1. Policy & Management

The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany: protection of the Wadden Sea is a success story

27 May 2008 - The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany aim to further improve protection of the Wadden Sea. Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, the Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg and the Danish Environment Minister Troels Lund Poulsen signed a Letter of Intent to this end this evening in Bonn on the margins of the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD. “The trilateral cooperation on protecting the Wadden Sea is a success story and a model example of transboundary conservation of biological diversity”, noted Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

“By working together it is possible to halt the loss of biological diversity and to preserve the balance of an ecosystem while allowing sustainable use and involving the local population in the conservation of their environment”, said Minister Gabriel. The trilateral Wadden Sea cooperation has existed for 30 years. Many framework conditions have changed, for example EU legislation, and new challenges have emerged, such as climate change and the global loss of biological diversity. This is why the Federal Länder involved - Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg - the German Federation, Denmark and the Netherlands are currently modernizing their cooperation.

Together these partners are working on revising the founding document - the Joint Declaration - streamlining organisational structures and supporting the Wadden Sea forum, an association of local stakeholders. “We are making the Wadden Sea cooperation fit for the future! This includes even greater consultation with local actors and involving them in the protection of the Wadden Sea”, stressed Minister Gabriel. Other elements are greater emphasis on landscape conservation and preservation of cultural heritage - these aspects will also flow into the trilateral management of the Wadden Sea.

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org

Workshop: Management of Blue Mussel Fishery in the Wadden Sea

Blue mussel fishery is currently extensively discussed Wadden Sea wide. Recently, the highest Dutch administrative court “Raad van State” has determined that the responsible authority has to examine the complaints against mussel seed fishery for granting a permit for seed fishery in spring 2006. These concern possible damage of mussel fishery to the sediment and lack of food for birds. In the Danish Wadden Sea, a permit for mussel fishery was revoked because of lack of mussels for migratory birds. The management plan for mussel fishery in the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea is being renewed for a further period.

On 11 June 2008, a trilateral workshop on “Blue Mussel Fishery Management in the Wadden Sea” will be organized in Wilhelmshaven. It will review the experiences of ten years of trilateral policy on blue mussel fishery management, in the light of relevant research findings on the status of blue mussel beds, as well as fisheries impact on the ecosystem (birds, sublittoral) and investigate new approaches to the management of blue mussels, resulting from the requirements of the Habitats Directive (HD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and current knowledge of the impacts of blue mussel fisheries on the Wadden Sea ecosystem.

Further information and the workshop programme are at:

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org

Dutch-German Wadden Sea nominated as World Heritage Site

The nomination dossier of the Dutch-German Wadden Sea as World Heritage Site has been finalized and submitted the World Heritage Center, UNESCO, Paris for inscription on the World Heritage List.

The nomination was signed by Ms Gerda Verburg, Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, and Mr Sigmar Gabriel, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety together with the Prime Ministers of Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein, Mr Christian Wulff and Mr Peter Harry Carstensen.

The dossier will be evaluated by the advisory body to the World Heritage Committee, the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Field missions by international experts are planned to be held in the first half of September. The decision on the inscription of the Wadden Sea on the World Heritage List is anticipated to be taken by the World Heritage Committee at its annual meeting in June/July 2009.

The "Nomination of the Dutch-German Wadden Sea as World Heritage Site" was published as Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 24. The publication is in English, a German version is in print. Both publications can be requested from the CWSS for 10 Euro/copy and are also available from the CWSS website.

The Wadden Sea: World Wide unique

In the framework of the elaboration of the nomination dossier for the Dutch-German Wadden Sea, a comparison was made of the Wadden Sea with other comparable properties, some of them being on the World Heritage List, some not. The comparison was done by IMARES, The Netherlands. The only World Heritage property that has extensive mudflats is the Banc d´Arguin National Park in Mauritania. Of other mudflat sites in the world larger than 300 km2 only Georgia Bight on the east coast of the US compares to the Wadden Sea.

The Wadden Sea is one of its kind. The Banc d’Arguin is situated in a different climate and has a significantly smaller mudflat area. The tidal basins along the Georgia Bight comprise tidal channels, narrow intertidal flats fringing the channels, and huge expanses of Spartina whereas the Wadden Sea has open intertidal flats fringed by salt marshes.

