Kayaking Preserves Fragile Archipelago: Sweden's Innovative Approach to Ocean Conservation

As of September 2025, Sweden has taken innovative steps to protect its coastal ecosystems. In June 2025, the Swedish parliament approved the creation of Nämdöskärgården, a new 25,000-hectare marine national park located in the Stockholm archipelago. This park, Sweden's second marine national park after Kosterhavet on the west coast, is 97% covered by water and stretches into the Baltic Sea.

To make this fragile, ecologically diverse region accessible to visitors in a low-impact way, the park promotes activities like sea kayaking. A two-day kayaking tour through Nämdöskärgården allows travelers to immerse themselves in the area's natural wonders, from spotting white-tailed eagles and seals to observing the vibrant seaweed and seagrass meadows. The lack of motorized boats in these narrow waterways ensures minimal disturbance to the marine life.

Alongside establishing this new protected area, Sweden has also taken a pioneering step in ocean conservation. In July 2026, the country will become the first in Europe to ban the destructive fishing practice of bottom trawling from its marine national parks and nature reserves. This move, likened by Sir David Attenborough to "bulldozing a rainforest," aims to help repair the heavily degraded Baltic Sea ecosystem.