Stade Declaration Trilateral Wadden Sea Plan Common Package TMAP Work Program Guinea-Bissau Download (pdf)   Home

Trilateral Wadden Sea Plan Eighth Trilateral Governmental Conference on the Protection of the Wadden Sea Stade, Germany, October 22, 1997 Contents: Preface I. Integrated Management II. The Targets: 1 Landscape and Culture 2 Water and Sediment 3 Salt Marshes 4 Tidal Area 5 Beaches and Dunes   6 Estuaries 7 Offshore Area 8 Rural Area 9 Birds 10 Marine Mammals   Appendix I: Maps Appendix II: Index of Activites Appendix III: Glossary   5 Beaches and Dunes Beaches and dunes include beaches, primary dunes, beach plains, primary dune valleys, secondary dunes and heathland behind the dunes (Leeuwarden Declaration Annex I). Most beaches and dunes are situated on the North Sea side of the barrier islands. Mainland beaches and dunes can be found on the Skallingen and Eiderstedt peninsulas and the Husumer Bucht.   Status Dunes and beaches have an important coastal protection function. In most parts of the Wadden Sea Area dunes are protected. The dynamics of the coastal zone have been restricted, especially in the neighborhood of inhabited areas, buildings and other artificial structures. The desire for safer, arable and inhabitable land has also led to the construction of sand dikes between neighboring dune areas or the construction of long sand dikes on the east side of islands. The result has been a considerable loss of dynamic areas and the loss of relatively rare sub-habitats, like green beach plains and primary dune valleys. Large parts of our stable dune regions must have been overgrazed in former times, resulting in a very dynamic, but not natural, situation. This situation has changed completely. Most of the older dunes are consolidated now, partly covered by pine wood plantations, and sand transport by wind is restricted by sea defence measures. Most old dunes are erosion-free now, just being, more or less, fossil bodies with aging vegetation, without the natural renewal of secondary dune formation. Water extraction on many of the islands has caused a lowering of the ground water table and, consequently, the disappearance of wet dune valleys with their typical vegetation. The dune vegetation is negatively affected by the input of nutrients from the air. Dunes and beaches are attractive sites for tourists. Intensive use may cause damage to the vegetation and disturbance of animals.   Targets       Increased natural dynamics of beaches, primary dunes, beach planes and primary dune valleys in connection with the offshore zone. An increased presence of a complete natural vegetation succession. Favorable conditions for migrating and breeding birds.   Assessment Existing policies focus, mainly, on the protection and conservation of dunes and beaches and the harmonization of nature protection and sea defence policies. These policies have, generally, fixed the status quo. Recreational pressure, in some areas, still causes loss of natural dunes and beaches, disturbance of flora and fauna and a lowering of the ground water table through increased ground water extraction. The only two threatened breeding bird species in the Wadden Sea Area, the Kentish Plover and the Little Tern, breed on beaches.   How to proceed In order to implement the Targets on increased natural dynamics and natural vegetation succession, a more active policy is necessary, promoting coastal protection techniques which allow for higher natural dynamics. In addition, active stimulation measures enhancing the dynamic situation on beaches and in dunes may be taken. Coastal management must be carefully tuned to natural values and natural processes. Additional protection of beach breeding species may be achieved through relatively simple zoning measures limited in space and time. From these, also the Grey Seal, which whelps and nurses on sands, may profit. Efforts should be made to extend the protection of dune areas in the Wadden Sea Area.   5.1 Trilateral policy and management 5.1.1 Dunes will be brought under protection, insofar as this has not yet been done and natural processes are allowed to take place within this habitat, with special emphasis on flora and fauna. To this end, Best Environmental Practice will be applied in dune protection and development. 5.1.2 The interests of nature protection and sea defence measures will be further harmonized, taking into account that the safety of the inhabitants is essential. 5.1.3 For beaches, the trilateral policy takes into account the demands of recreation and tourism, coastal protection and natural values, like high geomorphological dynamics and important breeding areas. Where possible, the natural situation should be increased by 'hands-off management'. 5.1.4 In order to prevent a further loss of dune areas, the existing infrastructure will, in principle, not be extended and new constructions will, in principle, not be allowed. 5.1.5 Coastal management should aim at a natural dynamic development taking into account the necessity to protect the security of the inhabitants on the islands and safeguarding the stability and the infrastructure of the islands. 5.1.6 The loss of biotopes by sea defence measures will be minimized. 5.1.7 In case coastal protection is carried out, Best Environmental Practice will be applied. 5.1.8 It is the aim to reduce disturbance caused by recreation and tourism by introducing and applying information systems and/or temporal and spatial zoning. (Identical with 3.1.12). 5.1.9 It is important to restore the natural dynamics. This could be done by e.g. - allowing sand drift, - restoring natural dune vegetation, as far as coastal protection is not affected. 5.1.10 Ground water extraction will be managed in such a way that no negative effects on wet dune valleys occur.   5.2 Trilateral projects and actions 5.2.1 The selection of potential areas where dynamic dune development is possible and the elaboration of plans for stimulating and improving a dynamic development on the basis of available information. 5.2.2 A study into the possible effects of enhanced sea level rise by a Trilateral Expert Group to be established under the coordination responsibility of the competent authorities and, on the basis of these studies, the development of proposals for future integrated coastal defence and nature protection policies. (Identical with 3.2.1, 4.2.1 and 7.2.1). 5.2.3 The encouragement of experiments with offshore sand suppletion. 5.2.4 An inventory and assessment of existing Best Environmental Practices for coastal protection. Top of Page / Next Chapter: II. The Targets: 6 Estuaries