By Estonia’s defence minister proposed on Wednesday that shipping companies may have to pay a fee to use the Baltic Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, to cover the high costs of protecting undersea cables following a series of breaches, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, had announced last week its decision to heighten its presence in the Baltic Sea.
This move comes in the wake of a series of concerning incidents where ships have inadvertently caused damage to crucial undersea power and communications cables due to their anchors.
These incidents have raised suspicions of sabotage, prompting NATO to take proactive measures to safeguard critical infrastructure and maintain security in the region.
Additional measures
Countries are considering additional measures to protect cables, according to Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur.
These include installing sensors to detect anchors dragging along the sea floor, as well as constructing casings or walls around the cables, Reuters reported.
The expenses will eventually be passed on to consumers—through increased taxes or higher utility costs—regardless of whether governments or cable companies bear the initial cost.
Additionally, NATO’s deployment will include a range of naval assets, including frigates equipped with advanced surveillance and detection capabilities, patrol aircraft to conduct aerial monitoring, and drones for enhanced situational awareness.
These assets will work in concert to deter any potential threats, investigate suspicious activities, and respond swiftly to any incidents that may occur.
The increased NATO presence in the Baltic Sea aims to reassure allies and partners in the region, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to collective defense and its resolve to protect vital infrastructure.
By enhancing surveillance and response capabilities, NATO seeks to prevent further damage to undersea cables, which are essential for communication, energy transmission, and economic activity.
Levying tax on ships
Meanwhile, Pevkur suggested that another option is to implement a tax on ships that navigate the Baltic Sea, which is bordered by eight NATO member countries and Russia.
“Let’s say that when you go to the airport you have the landing fee, you have the airport fee and this is paid in the ticket,” Pevkur told Reuters.
So in one moment maybe we will see that when you are passing through the Danish straits there will be a cost for the companies to pay this because this is basically an insurance fee to damaging the cables.
Pevkur stated that there were multiple options available, and that countries would need to agree on a solution.
The International Cable Protection Committee, based in the UK, reports that approximately 150 undersea cables are damaged annually across the globe.
The Baltic Sea, with its shallow waters containing telecommunications cables, power lines, and gas pipes, is considered especially susceptible to damage due to its high traffic volume.
Some estimations suggest that up to 4,000 ships traverse the Baltic Sea daily, according to Reuters.
A Maltese-flagged ship was seized by Swedish authorities on Monday due to its connection with damage caused to a cable running between Latvia and Sweden.
This incident is one of four similar incidents in just over a year that have also affected power and telecoms lines running between Estonia and Finland.
Pevkur stated to Reuters that while official investigations are still ongoing, the string of incidents suggests coordinated activity by vessels that are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
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