30 years ago, on the 1st of October 1991, the Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea (Wadden Sea Seal Agreement/WSSA)) entered into force and became the first international, legally binding agreement under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals - established in the year 1979.

The Wadden Sea is well known for the large flocks of birds that visit the area during the annual migration to and from the Arctic. In recent years, there has been increased concern about these Arctic travellers due to the impact of changing climatic conditions in the Arctic.

More than 100 dead harbour porpoises have washed up on the beaches of the Dutch Wadden Sea islands of Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog in the last week, as reported by the University of Utrecht.

The 2020-2021 counts show a steady increase in the number of grey seals in the Wadden Sea.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 32^nd meeting of the Wadden Sea Board, postponed from November 2020, was held online on 4 March 2021.

UNESCO released the first global scientific assessment of its World Heritage marine sites’ blue carbon ecosystems, highlighting the critical environmental value of these habitats.

About 395,000 breeding pairs of coastal breeding birds occur in the transnational Wadden Sea, of which 75% inhabit the islands and Halligen.