The IMARES report can be found in volume two of the dossier at

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/management/whs/whs.html

Danish Wadden Sea will become National Park

The Danish Parliament decided on 17 January 2008 to designate the Danish Wadden Sea including the islands and adjacent marsh areas as a National Park. The procedure for the designation as stipulated in the Act on National Parks will commence in spring 2009.

Download map:
http://www.skovognatur.dk/Ud/Oplev/Nationalparker/Vadehavet/Udgivelser_kort/

Further information (in Danish):
http://www.skovognatur.dk/Ud/Oplev/Nationalparker/Vadehavet/

Dutch Wadden Sea Advisory Board visits National Park Lower Saxony

The Dutch “Raad vor de Wadden” (Wadden Sea Advisory Board) visited the National Park Lower Saxony on 21-22 April 2008. The visit was jointly organized by the National Park Administration and the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat.

The first day started with an excursion to the island of Spiekeroog where the board was informed about how the national park concept combines nature conservation measures and sustainable use. The guests were welcomed by the Mayor Bernd Fiegenheim and visited the recently established information center "Wittbülten". Themes like climate change and its consequences for the Wadden Sea, use of natural resources, coastal defence and restoration of dune and salt marsh habitats were discussed intensively.

At the second day, the Board visited the National Park Center “Das Wattenmeerhaus” in Wilhelmshaven for a joint meeting with the National Park Administration and the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat. The National Park Administration is the secretariat for the Lower Saxon Advisory Board and it was agreed to continue the information exchange and the cooperation between the two Boards.

http://www.nationalpark-wattenmeer.niedersachsen.de/ master/C46651735_N6905445_L20_D0_I5912119.html

2. Research & Monitoring

Results from the TMAP have now got a special place at the CWSS website. Annual reports (seals; birds), as well as thematic reports, maps or inventories can be downloaded at

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/TMAP/results.html

Trends of Migratory and Wintering Waterbirds in the Wadden Sea 1987/88 - 2005/06

The Joint Monitoring of Migratory Birds (JMMB) Group started to publish trend calculation of 34 waterbird species for the international Wadden Sea and the four regions - The Netherlands, the Federal States of Germany, Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein, and Denmark on a yearly update basis.

Now, trends from 1987/98 until 2005/06 in overviews of 19 years and 10 years periods are available on the homepage of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat as well as for each individual migratory bird species covered by the trilateral monitoring program.

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/TMAP/9-birds.html

Number of harbour seals increased

The total number of about 17,600 harbour seals observed in the Wadden Sea in 2007 indicates that the population has returned to its pre 2002-epizootic level of 17,900 animals. This is one year earlier than predicted.

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/news/news/Seals/Annual-reports/seals2007.html

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/TMAP/10-mammals.html

TMAP Salt Marsh Workshop on Rømø

On 21- 23 April 2008, the TMAP salt marsh experts met on the island on Rømø to exchange results from research and monitoring and to organize the salt marsh assessment for the next Wadden Sea Quality Status Report 2009.

At the first day, an overview of ongoing salt marsh project and monitoring activities were presented, such as various salt marsh restoration projects in Lower Saxony (de-embankment of summer polders), and results of the salt marsh monitoring in Schleswig-Holstein and the Netherlands.

At the second day, the workshop discussed the application of historical data sets for trilateral assessment, experiences with the TMAP salt marsh typology (for the first time applied in the QSR 2004) and agreed on further amendments of the typology for the coming trilateral assessment.

Another topic was the implementation of the EU Habitats and Water Framework Directive and the further development of the salt marsh Targets of the Wadden Sea Plan.

Contents and data analysis for the QSR salt marsh report were elaborated and practical arrangements for the QSR work were agreed on. The workshop was concluded with a salt marsh excursion at the third day. The next meeting is scheduled in November 2008.

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/TMAP/6-saltmarsh.html

Closing event MINOS+ project great success

MINOS stands for Marine warm-blooded animals in the North and Baltic Seas: Foundations for assessment of offshore wind farms.

