It looks like a long carpet on the open sea: An unknown substance is floating in the northern part of the Baltic Sea. Preliminary investigations into environmental crimes have been launched.
An unknown substance has been discovered on the water surface in the sea between Sweden and Finland. As the Swedish Coast Guard announced on Thursday, the substance covers a huge area of 77 square kilometers – which roughly corresponds to the area of the southern Swedish city of Malmö.
So it’s unclear what it is. However, the authorities determined that it was not mineral oil. There is currently no acute danger that the substance will end up on land.
Northern part of the Baltic Sea affected
The substance was discovered on Wednesday between Söderhamn and Härnosand in the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern part of the Baltic Sea. Photos showed a long carpet with the substance on the open sea. According to the Coast Guard, it extends into both the Swedish and Finnish economic zones.
Preliminary investigations into environmental crimes have already been launched. Among other things, it is now being examined which ships were last in the area and what cargo they had on board.
