Scientists warn since years of expanding “dead zones” and a steadily weakening ecosystem, even as nutrient runoff from agriculture shows little sign of slowing. The conflict between short-term economic interests and long-term environmental survival remains unresolved.
This investigation has centered on the Flensburg Fjord, familiar to many Germans and Danes who took their first swim in salty water there. Above the surface, sailing, mussel fishing, and beachside activities continue as usual. Below it, especially in the deeper areas, dead zones laced with toxic hydrogen sulphide are spreading. Once a natural phenomenon, this process has been intensified by human activity.
As the journalists mapped the Fjord’s divided responsibilities and speak with scientists, fishermen, divers, activists, politicians, and farmers, a clear pattern has emerged: poor communication between key actors and limited accountability for the practices driving these dead zones on both sides of the border.
Despite a myriad of action plans from local governments to the EU-level, overall nutrient inputs from sources like agriculture and sewage have not sufficiently declined, and a complex cycle of eutrophication persists. The team investigates the short- and long-term effects of these plans on both - the Danish and German coast of the Fjord.
Image by Charlotte Schmitz.
