New impetus for the protection of the Wadden Sea

Representatives of the Dutch, Danish and German governments meeting today in Westerland/Sylt agreed on new impetus for the protection of the Wadden Sea. At the conference, which was attended by over 130 international participants, the three partners of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation adopted a management plan for the entire Wadden Sea. Decisive action will now be taken against invasive alien species and the major challenges resulting from climate change. "Together with our Dutch and Danish partners we have placed the Wadden Sea Cooperation on a new footing and made it fit for its future tasks. This includes working with the region and the local authorities to examine how we can develop the Wadden Sea into a climate-neutral zone by 2030," noted Ursula Heinen-Esser, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry.

For the Wadden Sea ecosystem and for mankind it is vital to facilitate adaptation to the impacts of climate change through a package of measures. "Integrated coastal zone management, for example, provides an opportunity to align regional planning and development of the region with the challenges of climate change," Parliamentary State Secretary Heinen-Esser stressed.

At the conclusion of the conference the governments of the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany agreed on a joint political programme for the coming 3 years geared towards even better protection of the common ecosystem. "Especially now, after large parts of the Wadden Sea were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the middle of last year, we have the opportunity to promote our successful model internationally," commented Ms Heinen-Esser. She also welcomed the fact that the nomination of the Danish and Hamburg parts of the Wadden Sea as a World Heritage Site was launched at the conference. The Dutch, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony parts of the Wadden Sea were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2009.

The conference on Sylt included the signing of a modernised founding document for the Cooperation and a new administrative agreement for the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat. In future, a newly established Wadden Sea Board will take on the strategic leadership of the Wadden Sea Cooperation. This board will be comprised of representatives of the three governments - or in Germany's case the Wadden Sea federal Länder - as well as two representatives from the nature conservation associations and the Wadden Sea Forum, an independent platform of stakeholders in the region. Parliamentary State Secretary Ursula Heinen-Esser emphasised: "Constructive dialogue with the representatives of the region, their knowledge and experience and their support for our political programme are essential for the success of our cooperation on the protection of the Wadden Sea"

With the conclusion of the Sylt Conference, the presidency of the Wadden Sea Cooperation passes from Germany to Denmark. "We must now breathe life into the new structures," stressed Ms Heinen-Esser: "Together with our colleagues in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Bremen and our Dutch partners, we will give Denmark our active and committed support in this task."