For HELCOM, 2024 has been a truly special year, marking the organization’s 50th anniversary. On April 25th, 2024, this milestone was celebrated with a special event in Riga, Latvia. Hosted in the impressive Ziedonis Hall at the Latvian National Library, the occasion brought together distinguished speakers, panelists, and approximately 150 participants from across and beyond the Baltic Sea region.
To conclude our 50th anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to present a commemorative volume. This publication features the insightful and thought-provoking contributions of the speakers, panelists, and moderators from the Riga event. It also includes rarely seen images that capture moments from HELCOM’s 50-year history.
I’d heard about the original Ecosfera game, and when discussing it with Owen, he jokingly suggested it could be a great way to illustrate how the Baltic Sea ecosystem functions and how humans impact it. We then approached Albert at Julibert Games, the creator of Ecosfera, to see what he thought of the idea.
Owen: When a call for proposals from the Nessling Foundation came up, we decided to go for it. We developed a plan for a game that would be fun to play while embedding information and messages aimed at the public and educational organizations around the Baltic Sea. Fortunately, the Nessling Foundation recognised the potential in our concept!
How did you go about developing and testing the game?
Owen: First, we had to play a lot of the original Ecosfera game to understand its dynamics, intricacies and variations. From there, we discussed how to adjust the gameplay to fit the Baltic Sea, identify the key species and habitats to include and make it more educational.
Jannica: One of the biggest challenges has been balancing the simplification of the complex the Baltic Sea ecosystem while maintaining the ecological relevance. But it’s amazing how well the ecological and social processes we work with daily translated into a card-game!
Owen: The level of interest and excitement about the game has been incredible – not just from the HELCOM Secretariat staff but also from members of HELCOM Expert and Working Groups. They have given us valuable feedback on habitat and species lists as well as the game logic.
Jannica: We launched the first prototypes of the game at SPIEL, the world’s largest boardgame fair in Germany. Over four days, nearly 350 people tested the game! We have also conducted multiple testing rounds with topic experts to resolve inconsistencies and fix imbalances.
Owen: We also took the game to a primary school in Helsinki for kids to test-play. They had a lot of fun, and their feedback gave us some useful insights on marketing the game to suitable age groups.
HELCOM Secretariat staff testing the game prototype
What do you personally like most about the game?
Owen: The artwork is really striking, but my main hope is that the game makes our work more accessible and helps inspire the change in mindset we so desperately need.
Jannica: I love how the game requires the players to work together to solve problems! This collaboration is a good reflection of reality. The game mimics a real socio-ecological system, albeit a highly simplified one. I also really like how it explores our relationship with the environment.
What can we expect to learn from the game?
Owen: Players will discover that the Baltic Sea is a fascinating ecosystem full of interesting species, and that us humans are part of this ecosystem. While we can cause harm, we also have the power to provide solutions or prevent damage in the first place. The educational aspects are built subtly into the gameplay. Additional details will be available for those who want to dig deeper, but players can also pick this information up naturally as they play.
Who should play the game?
Jannica: Anyone aged 8 and up! The game includes several levels of difficulty and two levels of complexity, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences. The basic version is language-independent using images, symbols and scientific names. While the included rulebook is in English, we plan to provide translations in all Baltic Sea languages as free online downloads.
Owen: We have also teamed up with Reaktor to digitalize the boardgame, making it accessible to a wider audience.
Ecosfera Baltica is due to launch early 2025. To ensure your copy of Ecosfera Baltica once it is ready, you can sign up for the Ecosfera Baltica Kickstarter campaign. The campaign is set to launch on 1 March 2025, and games will be delivered by June 2025.
A groundbreaking initiative is harnessing the power of gaming to inspire action for the restoration of the Baltic Sea. Ecosfera Baltica, developed by HELCOM and Julibert Games, merges science, sustainability, and strategy into an engaging and fun collaborative game experience aimed at all ages.
