More funding for Sweden’s marine environments

The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) welcomes the decision, but is concerned that the funds will simply be taken away from other environmental initiatives.

Last week WWF presented a report which showed the Denmark, Finland, and Germany have done a better job than Sweden of protecting the Baltic Sea.

Now the government plans to double the level of funding devoted to improving marine environments through an additional 655 million kronor appropriation over three years, reports Sveriges Television.

Exactly how the money will be distributed won’t be known until early next year when the government presents its marine police proposal.

But according to the framework, the funds will help create and protect wetlands, bolster marine ecology research, and allow for additional measures to help reduce emissions from agriculture.

“Naturally, it’s positive, but I wonder where the money will come from,” said Lennart Gladh, who handled Baltic Sea issues for WWF, to the TT news agency.

He is concerned that the money will be taken from other important environmental programs such as subsidies to protect virgin forest.

Mattias Johansson, a spokesperson for Sweden’s environment minister Anders Carlgren, told TT however that the program will be funded with new money.