Trilateral
Dune Conference Underlined Importance of Wadden Sea
Dunes
Over 50 Dutch, Danish, German and English experts met at
the trilateral dune conference in Wilhelmshaven on 28
August 2008, which was jointly organized by the National
Park Administration Lower Saxon Wadden Sea and the
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat.
The
speakers at the conference, from left: Pat Doody (UK),
Evert Jan Lammerts (NL), Knud-Erik Nielsen (DK), Axel
Hochkirch (D), Jörg Petersen (D), Ab Grootjans (NL), Bas
Arens (NL) (Photo: Gerold Lüerßen).
Once widespread in Central Europe, dunes have become
extremely rare habitat types on the mainland, whereas
they still represent important landscape elements at the
coast. "The dune habitats are an integrated element of
the Wadden Sea ecosystem which has been transboundarily
protected in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark"
explained Ms. Elsa Nickel of the Federal
Environmental Ministry in her opening speech. "The
nomination of the Wadden Sea as World Heritage Site
underlines the international importance of the Wadden
See dunes and appreciates the protection efforts which
have been achieved over the last two decades."
Recent management issues to protect and restore dune
habitats were a focus of the conference, which
concerned, amongst others, how to deal with impacts from
climate change, introduction of new plants and animals,
eutrophication, tourism, as well as future coastal
protection needs.
"The dune islands with their beaches and tidal flats are
unique in a global perspective - their protection has
high priority in the trilateral cooperation" said Mr.
Jens Enemark, head of the Common Wadden Sea
Secretariat. Dunes provide habitat for an enormous
variety of plants and animals. Because a natural dune
dynamic is indispensable for their existence, the
ecological needs must be balanced with other interests.
Especially wet dune slacks are of outstanding importance
because they are inhabited by a number of endangered
species which have became rare during the last decades
because of habitat loss, stabilization of dunes and
lowering of ground water table. As a result, some Dutch
Wadden Sea islands have stopped ground water extraction
on the islands and get their drinking water from the
mainland. Other islands, such as Schiermonnikoog,
Vlieland, Norderney and Langeoog, have found other
solutions to reduce the negative impacts on dunes.
The conference also illustrated progress in dune
protection which has been achieved over the last years,
also as an important element of the Natura 2000 network.
Drinking water extraction and coastal protection
measures on the islands should be carried out without
threatening flora and fauna of dune slacks.
A natural dynamic of dune development is an ideal
precondition to preserve the nature values of European
dunes. Recommendations on how to increase dune dynamic
had been prepared by a Dutch expert team and were also
presented at the conference.
Mr. Peter Südbeck, Director of the National Park
Administration Lower Saxon Wadden Sea, concluded "The
implementation of the European nature conservation
directives in the Wadden Sea requires a tuning between
the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. The Lower Saxon
Wadden Sea National Park has the largest proportion of
dunes in the trilateral conservation area and will
therefore continue supporting an intensive transboundary
cooperation. The proposed protection measures are in
line with the aims of national parks ".
Press information in
German
http://www.nationalpark-wattenmeer.niedersachsen.de/master.jsp?C=49387152&I=