The Baltic Sea faces significant environmental challenges, as highlighted by the State of the Baltic Sea 2023 report. Ecosfera Baltica brings these findings to life by educating players on the complex interplay of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the impact our activities have on the sea. Available in both a tabletop boardgame and a digital version, the game encourages cooperation, critical thinking, and empathy while emphasising actionable solutions for a sustainable future.
“Games have been proven to help players foster empathy, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage critical thinking, ultimately driving social change by encouraging players to take action in the real world,” concludes Jannica Haldin, who coordinates the project at HELCOM together with Owen Rowe. In a recent educational workshop, participants examined how goksites zonder limieten can integrate these game-based benefits to design more engaging and responsible gambling experiences. By leveraging the insights from the workshop, developers are better equipped to create platforms that not only entertain but also contribute positively to users’ cognitive and social development.
The game features scientifically accurate scenarios, multiple levels of complexity, and accessibility options to appeal to players of all ages and backgrounds. Funded by the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, Ecosfera Baltica is set for release in early 2025.
The digital multiplayer version, developed in collaboration with Reaktor, aims to make the game more accessible, thereby expanding its reach to schools and other educational institutions across the Baltic Sea region.
How to access the game?
Both versions of the game (digital and tabletop board game) are due to launch early 2025. To ensure your copy of Ecosfera Baltica board game once it is ready, you can sign up for the Ecosfera Baltica Kickstarter campaign. You will then be notified once the campaign launches on 1 March 2025, with further details on how to place on order.
HELCOM has long collected various shipping and maritime-related data within the HELCOM Maritime Working Group, Expert Groups and projects. Now, this data is more accessible than ever with the launch of a new, user-friendly shipping data platform.
The platform is organized into three sections for easy navigation:
Dashboards: Interactive charts and figures displaying e.g. time series of amounts of illegal oil spills observed in the Baltic Sea
Stories: Stories and more in-depth information based on project results, showcasing various aspects of shipping in the Baltic Sea.
The shipping data platform utilizes datasets published in HELCOM Map and data service with customized visualizations tailored for these specific datasets. Datasets are results from specific projects or resulting from the annually collected data flows under HELCOM data collection policy. All datasets can be downloaded from the HELCOM Metadata catalogue.
Last year, only 32 harmful spills of mineral oil were detected in the Baltic Sea, according to a new HELCOM report. This marks a significant long-term decrease, compared to the 763 pollution occurrences reported in 1989, the first year of aerial surveillance.
The decline in detected oil spills, despite increased shipping and more intensive aerial surveillance, is likely due to a higher number of flight hours and the broader use of remote sensing equipment, such as Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR). Enhanced monitoring likely deters ships from making illegal discharges. Satellite surveillance also complements aerial efforts by covering larger areas and improving overall effectiveness of flights.
In 2023, Baltic Sea countries conducted 2,920 hours of aerial surveillance flights, the lowest number since the mid-1990s. This reduction was due to maintenance and technical issues, along with organizational changes in some countries. It is not unusual for the number of flight hours to vary each year during the regular regional aerial surveillance activities. Additionally, the flight hours reported only account for fixed-wing aircraft, excluding helicopters and drones to maintain consistency in long-term statistics. Aerial surveillance by helicopters and flights has been reported separately since 2019.
The key findings of the HELCOM Annual report on discharges observed during aerial surveillance in the Baltic Sea, 2023 can be explored via an interactive data visualization dashboard developed by the HELCOM Secretariat using Power BI. This tool provides users with a more detailed and analytical view of the aerial surveillance datasets since 1998.
Data on individual oil spills can also be viewed and downloaded from the HELCOM Map and data service (HELCOM MADS).
Aerial surveillance and response to spills in the Baltic Sea
Cooperation on aerial surveillance within the Baltic Sea area was established in the 1980s under the framework of HELCOM. The primary aim of regional aerial surveillance is to detect spills of oil and other harmful substances, thereby preventing violations of regulations on pollution from ships. These spills pose a significant threat to the marine environment of the Baltic Sea area. When possible, the source of pollution should be established, and samples of the spill should be taken from both the sea surface and the suspected offender to enable prosecution.