More than expected the closing event of the MINOS+ project in Hamburg satisfied the organizers of the conference. Some 120 participants used the event as a platform for discussions.

Scientists from Büsum, Kiel and Stralsund talked about the potential ecologic consequences of building and running of offshore wind plants on the wildlife in North and Baltic Seas.

Recent methods and new results were reported and discussed by the participants of the conference.

An incredible high number of hours of scientific work led to new results about the ecology in North and Baltic Seas. Thousands of miles by plane and ship took part of the recent data base.

The knowledge about distribution and behaviour of marine mammals and seabirds has increased significantly during this six years period of research.

The result of the project are published in:
Wollny-Goerke, K. & Eskildsen, K. (Eds.), 2008. Marine mammals and seabirds in front of offshore wind energy. MINOS - Marine warm-blooded animals in North and Baltic Seas. Teubner Verlag, Wiesbaden. ISBN 978-3-8351-0235-4. EURO 44, 90.

Source: Schleswig-Holstein Agency for Coastal Defence, National Park and Marine Conservation Department "National Park and Marine Conservation"

http://www.minos-info.org/

3. Information & Education

Trilateral Wadden Sea Exhibition in Bonn

On 19 May, the German Environmental State Secretary Ms. Astrid Klug opened the trilateral Wadden Sea exhibition “One Nature – Three Countries” on the occasion of the 9th Conference of Parties of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in Bonn on 19 – 30 May 2008 with participation of about 5200 experts from over 150 countries.

The exhibition was prepared by the Danish Environmental Center Ribe in cooperation with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the Wadden Sea National Parks in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Lower Saxony and with support by the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The exhibition “One Nature – Three Countries” underlines the common responsibility of the three states for the unique Wadden Sea ecosystem. The Wadden Sea Cooperation has achieved a level of joined-up environmental protection and wise management which is unprecedented in Europe: protection of this ecosystem of global importance by common management and policy, an integrated monitoring program, and sustainable use with support by the local stakeholders. This is a success model of transboundary management for biological diversity.

The exhibition also shows that there are new challenges ahead such as possible impacts from climate change or intensified economic developments. The trilateral cooperation is shaping up for future challenges to keep the Wadden Sea natural and to conserve it for future generations.

International Wadden Sea School – Successful Trilateral Education in 2007

The educational project of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation “International Wadden Sea School” (IWSS) looks back on a successful 4th season of trilateral Wadden awareness-raising. Throughout the Wadden Sea, about 10,000 pupils took part in educational activities of the IWSS-partners with a special focus on international aspects and cross-border nature protection. More than half of the participants enjoyed the Wadden Sea on international class trips to a neighbouring country.

The IWSS websites has been completely revised towards a four-lingual service- and information platform for environmental education in the international Wadden Sea and provides a broad service-section for class-trips to national and international Wadden Sea destinations.

In May 2008, the IWSS was awarded the title "Official Project of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development" by the UNESCO. It was also successfully certified as “Educational partner for a sustainable development” by the Schleswig-Holstein “Forum Nachhaltig Lernen”.

For 2008, further trilateral resources and joint educational projects like a Wadden Sea wide beach explorer programme are planned – for a common future of the Wadden Sea.

More information about the International Wadden Sea School and its products at:
http://www.iwss.org/

4. New Publications

The living historic landscape – strategies for management

The variety and diversity of the cultural heritage in the Wadden Sea Region reflects the historical interaction of human activity and a changing natural environment. The cultural heritage has a powerful influence on peoples’ sense of shared identity and pride.

These issues were taken up by the Interreg IIB project LancewadPlan, which has been finalized recently.

One of the main outputs were a proposal for an integrated strategy for the preservation and management of the heritage, a striking characterization of the whole Wadden Sea region by the description and analysis of 60 cultural entities along the coast including a synthesis about the vulnerabilities and potentials and a handbook of best practice examples how to sustainably deal with our cultural heritage.

The results are now published in two brochures:

"A living historic landscape" describes the overall as well as the relevant sector strategies for the management of the heritage.

"Cultural Heritage in the Wadden Sea Region" is a booklet about the project results, highlighted by fantastic photos.

