Workshops and Symposia Monitoring - Foundations and Perspectives / Challenges to the Wadden Sea Area /Caring for the Wadden Sea / Data Management / Ecosystem Research Challenges to the Wadden Sea Area 10th International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium, Groningen (NL), October 31 - November 3, 2000 Convened by: Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries of the Netherlands in cooperation with: Prof. Dr. W.J. Wolff of the Department of Marine Biology of the University of Groningen Recommendations Program Recommendations THE 10TH INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC WADDEN SEA SYMPOSIUM, Having noted 43 oral scientific presentations and 24 poster presentations during the symposium Considering the discussions after the oral presentations and during the poster presentations as well as the discussions during the workshop on eider duck mortality Shore erosion  Concludes that The Wadden Sea faces erosion of its shorelines in many places and consequently major human interventions resulting in artificial constructions That sand nourishment proves to be an ecologically sound alternative, although the ecology of sandy beaches may require more attention Recommends To use sand nourishment on beaches and foreshore as the preferred technique for coastal protection To extract the sand needed for nourishment from places in the North Sea where the least damage to the underwater ecosystem is anticipated. Salt marsh management Concludes that Although salt marsh management by means of sheep or cattle grazing can increase the carrying capacity for geese, these management measures would disadvantage other species within the habitat A management of all habitats for geese by means of intensive or moderate sheep grazing intensities is, therefore, neither necessary nor appropriate and would oppose other management options Recommends that   Saltmarsh management - as already recommended at earlier symposia - should be based on clearly defined aims after which appropriate management measures should be taken Eelgrass restoration Observes that Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is declining in most of the Wadden Sea Restoration of estuarine gradients and decrease of nutrient loads are beneficial for eelgrass occurrence Bottom fisheries are able to destroy eelgrass occurrences Concludes that Restoration of eelgrass beds in the Wadden Sea is a viable option, but that separate restoration programs might be required for two different morphotypes of Z. marina: the flexible (growing around Mean Sea Level) and the robust type (occurring around Low Tide Level). In that case the flexible type of eelgrass should be restored first.   Harbour seal population growth Concludes that The population of the harbour seal in the Wadden Sea is growing fast and that this may result in conflicts with users of the Wadden Sea Recommends   To start trilateral research on how to reconcile the protection of the growing seal stock with the development of recreation and tourism and with fisheries management Shrimp fisheries Concludes that   That reduction of shrimp fishery during a few weeks in summer may contribute to better survival of juvenile plaice, without having  much effect on the yields of the shrimp fisheries Considering The wish for sustainable fisheries Recommends A careful consideration of the feasibility of this reduction of fishing effort which may be supplemented by technical measures to reduce by-catch. Intertidal beds of mussels and cockles Concludes that: Intertidal mussel beds, after having been destroyed, require much more time to restore naturally than earlier assumed; There are indications that recruitment of cockles is negatively influenced by mechanized cockle fisheries; Recommends that: These new findings will be made the subject of further research and that the available evidence will be used in the management of the shellfisheries Mortality of eider ducks Concludes that The major cause of the mortality of eider ducks in the Wadden Sea in the winter of 1999/2000 was food shortage, possibly caused by a coincidence of structurally low resources since 1990 and even lower stocks in the winter 1999/2000, low quality of the shellfish, many crabs, and no Spisula; That we have been unable to determine the cause(s) of this food shortage with certainty because major data were lacking or not available Recommends that To better understand the apparent reduction of the carrying capacity of the Wadden Sea for shellfish consuming birds and to enable a successful food reservation policy, more and reliable data about the shellfish resources have to be on hand, such as data on food quality of shellfish, stock assessments of blue mussels on the cultivation plots, intertidal and subtidal resources, as well as accurate counts of eiders ducks and other shell eating birds. The Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Group defines a catalogue of data to be monitored among which data of fishery activities. The data should be made available both at appropriate places on the Internet and in an annual report, along the lines of ICES annual working group reports. To allow an appropriate assessment of the impact of shellfish fisheries, scientific investigations should be performed open and public, while results should preferably be peer