BALTIC SEAENVIRONMENT PROCEEDINGS No. 59 - Helcom

INTRODUCTION
The Baltic Sea Area covers almost 370,000 square kilometers which
is a mere 0.1 % of the world's oceans but nevertheless it is
unique in many ways. The brackish water makes the flora and fauna
most interesting and in many ways the Baltic behaves more like a
lake than like an ocean.
Nine states have coastlines on the Baltic Sea. Each state is a
highly developed industrial country and for all of them the sea
is vital.
More than 70 millions people live in the states facing the Baltic
Sea and it is estimated that more than 15 % of the world's total
industrial production originate in this area.
The Baltic Sea is a transportation route and a source of
nourishment. Investigations have found that more than 100 million
tons of oil are carried annually on the Baltic sea lanes and the
fishing catch is about 1 million tonnes every year.
As the only natural enterance to the Baltic Sea is via the Danish
Straits all water exchange between the brackish Baltic Sea and
the salty North Sea must go through these straits. The same
situation goes for the sea transportation of all kind of goods,
e.g. almost all oil to and from the Baltic Sea Area has to pass
through the Danish Straits.
On this background the development and implementation of the
Convention on Protection of the Marine Environment in the Baltic
Sea Area has been given a very high priority by the Government of
Denmark.
In the following I will give you some examples on how some of the
HELCOM Recommendations in the maritime field have been implemented
in Denmark.
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