HELCOM - the Helsinki Commission

What do we know about pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea environment? 💊 🌊 A new HELCOM report, Pharmaceuticals in the environment of the Baltic Sea region 2025, brings together monitoring & sales data to assess the presence & potential risks of pharmaceutical substances. 👉 buff.ly/0SeYcTh

Yesterday, we welcomed visitors from Türkiye as part of an EU-funded workshop aimed at developing institutional capacity in data management and the assessment of online marine monitoring in Türkiye. We greatly appreciated the enthusiastic audience and the lively discussion!

Today, @HELCOM took around 100 students at Kulosaari Secondary School on a journey through the Baltic Sea's environmental history, guided by Meri, a white-tailed eagle. 🦅🌊 From pollution to international cooperation, students learned how collective action makes a difference for protecting our sea.

We were delighted to welcome our new Chair Marek Romsicki to our office yesterday! Poland assumed the HELCOM Chairship in July 2026 and this was Mr. Romsicki's first visit to Finland in his new role. We look forward to close collaboration over the next two years! Red more: buff.ly/gm1FN9a

New issue of the HELCOM News Blast is out! 📢 Catch up on our latest news, publications, events and more: 👉 buff.ly/6cow6Xe

* New HELCOM report on discharges observed during aerial surveillance * HELCOM’s latest annual report on discharges observed during aerial surveillance shows a continued long-term decline in detected oil spills across the Baltic Sea region.🛢️ 📄 Explore the full report here: buff.ly/Yyai8sE

Last week, experts from across the Baltic Sea region came together for a BALEX ALPHA tabletop exercise to practise how countries can work together when a large tanker accident causes oil to reach the sea and coastline. Read more: buff.ly/6y65m5W 📷️ Josse Johansson, Katarina Viik

🌊 Where is your favourite place at the Baltic Sea? We’re inviting you to help us fill the Baltic Sea with the places that matter to you. Add your favourite Baltic Sea place to our interactive map, then show us one place you’d like to visit next. 📍 buff.ly/zksqF3P

Happy Baltic Sea Day! Join us at the Baltic Sea Day festival today, 27 August 2026, from 11:00 to 18:00 at Kansalaistori, in front of Oodi library in Helsinki! Find the HELCOM tent to learn more about our beautiful Baltic Sea. See you there! 💙 Explore the festival programme here: buff.ly/oq5A9wV

A very lively morning at HELCOM on Monday! The breakfast gathering, organised as part of the Guarding the Baltic Sea residency programme, was a unique opportunity for exchange and connect with artists and researchers working towards a better future of the Baltic Sea. Find out more: buff.ly/Bk91elK

HELCOM will be at Itämerifest this Thursday 27 August! 💙 Come celebrate Baltic Sea Day at Kansalaistori Square in Helsinki! We'll have interactive, Baltic Sea-themed activities for both kids and adults, offering fun ways to learn more about our beautiful Baltic Sea. buff.ly/oq5A9wV

This week we were excited to welcome visitors coming all the way from the USA! A group of University of Cincinnati students interested in climate, health and policy got the chance to learn about HELCOM and our climate change work. Thanks for visiting!

Change in HELCOM Chairship! 🗝️ On 1 July 2026, Poland assumed the Chairship of HELCOM from Lithuania for a two-year term. Marek Romsicki has been appointed the new Chair of HELCOM, with Tomasz Wenecki as the Vice-Chair. Read more: buff.ly/oE7NiKo

📢 Fishing gear marking is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce gear loss and its impacts. Our best practice guidelines provide practical advice on how to mark different types of fishing gear effectively. Find out more: buff.ly/ROHFrVc

Love fishing? Hate losing gear? To help prevent gear losses and to reduce marine litter, we've created short guidelines for trap & pot fishers. Check it out and share with your fisher friends! 👉 buff.ly/5kQwNCH

Love fishing? Hate losing gear? To help prevent gear losses and to reduce marine litter, we've created a short guideline for anglers. 🎣 View here: buff.ly/BGD4cjU Don't forget to share with your angler friends!