reviewed. Any political translation  of results into political decisions will have to follow a separate process The Baltic/Danish/German/Dutch Eider flyway population should be monitored on an international level To be better prepared for calamities, like the Eider mortality, the Common Wadden Sea Secretariate should be asked to draft a recording and analysis protocol. Monitoring of fish and fisheries  Concludes that The Wadden Sea provides space for a variety of ecological functions regarding demersal and pelagic fish and shrimp populations Existing policy aims at restoration of estuarine gradients, including free (or improved) passage for migratory (so called diadromous) fish species, most of which are on the Red List for the Wadden Sea Monitoring of fish and shrimps is not appropriately represented in the Common Package of the Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Program (TMAP) Recommends that Monitoring of  fish is included in the TMAP Common Package, taking into account already existing programs (e.g. Demersal Young Fish Surveys), and the development of  additional monitoring programs (for pelagic and diadromous species). Socio-economic targets  Concludes that Basic data to describe the socio-economic development of the Wadden Sea area are lacking for most areas Recommends to Install a working group in order to elaborate socio-economic targets for the trilateral level Based on these targets, develop a socio-economic monitoring system that includes the basic parameters and database structures that allow for an assessment of the economic system of the Wadden Sea coastal region, in concommittance to the assessment of the ecosystem  Stakeholders, inhabitants and users should be involved in this process at an appropriate stage. The Interregional Wadden Sea co-operation should be entrusted with this task Consider for this socio-economic monitoring to adapt the present delimitation of the co-operation area, because so far the geographical delimitation of the co-operation area excludes regions with intensive human activities affecting the Wadden Sea. Therefore, it should be considered to extend the co-operation area to include adjacent mainland and sea areas Amend the Common Package of the Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Program (TMAP) by integrating appropriate socio-economic monitoring parameters to monitor demographic changes, development of regional economics and social trends Integrate social, economic, cultural and ecological aspects in the sense of Agenda 21 and of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the monitoring system   Loss of Korean wetlands  Observes The actual and potential losses of important coastal biotopes due to the embankment of very large tidal flat areas in South Korea Recommends To the 9th Trilateral Governmental Conference to initiate a cooperation with South Korea to foster the transfer of knowledge and experience in the fields of tidal flat ecology and coastal zone management as gained in the European Wadden Sea area   Structure of the Scientific Wadden Sea Symposia Concludes that The process of arriving at scientific conclusions at the Wadden Sea symposia and translating these into recommendations for management and policy may be optimized Recommends that A small trilateral working group of scientists and government officials (with equal representations from the Wadden Sea countries) is set up to develop proposals for an efficient and unbiased transfer of scientific information [not: advice] from the Wadden Sea symposia to management and policy via the Trilateral Working Group and Trilateral Governmental Conference In addition to the above science-based conclusions and observations, and management and policy directed recommendations, the 10th International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium Observes that Although there were 40% females among the participants of the symposium, no more than 15% of the oral presentations were given by female scientists There was a paucity of presentations really attempting to - at a conceptual level - integrate knowledge from biological and environmental sciences, technology, socio-economics and other disciplines towards policy development and management Recommends that Home institutions and organizations encourage female scientists to submit contributions to the next International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium The integrated approach of  problems, such as dealt with in Integrated Coastal Zone Management, is better embedded in academic as well as in applied education programs in order to meet the future needs  in this field.     