans and animals alike.

All of the things mentioned here, from the Hanseatic League and the role of the Baltic Sea and rivers in its development, or the Nord Stream pipeline explosion and its wide-ranging consequences for people, animals and the whole life-sustaining ecosystem, point to how the Baltic Sea seals and their condition could be seen as a litmus test for our human and ecosystem health.