The Baltic Sea is the youngest sea on Earth. Its ecosystem is highly sensitive, and the impact of climate change in the Baltic Sea could be visible sooner than elsewhere.

Ervīns Vilciņš has been fishing in the Baltic Sea for more than 35 years and can clearly see the changes caused by warming water, which affects more than just the catch. "Harsh winters are now a rarity. The water in the sea is becoming warmer. The variety of fish is increasing; for example, the previously unseen round goby has entered our fauna. From ships' ballast water, we have acquired various crabs. Nature is changing rapidly, and I am not even talking about the tiny microorganisms that we are unable to see in everyday life."

There used to be an abundance of salmon and cod in the Baltic Sea. Now we encounter them rarely. The reasons? The formerly very intensive fishing and a sharp decrease in suitable spawning grounds. Scientists believe that certain parts of the Baltic Sea can now be considered "dead zones", where there is too little oxygen for the normal existence of living organisms.