To monitor these commitments and to provide an overview of the situation in the region, the HELCOM Secretariat compiles annual data on discharges observed in the Baltic Sea area during national and jointly coordinated aerial surveillance activities. The HELCOM Expert Group on Aerial Surveillance (EG Surveillance) is responsible for implementing the aerial surveillance cooperation and commitments.
The Baltic Sea, one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world, faces severe environmental threats, particularly due to eutrophication resulting from unsustainable agricultural practices.
In a collaborative effort to tackle this pressing issue, a free hybrid seminar and networking event will bring together governments, scientists, policymakers, the agriculture industry, and concerned citizens to explore solutions that can mitigate the environmental impact on this crucial marine ecosystem.
The event will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EEST), at Eurooppasali (Malminkatu 16, Helsinki, Finland) and online. It is open to anyone interested in learning about or contributing to the ongoing efforts to protect the Baltic Sea.
This event coincides with the arrival of the Save The Baltic Sea (STBS) expedition in Helsinki, part of an environmental campaign and walking expedition that began in Lithuania.
The seminar is organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Finland, HELCOM, and Save The Baltic Sea.
The event will conclude with networking and a light lunch, allowing attendees to engage with experts and stakeholders committed to protecting the Baltic Sea.
Twenty cubic meters of pop corn simulated oil on sea surface at BALEX DELTA 2024. Photo: Markus Helavuori.
The annual oil spill response exercise, BALEX DELTA 2024, reached its final day today in Klaipeda, Lithuania, the country which also holds the current Chairmanship of HELCOM from 1 July 2024 until June 2026. Three successful days of various rehearsals at sea, on the shore and at port have been completed in fine weather. Specially equipped ships and crews from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden took part in the drill at sea.
“The BALEX exercises are very important annual simulations that take place in a different host country each year. Coordination between the different countries and their capabilities as well harmonizing practices are essential. This is particularly important in the context of today’s regional geopolitical challenges, not only in the context of business as usual, but also in the case of the shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea”, says Vitalijus Auglys, Chair of HELCOM and the Head of the Pollution Prevention Policy Group with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, also attending the exercise personally.
“The annual BALEX exercises conducted by the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention, ongoing since the late 1980s, have significantly enhanced the readiness of Baltic Sea coastal countries to respond collectively to major pollution incidents. This year makes no exception and all involved countries benefited from this well-organized event. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Basin, known as the Helsinki Convention. Since its inception, the HELCOM Response Working Group has been committed to ensuring that all related procedures and plans are in place and regularly updated as needed”, says Markus Helavuori, HELCOM Deputy Executive Secretary and Professional Secretary for the HELCOM Maritime, Response and Sea-based pressures Working Groups.
The main organizers of BALEX DELTA 2024 were the Lithuanian Navy, Klaipeda Fire Rescue Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, Klaipeda State Seaport Authority, and the Baltic Sea Rehabilitation Center of the Lithuanian Maritime Museum. Observers representing various organizations such as WWF and HELCOM participated in the exercise.
During the BALEX 2024 exercise, various tasks were carried out such as a BALEX ALPHA table-top exercise on response to incidents with Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) cargo, pollution detection with EMSA CleanSeaNet service support, pollution monitoring from the air, pollution dispersion modeling (SeaTrackWeb), response of pollution (simulated by 20m3 of popcorn) at sea, in the port and on shore, ships to ships transfer of oil (STS) as well as providing help for wildlife affected by oil.
Firefighting teams from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia carried out an on shore response operation in the Curonian Lagoon. Rendering assistance to birds affected by oil was practiced by the Baltic Sea Rehabilitation Center of the Lithuanian Maritime Museum.
