Poland's Baltic coast grappling with child safety and ghost nets

Coastal lifeguards in Łeba, Poland, patrol the busy beaches of the Baltic Sea, searching for missing children. In a single day they located eleven lost youngsters, prompting officials to urge parents to keep children in sight, dress them in bright colors and equip them with wrist‑band IDs.

Meanwhile, abandoned fishing nets tangled on shipwrecks and the seabed of the Baltic pose a serious threat to marine life. Divers and WWF experts report that these “ghost nets” continue to trap fish, seals and birds, and release micro‑plastics. Over the past decade, about 300 tonnes of nets have been retrieved, but regular removal operations remain essential to protect the ecosystem.