NEW REPORT! 🌱 The Nutrient Input Ceiling (NIC) Assessment 1995–2022 (Scientific Report) analyses trends in nitrogen & phosphorus inputs over nearly three decades and assesses whether countries and transboundary rivers are meeting their agreed ceilings. 👉 buff.ly/kPB392r

Love fishing? Hate losing gear? To help prevent gear losses and to reduce marine litter, we've created a short guideline for recreational gillnet fishers. 🚣 Check it out and share with your fishing friends! buff.ly/wajBQhr

New publication! 📖 This report offers an overview of the characteristics of the Baltic Sea catchment area, including land use, population, climate, agriculture and other factors that influence nutrient and hazardous substance inputs to the sea. View here: buff.ly/bjbBXkz

We mark our luggage, kids clothes, boats, cars and pets. Why not our fishing gear we as well? 🎣 🏷️ Lost gear from angling and gillnet fishing makes up a significant share of marine litter. 🔗 Find out more and download our best practice guides: buff.ly/ROHFrVc

New HELCOM guidelines! 🔊 These guidelines for the design and use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) in the HELCOM area provide recommendations to minimize the environmental impacts of underwater noise, while ensuring that these devices remain effective for reducing bycatch. 🐟️ 👉 buff.ly/20j3PJ7

June 2026 issue of HELCOM News Blast is out! 📰 Catch up on the latest developments from HELCOM over the past few months, including news, publications, videos and upcoming events. 👉 mailchi.mp/helcom.fi/on...

NEW CAMPAIGN: Best practices to reduce fishing gear loss 🎣 HELCOM, KIMO International & the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management have launched a new awareness campaign that promotes best practices for fishing gear marking among recreational fishers. More info: buff.ly/VxTUBG1

New HELCOM guidelines! 📘 These guidelines provide practical recommendations for collecting and handling sediment cores used to monitor historical contamination in the marine environment. Access here: buff.ly/wVls4IM

New HELCOM Roadmap! 🚢 This new regional framework aims to tackle pollutants released from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS), commonly known as scrubbers. These discharge waters can contain heavy metals and other harmful substances that threaten the Baltic Sea’s ecosystems. 👉 buff.ly/YcY5wn0

Thanks to the Cyprus EU Presidency for the opportunity to participate in the EU Water and Marine Dir. Mtg. in Pafos+to join colleagues from the other RSCs bordering 🇪🇺 in presenting an update on our activities and sharing our views on implementation challenges in a rev. MSFD. @helcominfo.bsky.social

Great news! 🎉 We are delighted to welcome our former colleague Markus Helavuori as the next Executive Secretary of the HELCOM Secretariat. Markus will begin his initial three-year term on 1 February 2027. Congratulations, Markus! Read more: buff.ly/SBdAMGh Photo credit: CBSS

NEW POLICY BRIEF ON SUBMERGED MUNITIONS! 💥 MUNI-RISK project's new policy brief on submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea highlights why risk-based, site-specific assessment is needed to support practical decisions on what should be remediated, monitored or safely left in place. 👉 buff.ly/zFLPYiE

HELCOM's Annual Report 2025 is out! ⚙️ The report covers the full breadth of HELCOM's work last year, from marine protected areas and biodiversity to nutrients, hazardous substances, shipping and climate change. The full report is available here 👉 buff.ly/AyTT73s

#WorldEnvironmentDay 2026 focuses on climate change: The urgent signals the Earth is sending, and the signals we choose to send back. HELCOM is working to support regional action on climate change. Learn more about our climate-related work: buff.ly/0ldeVNm #NowForClimate

🔊 Calling schools across the Baltic region! The Baltic Sea Video Challenge invites middle and secondary school students to explore their local waterfront and tell its story through a short video. 📽️ Find out more: buff.ly/p3sw7BN

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of students from the Enrico Tosi Technical and Economic Institute in Italy. The students are currently in Finland on a study tour and were eager to learn more about HELCOM’s work and the environmental challenges facing the Baltic Sea.

It has been a busy week with visitors at HELCOM! Today we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of Swedish journalists with a particular interest in Baltic Sea security issues. Great meeting and, as expected, lots of tough questions!