About BALEX DELTA
The annual international marine pollution response exercise in the Baltic Sea, BALEX, is held in accordance with the 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (the Helsinki Convention). The Convention mandates cooperative responses and preparedness among the Baltic Sea States for large-scale accidents. The general objective of the BALEX exercises is to ensure that every Contracting Party is able to lead a major response operation.
BALEX exercises are hosted by the Contracting Parties according to a schedule agreed on by the HELCOM Response Working Group. BALEX has been held every year since 1989.
Contact
Johanna Laurila Communications Advisor, HELCOM Johanna.laurila@helcom.fi Tel +358 40 647 3996
Markus Helavuori Deputy Executive Secretary, Professional Secretary (WG Maritime, WG Response, WG Sea-based pressures) Markus.helavuori@helcom.fi Tel +358 40 162 6520
Lithuania will host this year’s oil spill response exercise, BALEX DELTA 2024, starting today in Klaipeda, Lithuania. The largest Baltic Sea international pollution incident drill lasts for four days and will involve twelve ships from seven different countries at sea, preceded by a shoreline and wildlife response exercise, conducted on Tuesday 27 August.
The annual BALEX DELTA is a complex exercise. They have been conducted since the late 1980s, substantially improving the readiness of Baltic Sea coastal countries to respond collectively to major pollution incidents. The HELCOM Response Working Group has been committed to ensuring that all related procedures and plans are in place and regularly updated as needed.
Among the priorities this year are to test the alerting and assistance request procedures and to practice the shoreline response capability, the latter bringing together the unified Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian units under a single command.
The main organizers of BALEX DELTA 2024 are the Lithuanian Navy, Klaipeda Fire Rescue Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, Klaipeda State Seaport Authority, and the Baltic Sea Rehabilitation Center of the Lithuanian Maritime Museum. Observers representing various organizations such as the European Union, European Maritime Safety Agency and HELCOM will participate in the exercise. This year the total number of exercise participants will reach over 300 people.
During the BALEX 2024 exercise, various tasks are carried out such as a BALEX ALPHA table-top exercise on response to incidents with Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) cargo, emergency ship towing, firefighting at sea, pollution detection with EMSA CleanSeaNet service support, pollution monitoring from the air, pollution dispersion modeling (SeaTrackWeb), response of pollution incidents at sea, in the port and on shore, and reception of collected pollutants from ships to ships (STS), provided help for animals and birds affected by oil.
Firefighting teams from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will carry out pollutant response work in the Curonian Lagoon and on the shore. Rendering assistance to birds affected by oil will be practiced by the Baltic Sea Rehabilitation Center of the Lithuanian Maritime Museum.
About BALEX DELTA
The annual international marine pollution response exercise in the Baltic Sea, BALEX, is held in accordance with the 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (the Helsinki Convention). The Convention mandates cooperative responses and preparedness among the Baltic Sea States for large-scale accidents.
The general objective of the BALEX exercises is to ensure that every Contracting Party is able to lead a major response operation.
BALEX exercises are hosted by the Contracting Parties according to a schedule agreed on by the HELCOM Response Working Group. BALEX has been held every year since 1989.
Contact
Johanna Laurila Communications Advisor, HELCOM Johanna.laurila@helcom.fi Tel +358 40 647 3996
Markus Helavuori Deputy Executive Secretary, Professional Secretary (WG Maritime, WG Response, WG Sea-based pressures) Markus.helavuori@helcom.fi Tel +358 40 162 6520
Help us reach out to more people and protect our beloved Baltic Sea!
HELCOM is hosting an online workshop on Baltic Sea issues on 11 Sept 2024, 9.00 CEST/10.00 EEST for anyone interested. Read more at http://bit.ly/HELCOMworkshop & secure your spot by the 6th Sept.
Register here: bit.ly/HELCOMworkshop
* * * We are excited to introduce the HOLAS for All project at HELCOM! Funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, aims to expand our communication efforts and enhance ocean literacy and awareness, with a focus on the findings of the HOLAS 3 report. This project is designed to engage policymakers, scientists, the public and youth/children, with tailored messages to ensure the most effective outreach for each audience.
