Ecology, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Legislation, Transport

Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia provided their vessels to this year's edition of the largest marine pollution control exercise of the countries situated on the Baltic Sea. Also a tanker from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) took part in the exercise, spokespeople for the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board said. 

Kaupo Laanerand, head the fleet of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, said that the purpose of such exercises is to advance cooperation with neighboring countries and check on the performance of routines agreed about earlier.

"The Baltic Sea is a very sensitive area, and the contribution of all countries is important in order to protect the environment in the event of large-scale pollution," Laanerand said.

For the first time ever, an Estonian helicopter was refueled on board the Finnish coast guard boat Turva. "When it's about saving human lives, every minute is critical, and this enabled our helicopter to be airborne for a longer time and commit to search and rescue. We hope that this becomes possible also outside the format of the exercise, when an Estonian helicopter needs to do work above the Gulf of Finland and the Turva is nearby," Laanerand said.

Estonia does not have a vessel of its own with the capability of refueling of aircraft. 

The units taking part in the exercise first had to perform a task in search and rescue, which included evacuating a severely injured and unconscious crew member from the tanker Vigri. The crew of the aviation unit of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board winched the crew member into the helicopter and transported him to a hospital onboard the Finnish coast guard vessel Turva. After that, pollution control was rehearsed, which included the flying of drones by the crews of the EMSA tanker, Norden, and Turva.

The Estonian Rescue Board simultaneously conducted an exercise in the elimination of coastal pollution, as according to the scenario of the exercise not all of the pollution could be eliminated at sea and a part of it was washed to the shore.

Of Estonian government agencies, also the Maritime Administration, the Rescue Board, the Environmental Inspectorate and the Environmental Board along with volunteers from the Estonian Fund for Nature took part in the exercise. 

Balex Delta is the largest joint anti-pollution exercise of the Baltic Sea countries. The first Balex Delta exercise took place in 1990 in Poland. Estonia is organizing the exercise for the third time, the last exercise was held in Estonia in 2007. Next year, the exercise will take place in Finland.