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming researchers from the Merikotka research network to HELCOM. The group learned about HELCOM and the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), HOLAS assessments, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as well as HELCOM's data services. Thank you for the engaging discussion!

17 May is the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the critically endangered harbour porpoises in the Baltic Proper. In "Baltic Rescue - Match and Track" game you can learn about harbour porpoises. Have you played it yet? buff.ly/nkS4edt

We are wrapping up another #EUSBSR Annual Forum! Thanks for everyone who visited the HELCOM stand or took part in one of the sessions with HELCOM involvement (today's amazing Bistro SEABAS session pictured). See you next time in another amazing Baltic city!

Congratulations to the #EUSBSR Annual Forum 2026 Ecosfera Baltica prize draw winners! 👏 If the luck wasn't on your side this time, don't forget that Ecosfera Baltica can also be accessed as a free online version. More information: buff.ly/cxELH6w

Youth involvement is crucial to securing a sustainable future for the #BalticSea Region. I was very pleased to present @helcominfo.bsky.social at today’s #BSSSC Spring Youth Event in #Helsinki. Thank you for the invitation and our lively discussion!

The #EUSBSR Annual Forum 2026 kicks off at #Kultuurikatel in #Tallinn, #Estonia, with a series of high-level addresses stressing the need for continued and regional coop. in addressing the multiple challenges the region faces and working to achieve #resilience and #security. @helcominfo.bsky.social

It was a pleasure to take part in this panel discussion at the #EUSBSR AF 2026. Thank you to our excellent moderators, Emma Nelson and Johannes Tralla, to fellow panelists Heidi Solba and Gert Siniloo and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia for the invitation! @helcominfo.bsky.social

Great first day at the EUSBSR Annual Forum! Our Executive Secretary Rüdiger Strempel took part in a plenary panel discussion on climate change and environment of the Baltic Sea. 🌊 We'll continue tomorrow, Weds 13 May! More info: buff.ly/ccTWqjE

Today and tomorrow we are in Tallinn for the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2026. Come say hello to us at the Networking Village! You'll find us in the Policy Area Spatial Planning (Maritime) area. Find out more: buff.ly/ccTWqjE

📢 The 17th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) will be held in Tallinn NEXT WEEK (12-13.5.2026)! HELCOM will contribute to both the programme and the Networking Village, showcasing its work and ongoing projects. Hope to see you there! More info: buff.ly/EcenspV

HELCOM had the pleasure to host and co‑organise the mid‑term meeting of the MUNI‑RISK project, which addresses environmental and safety concerns related to submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea. 💥 Learn more about the MUNI‑RISK project: buff.ly/PBM48lG

🌍 International cooperation and knowledge exchange = key to tackling complex marine challenges and building resilience. On 17 April 2026, HELCOM participated in Odesa Climate Lab Public Laboratory in Odesa, Ukraine 🇺🇦 📽️ Watch Rüdiger Strempel's welcome address: buff.ly/dSFnTNt 📷️ Odesa Climate Lab

📢 New HELCOM-VASAB guideline on applying the ecosystem-based approach (EBA) in maritime spatial planning (MSP) across the Baltic Sea region! 👉 Access here: buff.ly/Xt2usV2

HELCOM News Blast spring 2026 edition is out! 🌸 Catch up on out latest news, publications and events. 📰 👉 mailchi.mp/helcom.fi/on...

I was very pleased to deliver a keynote at the session on “Innovations for the Sustainable Use of the Baltic Sea” of yesterday’s 3rd Baltic Sea Business Day in Rostock. Thank you very much, Ocean Technology Campus Rostock and Germany Trade & Invest, for inviting me! @helcominfo.bsky.social

Y’day I had the pleasure of addressing an international audience at the International Club of the Univ. of #Bonn. At the invitation of the German-Finnish Association (DFG) I talked about @helcominfo.bsky.social and the key role of multilat. coop. in protecting the #BalticSea. Thanks 4 inviting me!

Ocean acidification is a global trend with potential impacts on the Baltic Sea ecosystem. This document outlines HELCOM’s strategic approach to understanding, monitoring & addressing ocean acidification in the Baltic Sea, emphasizing science-policy coordination & future actions. 👉 buff.ly/T7hLJ7r