Environmentalists protest against oil extraction in Baltic Sea

Representatives of almost 30 Russian and foreign environmental organisations gathered in Svetlogorsk (Kaliningrad Region) yesterday to protest against Lukoil's plans to start extracting oil in the Baltic Sea. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, environmentalists will attend the conference A new strategy of campaign to protect the environment from harmful oil products, which is being organised by Ecozashita [Ecodefense].

The environmentalists say that work at the D-6 oilfield 'threatens to destroy the unique environment of the Baltic Sea with oil spills and will also seriously harm the tourist and fishing industries.' Furthermore, the oilfield is located just 22 kilometres from the Kurshkaya Kosa reserve, which has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. This is the first time that environmental organisations have decided to join forces to protect the reserve. They are even planning to file suit against Russian President Vladimir Putin for permitting Lukoil to drill for oil in the Baltic Sea. Moreover, Ecozashita has sent 1500 postcards to the president from local residents demanding that work at the D-6 oilfield be stopped.

The management of Lukoil-Kaliningradmorneft, which is erecting the oil platform, insists there is no danger to the environment. General Director Yuri Kajoyan recently met with journalists to stress that the project had passed all the government inspections and received a positive result from the Russian Environment Industry.

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