Dead zones expand in Baltic Sea, German fertilizer policy criticised

Greenpeace documented extensive dead zones in the Baltic Sea during a four‑day research voyage aboard the sailing vessel Malizia Explorer, operated by sailor Boris Herrmann. Measurements show oxygen levels dropping below critical thresholds, creating areas where fish and plants cannot survive.

More than 90 % of the Baltic Sea is affected by agricultural over‑fertilisation, according to the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde. Scientists warn that nutrient runoff from intensive livestock farming leads to oxygen‑poor waters and, in deeper layers, completely lifeless zones.

German Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) has been criticised for dismantling a nutrient‑tracking system introduced after EU pressure, weakening the “polluter‑pays” principle. Greenpeace and agricultural expert Lasse van Aken argue that stronger fertilizer regulations are needed to protect the sea and groundwater.