Program    PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME Monday 30 October 13:00- 18:00 Workshops. Several participants have suggested to organise workshops on specific subjects: 'Eider duck mortality' and 'Agriculture'. People interested in participation in one of these workshops should approach the initiators: Anky Woudstra (Eider duck mortality), woudstra@waddenvereniging.nl or Joke Stoop (Agriculture). stoop@waddenvereniging.nl Evening The English spoken première of: The Wadden Sea the last Dutch Wilderness by Rob de Wind Tuesday 31 October Welcome addresses Opening of the symposium by Mrs. Geke H. Faber, Secretary of State for Nature Conservation and Fisheries Address by the Chairman of the Trilateral Senior Officials, Mr. Ole Christiansen 'The status of the preparation of the 9th Wadden Sea Conference' Prof.dr. Wim J. Wolff - 'Ten International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposia in 25 years: what did we achieve?' Prof.dr. Peder Agger - 'Challenges to the Wadden Sea Area: the integration of economy and ecology' Coffee break Tourism and Recreation Matthias Feige - Introductory lecture theme S. Verhulst, B.J. Ens, L. Bruinzeel, K.H. Oosterbeek, A. Rutten & B. Spaans - Effects of human disturbance on birds C.J. Smit, B. Spaans & L.Bruinzeel - Flight distances of birds as a result of disturbances from recreation: an experimental study in the Dutch Wadden Sea. P.J.H.Reijnders & S.Brasseur - The challenge to accomodate seals and recreational demands in the Wadden Sea. Lunch Sea level rise Albert A. Oost - Introductory lecture theme: Relative sea level rise: its impact on the Wadden Sea M. Schirmer & B. Schuchardt - Impact of a climate change scenario on the Weser Estuary Region S. Osterkamp, D. Kraft & M. Schirmer - Impact of Future Sea Level Rise on the Vegetation and Fauna of the Weser Estuary Coffee break A.A. Oost, W.D. Eysink & J.M. Marquenie - Modelling the impact of sea level rise on tidal flat development I. Menn - Buried alive? Effects of sand replenishment on the bentic assemblage of erosive beaches O.S. Knottnerus - Sea level rise as a threat to cultural heritage Th. Knogge - Regional economic impacts of global climate change on the German NW coastal zone Poster session on the themes tourism and recreation and sea level rise. End of poster session Wednesday 1 November Fisheries Bruno J. Ens - Introductory lecture theme: What we know and what we should know about fisheries and aquacultures in the Wadden Sea A.G. Brinkman, N. Dankers & D. den Os - Mussel bed habitat suitability analysis of Wadden Sea tidal flats G. Nehls - Intertidal musselbeds in the Wadden Sea National Park of Schleswig Holstein A.C. Smaal, J. Craeymeersch, B.J. Ens, M.F. Leopold & M.R. van Stralen - The dynamics of shellfish populations in the Dutch Wadden Sea area and the facts on fishery impacts Coffee break B.J. Ens, A.G. Brinkman & J. v.d. Meer - Predicting the effects of shellfish fisheries, sea level rise and tourism on the waders and waterfowl inhabiting the Wadden Sea C.J.M. Philippart, O.G. Bos & J. van der Meer - Recruitment and settlement processes in marine bivalve stocks Th. Piersma - Why knots need space: food and habitat requirements of a mollusc-eating long-distance migrant Lunch Th. Neudecker - Trilateral catch limitations in brown shrimp fisheries, chance for discard reduction besides economic benefits T. van der Have - Shellfisheries policy and birds in the Dutch Wadden Sea: a case of adaptive management? N. Steins & F. Brocken - Balancing fisheries and nature in the Dutch Wadden Sea Coffee break Ecological and socio-economic targets Christiane Gätje & Folkert de Jong - "Introductory lecture theme - Ecological and socio-economic targets. M.J. Kolkman, F.J. de Roode & A. van der Veen - Assessing quality of decision methods M. van Dorp - Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Wadden Sea Poster session on the themes 'Fisheries', 'Ecotargets' and 'Future policy and management' End of poster session Symposium dinner IWSS lecture: Prof. dr. Chul-Hwan Koh Dept. Oceanography. Seoul Univ. Tidal flats of South Korea   Thursday 2 November Future policy and management (NN) - Introductory lecture theme V.N. de Jonge, E.C.M. Ruijgrok & M.B. de Vries - Application of concepts at different abstraction levels to integrate ecology and economy in coastal policy making E. Rehbinder - The necessity of future trilateral co-operation L. Fischer - Concerning the immaterial cultural heritage of the Wadden Sea region J.W. Wolff & R. Mulder: The Wadden Sea area, a contested region Coffee break J.P. Bakker & D. Bos - To graze or not to graze; that is the question M. J.J.E. Loonen & D. Bos: Geese in the Wadden Sea: the effect of land use on goose numbers H.P.J. Mulder, K. Essink & J.H. de Reus - Integral approach for the selection of dump sites in the Dutch Wadden Sea for dredged material from harbours J. van Beusekom- How fast can the Wadden Sea respond to nutrient reduction programmes? Lunch J. Asjes - Increasing the discharge capacity of the Afsluitdijk. An opportunity for the partial restoration of an estuary N. Jessen - Cultural history and cultural landscape as an issue of the ICZM of the Wadden Sea Area P. Walker, Z. Jager, G. Janssen & C. de Leeuw - Restoration of estuarine gradients along the Wadden Sea coast M.M. van Katwijk - Possibilities for restoration of eelgrassbeds in the Dutch Wadden Sea Coffee break P. Meire - Restoration plan for the Ems Conclusions and recommendations Closing address Friday 3 November 9:00 - 16:00 Excursion to the old Reitdiep-landscape, the Lauwersmeer area and the project Noord-Friesland Buitendijks, which concerns an outbanking of summer-polders   For further information please contact: Mr. Kees van Berkel Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, Regional Policy Department North: PO-box 30032, 9700 RM Groningen Tel: +31 (0) 50 5992315; e-mail: c.j.m.van.berkel@lnvn.agro.nl     Home | Trilateral Cooperation | News/Service | Management | Monitoring | Interregional Cooperation