Environmentalists petition to ban Baltic Sea oil and gas drilling

Environmental organizations are demanding a total ban on oil and gas extraction in the Baltic Sea. The Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), alongside the Coalition Clean Baltic and the citizens' initiative ‘Lebensraum Vorpommern’, is submitting a petition containing over 89,000 signatures to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.

The movement aims to block potential drilling projects in Polish waters near the German island of Usedom. This follows reports from the Canadian company Central European Petroleum (CEP), which announced the discovery of a significant oil deposit during test drilling near Swinemünde. Polish chief geologist Krzysztof Galos noted that if confirmed, it would be Poland’s largest find since World War II.

Critics argue that the Baltic Sea is already suffering from overfishing, pollution, and noise, and that additional fossil fuel extraction would be an unacceptable burden on marine life and local tourism. The petition is also being directed to relevant ministries in Poland, the European Committee on Petitions, and the Helsinki Commission.