Helsinki  - People living in Finland, Sweden and Estonia share a concern about pollution in the Baltic Sea, according to a survey published Friday in Finland.

A Gallup poll commissioned by the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper suggested that 94 per cent of the Finns, 91 per cent of the Swedes and 83 per cent of the Estonians agreed that action was necessary to tackle pollution in the Baltic Sea.

About 40 per cent of Finns and Swedes wanted immediate action while a third of the Estonians shared that stance. About half of those polled in the three Baltic Sea countries said they favoured long-term action and immediate action was not needed.

According to the survey, about one in three of those polled said they were changing their habits due to environmental concerns.

For instance, about one in four Swedes said they ate less fish.

Environmental challenges in the shallow, almost land-locked Baltic Sea include algae blooming linked to the run-off of nutrients used in farming and also generated by industries and households.

Roughly 1,000 people were polled in each country. (dpa)