Baltic Sea's water quality 'under threat from St Petersburg'

The Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland are faced with deteriorating water quality, which is posing a threat to the marine life dwelling under their waves.

Pollution from industrial ships, increased transport and overfishing are posing the greatest threats to both expanses of water, according to Finnish president Tarja Halonen on a recent visit to St Petersburg.

The ringed seal is particularly vulnerable to the problems brought about by poor water quality, Reuters quotes her as saying, and if something is not done to improve the situation, the seals are in danger of dying out.

Ms Halonen highlighted one of the major problems as being St Petersburg and stated: "More than three million tons of waste liquids enter the Neva River every day and more than one third of the volume has not been treated."

However, she added that municipal waste utilities are working to ensure less untreated waste is spilt into the Neva in the future.

The ringed seal is native to the Northern Hemisphere, but the saimaa subspecies, which is found only in the waterways of Finland, is currently on the endangered list.