WSNL 1997-1

Trilateral Danish-Dutch-German Wadden Sea Cooperation

ANNUAL REPORT 1996

This Annual Report presents a brief overview of the most important developments with regard to the trilateral Wadden Sea cooperation and the activities carried out by the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, CWSS, in 1996. On the basis of the presentations and related discussions, the symposium participants formulated a number of recommendations to the Ministers, responsible for the protection of the Wadden Sea.

TRILATERAL ISSUES

The Wadden Sea Plan

In the framework of the decision of the Leeuwarden Conference to continue the work on the preparation of a trilateral management plan, national consultations were held in 1996 with the aim of collecting proposals for the implementation of the Ecotargets. On the basis of the results of the national discussions which lasted until summer 1996, a first draft Trilateral Wadden Sea Plan was drafted in the CWSS and discussed and amended by the Trilateral Working Group, TWG, in the second half of the year. It is anticipated that the draft Wadden Sea Plan will be ready for national consultations in February 1997.

Seal Management Plan

The "Seal Management Plan 1991-95" expired at the end of 1995. Following the decision of the Leeuwarden Conference in 1994), a revision of the SMP was to be elaborated in 1995. The "Conservation and Management Plan for the Wadden Sea Seal Population 1996 - 2000" was adopted by the Senior Officials of the Danish-German-Dutch Cooperation on the Protection of the Wadden Sea in March 1996. A Trilateral Seal Expert Group, TSEG was appointed which has the task to coordinate and supervise the implementation of monitoring activities and the assessment of the results, assess relevant research results and as appropriate, give advice regarding management on request of the trilateral cooperation.

Ecological Targets

In 1995, the further specification of some of the Ecotargets was initiated. This process was continued in 1996 for the Ecotargets on Birds and Marine Mammals. The result of this work, which was carried out in the bird and seal expert groups, was incorporated into the draft Wadden Sea Plan.

As to the development of criteria for the differentiation between eutrophication problem- and non-problem areas, an amended proposal for a project to develop such criteria was further discussed in the TWG and submitted at the national level. The green light is expected at the beginning of 1997.

Trilateral Thematic Maps

On the occasion of the Leeuwarden Conference, a trilateral map had been developed on the basis of national GIS material. This work was continued in the second half of 1996 in a joint project of the CWSS and the Dutch Institute for Coastal and Marine Management, RIKZ, in Haren. Using GIS covers from various national sources, amongst others, the German National Park and the RIKZ GIS centers, trilateral thematic maps were developed covering administrative, biological and human use issues. The cooperation will be continued in 1997 with the preparation of printable maps for the Wadden Sea Plan, the QSR and the TMAP.

Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment

The Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Group, TMAG, which is responsible for the implementation of the TMAP had three meetings during 1996. The work covers the further elaboration of the monitoring program including concomitant ecological research, the installation of a trilateral data handling exchange system and the preparation of the Quality Status Report, QSR 1997. The work for the implementation of the TMAP is carried within the "DEMOWAD" project which is co-financed by the LIFE Program of the European Commission and has been running from 1.4.95 to 31.3. 1998.

Implementation of the TMAP

In January 1996, the last of the six trilateral expert workshops for the elaboration of the TMAP was held in Hamburg and addressed the issue "Decomposition/Microbiology". The reports of all TMAP workshops regarding the monitoring program were published in volume No. 6 of the publication series "Wadden Sea Ecosystem".

Based on the outcome of the workshops, the proposal of the TSEG (see below), the JMMB, and the JMBB, and further expert consultations, the TMAG elaborated draft guidelines for priority parameters. These are important parameters which would give sufficient basic information for the assessment of the TMAP Hypotheses and Ecotargets. Other parameters are proposed to be implemented, step by step, taking into account practical and financial aspects.

The TMAP Draft Guidelines were discussed in national consultations with all authorities and institutions in charge of the Wadden Sea monitoring. These consultations are still ongoing and expected to be finished in May 1997.

Data Handling

The Trilateral Data Handling Group, TDG, an ad-hoc group under the TMAG, met four times in 1996 and supervised the work of the DEMOWAD data handling group. It also coordinated the work required to implement the data handling system for the DEMOWAD project at the national databases. At the beginning of 1996, four persons were employed at each of the TMAP databases namely DONAR (RIKZ Haren, NL), DAWAD (NERI Roskilde, DK) and WATIS (GKSS Geesthacht, FRG). One person was employed at the CWSS who coordinates the development of the trilateral data handling system.

The DEMOWAD data handling group held seven meetings in 1996 and produced a report entailing a definition of a trilateral data handling system for the TMAP. The implementation of this system started with a prototype test for selected TMAP parameters "breeding bird surveys" and "contaminants in Blue Mussels" in October 1996.

Quality Status Report 1997

The QSR-Group, which is an ad-hoc TMAG subgroup and which was installed in the second half of 1995, continued its work on the preparation of the 1997 QSR. The Group made a principle choice for requesting external experts to deliver text contributions. The final editing and the writing of the scientific assessment will be done by the QSR Group itself.

Breeding Birds

Within the joint monitoring program of breeding birds in the Wadden Sea, which is carried out in the framework of the TMAP, the second complete survey after 1991 was organized in 1996. The processing of the results of the last 5 years for the next report, "Trends 1990 until 1994", was continued in 1996 to publish the report in the near future. A meeting for the purpose of quality assurance of breeding bird monitoring was organized on Baltrum, Germany. The first season of the trilateral two-year-pilot projects on "Breeding success" and "Pollutants in Bird Eggs" was carried out in the framework of the TMAP to test the trilateral guidelines.