To kick off this project, we would like to invite you to participate in our online workshop. This session aims to gain feedback from a diverse network of people on Baltic Sea issues. The feedback will then be used to help shape future communication efforts at HELCOM.
Today, a handover ceremony in Butinge, at the border between Latvia and Lithuania will be held to mark the change of HELCOM Chairmanship. Lithuania will assume the Chairmanship of HELCOM from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2026, taking over from Latvia. The Chairmanship rotates between Contracting Parties every two years, in alphabetical order.
“It is an honour and a privilege to take over the responsibility of HELCOM Chairmanship in times when protecting the Baltic Sea marine environment must remain high on all agendas”, says Mr. Vitalijus Auglys, Head of the Pollution Prevention Policy Group with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, and the forthcoming Chair of HELCOM.
Mr. Auglys is currently the Head of Pollution Prevention Policy Group of the Ministry of Environment (MoE) of the Republic of Lithuania. He has worked for thirty years in the public and environmental sector with extensive experience in international cooperation, including the entire EU and Baltic Sea regions.
The Chair’s key.
Reflecting on the priorities of the incoming Lithuanian chairmanship he states, “Geopolitical challenges in the Baltic Sea region and political tensions between the countries can affect environmental activities and maritime security. That is why one of the top priorities of our Chairmanship is to strengthen HELCOM’s role in the context of those challenges.”
“Another priority area is to seek a balance between environmental protection and the Blue Economy, as this can overcome current shortcomings in the management of marine, coastal and aquatic ecosystems and become an important part of meeting the economic, social and environmental needs. Thirdly, we want to strengthen dialogue and engage the public in decision-making,” he continues.
Let the joint work continue
“We are pleased with Latvia’s achievements during the HELCOM Chairmanship and would like to thank our colleagues and everyone involved for their work. We are pleased to hand over the Chairmanship to Lithuania, underlining our long-term commitment to the security and sustainable development of the Baltic Sea. Let our joint work on the implementation of the Action Plan, including strong biodiversity conservation measures in the Baltic Sea, continue,” says Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Ms Inga Bērziņa.
The HELCOM ceremonial Chairmanship key will be handed over by the outgoing Chair of HELCOM, Ms Evija Šmite, Deputy Director General and the Director of Fisheries Control Department, State Environmental Service of Latvia.
She notes the continuity in priorities between the two Chairmanships. Ensuring that HELCOM remained a well-functioning regional organization capable of action even in unforeseen and force majeure situations was one of the priorities of Latvia’s Chairmanship from 2022 to 2024, which also took place against the current backdrop of geopolitical tension.
“Despite the geopolitical challenges, however, HELCOM has not been impaired in acting effectively and efficiently to achieve its main objectives in the protection of the Baltic marine environment. The work has continued, and several important milestones have been achieved – such as the renewal of the HELCOM working structure and the finalization and publication of the Third Holistic Assessment of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS 3)”, emphasizes Šmite.
“This spring has also been a memorable peak period for the Latvian Chairmanship. The Ministerial Meeting on the Baltic Sea Marine Environment, held on 25 April 2024, was productive and forward-looking and the following HELCOM 50th anniversary celebration was impressive, historical and interesting, draw attention to HELCOM and our joint work over the decades. In this special anniversary year, it is good to be reminded of how establishing HELCOM decades ago was a major step forward towards protecting our unique and vulnerable sea”, she continues.
Mr. Tomas Želvyshas been selected as the Vice-Chair of HELCOM. He has i.a. worked in the private sector as well as the Environment Protection Agency, but most of his career in the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania as a Chief Specialist and as a Senior Adviser on water and subsoil issues in the Pollution Prevention Policy Group.
Communication division Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia +371 20 200 305 prese@varam.gov.lv www.varam.gov.lv
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