Contact: Vanessa Ryan
Campaign highlight species and habitats in the Baltic to raise the awareness of the general public about these unique Baltic treasures. Photo: © WWF Finland
The Finnish Inventory Programme for the Underwater Marine Environment (VELMU), which was recently awarded the Natura 2000 Conservation Award, has greatly increased our knowledge of life beneath the surface of the Baltic Sea. As a result of the inventories conducted over the past 16 years, 87 ecologically significant underwater marine areas have been identified along the Finnish coast. Only roughly a quarter of the most valuable underwater areas in Finland are currently protected, so there is a real need to strengthen the network of protected areas.
On 8 June, World Oceans Day, WWF Finland started a social media campaign to raise national awareness about the need for better protection of the marine environment.
The campaign lasted all summer. It introduced 13 of the still-unprotected ecologically significant areas to the public on Instagram, highlighting the habitats and species that make the Baltic Sea so beautiful and unique. This is part of a continual push to encourage public understanding and appreciation of marine ecosystems toward our goal of having 30% of the Finnish marine area protected by 2030.
This article is part of the WWF Baltic Newsletter – December 2020
