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Esbjerg 2001 / Stade 1997/ Leeuwarden 1994 / Esbjerg 1991 /

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The  Ninth Trilateral Governmental Conference on the Protection of the Wadden Sea  Esbjerg, October 31, 2001

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Ministerial Declaration
Annex 1 Seal Management Plan (odf file)	Annex 2  Adaptation of Delimitation Wadden Sea Area and Conservation Area
Annex 3  National, IMO and EU activities to improve safety of shipping	Annex 4  Map of the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) Wadden Sea
Annex 5  Statement to the 5th North Sea Conference	Annex 6 Wadden Sea Forum

ANNEX 5

Statement to the 5th International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, Bergen, Norway, 20-21 March 2002

 The Minister of Environment and Energy, Denmark, the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany and the State Secretary of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, The Netherlands, responsible for the protection of the Wadden Sea Area, met at the 9th Trilateral Governmental Conference on the Protection of the Wadden Sea in Esbjerg, Denmark, on 31 October 2001 (the Esbjerg II Wadden Sea Conference)

They

Recall

the specific references of previous North Sea Conferences to the Wadden Sea as an area highly relevant for the North Sea ecosystem as a whole and, therefore, in need of special protection and, to give high priority to measures which are likely to have a special significance for the Wadden Sea

UNDERLINE

the many ecological interrelationships between the Wadden Sea and the open North Sea and the need to continue to pursue integrated policies to ensure environmental and nature protection and sustainable development in the North Sea area.

I. The Protection of Species and Habitats

Welcome

the progress made in the development of an international regime for the protection of coastal and marine species and habitats, in particular the development of criteria for the selection of threatened species and habitats, the selection and management of Marine Protected Areas, the development of a draft list of ecological quality objectives, the reform of the European Union’s common fisheries policy , and the FAO Code of Responsible Fisheries.

BRING TO ATTENTION

the listing of most of the Wadden Sea Area as Natura 2000 area, to constitute Europe's most comprehensive marine Natura 2000 area

their positive experiences with common trilateral ecological Targets for the development of conservation management

the establishment of reference areas without human exploitation in the Wadden Sea

the establishment of a protection area for harbour porpoises in German coastal waters

that they have addressed the issue of industrial fishing

Express concern

about the continuing poor status of a considerable number of, target- and non-target species, benthic species and habitats, and some marine mammals, in the Wadden Sea, as well as, in the North Sea, especially in relation to high fishing intensity

about the continuous introduction of non-indigenous species into the North Sea including the Wadden Sea, mainly through the release of ships' ballast water

about the possible impacts of large infrastructural developments in the North Sea on the Wadden Sea ecosystem.

Call upon the North Sea ministers

to adopt and implement ecological quality objectives as a basis for conservation and protection of North Sea species and habitats

to address the problems with by-catch, discarding and too high fishing levels in a number of present North Sea fisheries, and to develop proposals for more sustainable fisheries including industrial fisheries

to continue the efforts of establishing an ecological network of marine protected areas covering all representative North Sea habitats

with a view to the declining numbers of the harbour porpoise, to intensify the international efforts to improve the status of this species by putting in force a sustainable fisheries policy, aiming at reducing by-catch, on the basis of the ecosystem approach

to help enhance the implementation of the EU Habitats and Birds Directives regarding e.g. sandbanks and reefs

to address the problem of the introduction of alien species in the North Sea including the Wadden Sea.

 

II. The Prevention of Pollution by Hazardous Substances and Nutrients

Recall

the statements made at previous North Sea Conferences that measures to reduce and prevent pollution of the Wadden Sea would be implemented with high priority.

Welcome

the reduction of inputs and concentrations of many hazardous substances and of nutrients in the Wadden Sea and the North Sea, as documented in the Wadden Sea QSR and North Sea QSR, which have occurred in the past decade and which are the result of the successful implementation of national and international agreements,

Express concern

about the continuing high nitrogen inputs into the Wadden Sea

the relatively high levels of pesticides monitored in the Wadden Sea, as documented in the Wadden Sea QSR

Express their intention

to continue to work towards achieving the goals set within the OSPARCOM and the North Sea Conferences and to fully implement the stipulations of the EU Nitrate and Municipal Wastewater Directives, especially with regard to nitrogen compounds

to continue to implement policies for reduction of natural micropollutants

Call upon the North Sea Ministers

to intensify efforts to reduce the application of pesticides and other xenobiotic compounds and, as a first step, to implement programs and measures to reach the 2020 target (Esbjerg Declaration §17) for all chemicals already identified for priority action.

III. The Prevention of Pollution from Ships

Welcome

the designation of the North Sea as a special area under MARPOL Annex I

the mandatory routeing measures for certain tankers north of the Dutch-German Wadden Sea

the IMO decision to phase out TBT anti fouling paints on all ships by 2003

the IMO decision to phase out single hull tankers, entering into force in 2002, initiated by the EU

Express concern

about a number of accidents with ships amongst others the MV Pallas and the MV Erika

BRING TO ATTENTION

their decision to nominate a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) in the Wadden Sea to the IMO

Call upon the North Sea ministers

to actively support the nomination in the relevant IMO fora.

 

IV. The Impacts by Offshore Wind Turbines

Welcome

the positive contribution of wind energy to reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases

BRING TO THE ATTENTION

the rapid development with regard to the planning and construction of offshore wind turbines

the gaps in knowledge regarding the impacts of offshore wind turbines on marine mammals, birds, fish and benthic fauna

INVITE the North Sea ministers

to exchange information and to develop guidelines and principles for the installation of offshore wind energy parks, taking account of, amongst others, the protection of species and habitats and the high density of ships in the area, in order to develop a North Sea wide coordinated approach to the development of offshore wind energy production.

V. Coastal Protection and Sea Level Rise

EXPRESS CONCERN

about the impacts of possible increased sea level and storm frequency for typical features of the Wadden Sea ecosystem

BRING TO THE ATTENTION

their positive experiences with the integration of coastal protection and nature protection policies

CALL UPON THE NORTH SEA MINISTERS

to start developing policies for the integration of coastal protection and nature protection with a view to anticipated changes in sea level and storminess.