News Archief - Programma naar een Rijke Waddenzee

vismonitoring Zoutkamperlaag Michiel Firet

Knowledge necessary for improving the Wadden Sea fish stock

Fish species use the Wadden region in various ways. Some fish grow on it and then leave. Others stay there all their lives. There are also fish species that reproduce in the fresh water (mainland) and later migrate to the Ocean or the North Sea via the Wadden Sea. And sometimes the other way around. We are working on removing obstacles to these migratory fish along the entire Wadden coast. And on solutions to make fish migration possible. In this way we contribute to the recovery of the fish stock in the Wadden Sea.

LEARNING JOURNEY TO SAMSØ AND ÆRO (E-FERRY ‘ELLEN’)

In order to learn from other transition processes, PRW’s Rick Timmerman and Gerwin Klomp visited the Energiakademiet on the Danish island of Samsø and took a look around the electric-powered ferry ‘Ellen’, which operates between Søby (Æro island) and Fynshavn. During their time here, they saw, experienced and listened to all of the lessons that can be learned from two unique and high-profile sustainability initiatives in Denmark.

INVENTORY OF FISH MONITORING AND RESEARCH PROGRAMMES FOR THE WADDEN SEA

The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) has published the ‘Trilateral Fish Monitoring: Overview of monitoring and research for Swimway’, which is part of the Research and Monitoring Pillar of the trilateral Swimway Vision and Action Programme. The report presents an overview of monitoring and long-term research programmes into marine and estuarine fish in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, with a focus on Wadden Sea tidal flats, gullies (tidal inlets and streams) as well as subtidal marine areas and estuaries bordering the Wadden Sea.

RISING SEA LEVELS IN THE NORTH SEA AND WADDEN SEA: CONTRAST WITH GLOBAL TRENDS EXPLICABLE

A number of signs of rising sea levels have been observed along the North Sea and Wadden Sea coast. The global sea level is rising at a faster rate than we are observing in the North Sea and Wadden Sea and some future scenarios are predicting extremely high sea levels. The PRW (Programme towards a Rich Wadden Sea) has commissioned an analysis of the consistency between these indicators, the results of which are published in the report entitled Zeespiegelstijging langs de Nederlandse kust en de regionale bestuurlijke consequenties (Rising sea levels along the Dutch coast and the related regional administrative consequences).

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS MIGRATORY BIRDS IN WADDEN SEA REGION

There are clear indications that the climate, both in the Netherlands and elsewhere, is changing faster than was generally thought only a few years ago. The Programme for a Healthy Wadden Sea (PRW) has commissioned the Wadden Academy to identify the consequences of this development for birds on the East-Atlantic migratory route, based on an analysis of existing scientific data. The report, The effects of climate change on birds in the Wadden Sea region, compiled by expert Jeroen Reneerkens, presents the findings and conclusions of the study.

JOINT COMMITMENT TO DARK SKIES IN THE WADDEN SEA REGION

The night sky in the Dutch, German and Danish sections of the Wadden Sea is still truly dark. Even here, though, light pollution is increasing, with lasting consequences for people and nature. In an effort to create awareness of this issue among local residents and companies and include the tourism perspective , we will use the Earth Hour initiative on Saturday 28 March to highlight the value of dark skies and the associated sustainable choices for the Wadden Sea (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

DARK SKY IN THE TRILATERAL PICTURE

On Tuesday, 19 November Nynke-Rixt Jukema, on behalf of the Programme for a Healthy Wadden Sea (PRW), gave a presentation on Dark Sky for the Wadden Sea Forum. This is an independent platform of stakeholders in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands devoted to the sustainable development of the trilateral Wadden Sea. Sustainable development also involves recognition of the importance of dark night skies and opportunities to promote their economic potential through tourism. These efforts help to make Dark Sky a permanent fixture on the trilateral agenda.