Both brochures are available as pdf-files on the website and can also be ordered at the secretariat.

http://www.lancewadplan.org

Trilateral workshop on declining trends in migratory waterbirds

The proceedings of the trilateral workshop on "Seriously declining trends in migratory waterbirds in the Wadden Sea" are now available. On 31 August 2006, leading experts from all Wadden Sea countries met at a workshop in the Wattenmeerhaus Wilhelmshaven, on invitation of the Nationalparkverwaltung (the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park Authority), the Institute of Avian Research and the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat.

Since the beginning of the eighties, water birds have been monitored in the entire Wadden Sea, in a close spatial and temporal pattern, mostly by hundreds of voluntary counters. Only this long-term and successful way of monitoring has facilitated the identification of development trends. The evaluation of the data gathered in the period from 1980 to 2000, in the framework of the Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Program (TMAP) between Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands, which has been coordinated by the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, had alerted the scientists and was the cause for the workshop held in Wilhelmshaven.

http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/TMAP/wse23/wse23.html

A vision of the Wadden Sea in 2050

One of the important principles in sustainable development is to anticipate and to integrate future developments enabling future generations to live in an appropriate environment and society. Two generations share their visions of the Lower Saxon coast for the year 2050 in the book. Individuals linked up to different institutions like NGO, chamber of agriculture as well as coastal protection and responsible nature conservation authorities, have written their visions for 2050. Besides that, children of a primary school have drawn their imagination of the future.

For example, Mr Jens Enemark, Secretary of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS), imagines a letter to his great-granddaughter. He describes a journey from the City of Oldenburg to the Island of Norderney with new and innovative means of transport and all the changes which might happen in the Wadden Sea area until 2050. Mr Eckhard Asche as the project leader for the project East Frisia active for nature and agriculture envisages an excursion of a „marsh ranger“ with tourists along the Lower Saxonian coast using his solar vehicle. Further authors of the multifaceted contributions are Mr Hans Kunz, formerly Coastal Research Station, Norderney, Mr Michael Schirmer, project leader of several climate impact research projects and head of a dike board in Bremen, Mrs Barbara Woltmann, head of spatial planning at the regional agency of the ministry of the interior, Mr Mühlner, head of the division environment at the county Wesermarsch, Mr Bergmann, ! head of the NABU nature conservation organisation in East Frisia, and Mr Peter Südbeck, head of the national park authority in Wilhelmshaven. They all have given their imagination about the near future. So, the book aims to stimulate all the coastal citizens to think about future development and appropriate and applicable solutions for problems to come.

Zukunfts-Bilder. Die niedersächsische Küste im Jahr 2050.

Editors: Frank Ahlhorn, Jürgen Meyerdirks, Thomas Klenke

Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg, 47 pages, 9,80 Euro

5. Trilateral Meetings

Trilateral Working Group (TWG),
17 – 18 June 2008, Esbjerg, Denmark

Coastal Protection and Sea Level rise (CPSL)
25 – 26 June 2008, Norderney, Germany

Trilateral Data Handling Group (TDG)
4 September 2008, Hamburg

Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Group (TMAG)
10 - 11 September 2008, The Netherlands

Coastal Protection and Sea Level rise (CPSL)
23 - 24 September 2008, Mandø, Denmark

A complete overview is at:
http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/trilat/meetings/meetings.html

Meetings of the Wadden Sea Forum (WSF) are at:
http://www.waddensea-forum.org/WSFnewCalendar.htm

6. Symposia & Workshops

Only new events are listed. A complete list of upcoming events is at:
http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/news/events/otherconf.html

4 - 5 June 2008, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The base for future harmonised management of estuaries and coastal zones
Final HARBASINS conference.
www.harbasins.org

11 June 2008, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Blue Mussel Fishery Management in the Wadden Sea
http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/news/symposia/mussel%202008/bluemussels.html
Registration at: info@waddensea-secretariat.org

26 - 28 November 2008, Venice, Italy
LITTORAL 2008 A changing coast: challenge the environmental policies
CORILA, EUCC - The Coastal Union and EUROCOAST have the pleasure to invite you to participate in this LITTORAL 2008, 9th International Conference.
http://www.littoral2008.corila.it/