Both breeding and migratory bird monitoring groups supported the trilateral cooperation regarding the quantification and evaluation of the Ecotargets concerning birds, the elaboration of the concerned QSR chapters, as well as, the partnerships with English Nature and with Guinea Bissau.

Migratory Birds

Within the joint monitoring program of migratory birds of the TMAP, mid-winter, geese and spring-tide counts were carried out annually. The results of the season 1993/94 were processed for the next report "Migratory Birds in the Wadden Sea 1993/94" and published.

Seals

In 1996, the population makes a vital impression. During coordinated flights in the entire Wadden Sea, a total of about 11,300 seals were counted, of which 2,200 were pups. The members of the Trilateral Seal Expert Group, TSEG, met for the first time in 1996 to develop a work plan for the implementation of the revised Seal Management Plan 1996 - 2000.

Red List

The report "Red Lists of Biotopes, Flora and Fauna of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Area, 1995" was published under the responsibility of the BfN INA Island Vilm, Germany in Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 50, Suppl.,1996 at the same time: Schriftenreihe für Landschaftspflege u. Naturschutz, H. 47,1996.

COOPERATION WITH OTHER BODIES

North Sea Conference

As observer, the trilateral cooperation was represented by the CWSS in a number of preparatory meetings for the Intermediate Ministerial North Sea Meeting on ecosystem effects of fisheries which will be held in March 1997, hosted by Norway.

Oslo and Paris Conventions

The trilateral cooperation has an observer status in the OSPAR Assessment and Monitoring Group, ASMO and its sub-groups. In 1996, representatives of the CWSS participated in meetings of ASMO and the ASMO working groups SIME (Substances In the Marine Environment) where, amongst others, the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Program, JAMP is elaborated, and IMPACT, which deals, amongst others, with effects of fisheries, alien species and ecological quality objectives. In the framework of the OSPAR Convention, a Quality Status Report for the whole convention area will be prepared by the year 2000. The basis for this QSR 2000 will be regional QSRs. The North Sea is region II and a Regional Task Team, RTT, chaired by The Netherlands, is responsible for the QSR for this region. The CWSS participates in the North Sea RTT.

The Wash-Wadden Sea Collaboration

In the framework of the 2nd work program Wash-Wadden Sea, which covers the period 1995-1997, a joint project on twite, shorelark and snow bunting populations and habitat requirements in the Wadden Sea and the Wash was carried out together with the Joint Monitoring Migratory Bird group.

ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE TRILATERAL COOPERATION

Chair

Germany presides over the trilateral cooperation in the period from January 1, 1995 until the next Trilateral Governmental Conference which will be held in late 1997, in Germany.

Senior Government Officials

The Senior Government Officials meetings have been installed to discuss trilateral Wadden Sea policy and to address issues of common interest in between the triennial Governmental Conferences:

The officials are (situation as at 31.12.96):

• Dr. M. von Websky, Deputy Director General of the Department Nature Protection and Ecology of the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Federal Republic of Germany, chairman,
• Ms. K. Westerbye-Juhl, Director General of the National Forest and Nature Agency of the Ministry of the Environment, Denmark,
• Dr. H.S.B.M. van Asperen, Director of the Directorate Nature, Forest, Landscape and Fauna of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, The Netherlands.

In 1996 no Senior Government Officials meeting was held.

Trilateral Working Group

A permanent Trilateral Working Group, TWG has been established for the preparation and elaboration of trilateral policy issues. The working group consists, in principle, of representatives of the responsible ministries of each country and representatives of the German federal states and regional authorities in Denmark and The Netherlands. If necessary, the TWG is supplemented by representatives of other ministries and experts on special issues. The TWG was chaired by Dr. Fritz Dieterich from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany. In 1996, the TWG met 3 times.

Expert Working Groups

In 1996, 9 standing/ad-hoc expert working groups supported the trilateral cooperation:

• The Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Group, TMAG
• and the following subgroups of TMAG:

  - The QSR Group

  - The Ad-Hoc Trilateral Data Handling Group, TDG

  - The coordinator groups on the Joint Monitoring Program for Breeding Birds, JMBB, and

  - on the Joint Monitoring Program for Migratory Birds, JMMB

  - The Trilateral Beached Bird Survey group, TBBS

• The Trilateral Seal Expert Group, TSEG
• The Trilateral Preparation Group Fishery, TPGF, and
• The Wadden Sea Newsletter Editorial Board

Secretariat

The execution of the duties of the CWSS is, according to the Administrative Agreement for the secretariat, supervised by a committee of representatives. In 1996 it consisted of

• Dr. F. Dieterich, Department of Nature Conservation and Ecology of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, chairman,
• Mr. T. Klein, The National Forest and Nature Agency of the Ministry for the Environment and Energy, Denmark,
• Ms. R. Peters/Mr. H. Kool, Department of Nature Management of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, The Netherlands.

The CWSS is based in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Its 1996-budget was 795,800 DM.

The following persons were employed in 1996:

• Mr. J. A. Enemark, secretary
• Mr. F. de Jong, deputy secretary
• Ms. B. Reineking, deputy secretary
• Dr. H. Marencic, monitoring coordinator
• Mr. G. Lüerßen, data handling coordinator
• Ms. M. Polanski, administrative assistant
• Ms. Y. Ulfers, administrative assistant.

Publications

The following publications were issued by the CWSS in 1996:

• Wadden Sea Newsletter, 1996 No. 1, 2+ 3;
• Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 5: Migratory Waterbirds in the Wadden Sea 1993/94;
• Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 6: The Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Program (TMAP). Expert Workshops 1995/1996;
• DEMOWAD - LIFE: Data Handling - Final Report on the Definition Phase.

Since Nov. 1997, the CWSS has a website with information on the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation including the topical WSNL-issues: http://www.de/cwss/