Series: Europe’s seas – cresting the waves

Italy: Swordfish hunting coming to an end?

From time immemorial, Italian fishermen have fished for swordfish in the Mediterranean off the coast of Calabria. On board of Feluccas – boats especially designed for catching the highly-coveted fish - the hunters simply use a harpoon to chase their prey. But this venerable tradition could soon be at an end. Since 1970, swordfish stocks have declined dramatically in the Strait of Messina. Today, only few Feluccas are plying the sea between Sicily and Calabria during the summer fishing season. Traditional swordfish fishing is under threat.

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Germany: Danger beneath the sea

Unexploded munitions from World War II can still be found at the bottom of the North and Baltic seas. When the Allies disarmed the Germans, they disposed of the weapons at sea – and they've been there ever since. Mines, torpedoes and grenades are still lost in the chilly depths. A dangerous inheritance, especially when construction work is needed to build one of many offshore wind parks. Before starting, specially-equipped ships have to scan the seabed and clear the site of explosives to make sure the North Sea is safe there - a highly dangerous job.

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Faroe Islands: The contested tradition of whale hunting

A massacre takes place every summer on the Faroe Islands: Fishermen herd pilot whales into bays and slaughter them. A bay red with the blood of the killed marine animals enrage and disgust conservationists around the world. Every year activists set off to prevent the slaughtering on the remote archipelago in the north Atlantic. But the people of the Faroe Islands are proud of their age-old tradition and claim special whaling rights. They intend to continue, no matter what the rest of the world says.

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Great Britain: Crumbling cliffs

The Isle of Wight is a tourist magnet thanks to its deep blue waters and mild climate. The island’s famous cliffs off the western tip of England however are crumbling – wind and storms from the Atlantic Ocean are eating into the cliffs, eroding the coastal areas. More and more people are affected by landslips, and there’s only little money for coastal protection schemes. So tourists should cherish the impressive view from the Isle of Wight as long as possible – even when they risk spending time on the precipice.

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Bulgaria: Sewage in the Black Sea

Bulgaria is a tourist magnet, with sunshine galore, beaches and affordable hotels. Many of these hotel strips, however, have gone up in resort areas without ensuring proper water and sewage treatment infrastructure.With an ugly side effect: Every year dozens of dolphins are found washed up on the Bulgarian beaches of the Black Sea. Nowhere else in Europe is the water quality worse than here, leading to a massive decline of marine population. The impact of the touristic boom on the ecology is dramatic.

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