12.2 Protection of processes in the Wadden Sea
283
The Wadden Sea is endangered by indirect and direct effects of human activities (e.g. coastal engineering) (see Lozan et a1. 1994). Thus the species stock of the
Wadden Sea has changed in the course of this century and in many cases the loss
of species meant a loss of associated fauna and flora (Reise 1994, Reise et a1.
1989). Also the reduction of habitats such as mud tlats, salt marshes and seagrass
beds caused declines in fauna and flora (de long et a1. 1993, Michaelis & Reise
1994, Reise et a1. 1994, Nordheim et a1. 1996, Schories et al. 1997, Reise 1998).
Still, as a landscape, the Wadden Sea is relatively unaffected by humans and
therefore of high ecological relevance. As one of the last coherent large-scale
landscapes of Central Europe left in a relatively pristine state (apart from the alpine regions of the Alps), the Wadden Sea is a valuable area in various regards
(Reise 1992; Broggi 1996). The total size of the three Wadden Sea National Parks
in Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein with approx. 524700 hectares under protection would be sufficiently large for the protection of processes.
The declaration of the National Parks with the clear commitment for the protection
of processes is a legal prerequisite for the continuity of the natural dynamic in this
ecosystem.
The protection of processes is also a base for international Wadden Sea policies. At the 6th Trilateral Governmental Conference in Esbjerg in 1991, the ministers for the environment of Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands agreed on a
Guiding Principle for the trilateral Wadden Sea policy and management, which is
"to achieve, as far as possible, a natural and sustainable ecosystem in which natural processes proceed in an undisturbed way."
However, protection of processes in the Wadden Sea cannot prevent anthropogenic impacts. Their solution requires other political decisions. Natural processes
are e.g. also affected by pollution from the land, rivers, the North Sea and its adjacent seas, and by climate change. Thus, protection of the Wadden Sea can never
stand alone, but requires an improvement of boundary conditions as well. A reduction of pollution and other anthropogenic impacts is the goal of international
conservation endeavours.
12.2.2
Realization of the Approach and Problems of Acceptance
To realize the protection of processes in the Wadden Sea National Park of Lower
Saxony which has still got a high share of human activities (e.g. tourism, fishing),
the area was divided into three zones of different protection level. The highest
protection level is realized in 54 % of the area (zone I), followed by areas for
restricted use (zone II) and areas for recreation (zone III). But even in zone I human acti vities are not totally banned, a fact further complicated by varying legislation depending on high and low tide. Another disadvantage for the efficiency of
the protection in zone I is their patch-work like arrangement in space without
regard to ecological requirements.
To improve the protection, the results of the applied part of the "Ecosystem Research Wadden Sea" in Schleswig-Holstein formed the scientific base for recommendations for a new concept of the National Park there (Stock et al. 1996). It is
suggested therein to protect entire tidal basins as the smallest ecological "units" in
283
The Wadden Sea is endangered by indirect and direct effects of human activities (e.g. coastal engineering) (see Lozan et a1. 1994). Thus the species stock of the
Wadden Sea has changed in the course of this century and in many cases the loss
of species meant a loss of associated fauna and flora (Reise 1994, Reise et a1.
1989). Also the reduction of habitats such as mud tlats, salt marshes and seagrass
beds caused declines in fauna and flora (de long et a1. 1993, Michaelis & Reise
1994, Reise et a1. 1994, Nordheim et a1. 1996, Schories et al. 1997, Reise 1998).
Still, as a landscape, the Wadden Sea is relatively unaffected by humans and
therefore of high ecological relevance. As one of the last coherent large-scale
landscapes of Central Europe left in a relatively pristine state (apart from the alpine regions of the Alps), the Wadden Sea is a valuable area in various regards
(Reise 1992; Broggi 1996). The total size of the three Wadden Sea National Parks
in Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein with approx. 524700 hectares under protection would be sufficiently large for the protection of processes.
The declaration of the National Parks with the clear commitment for the protection
of processes is a legal prerequisite for the continuity of the natural dynamic in this
ecosystem.
The protection of processes is also a base for international Wadden Sea policies. At the 6th Trilateral Governmental Conference in Esbjerg in 1991, the ministers for the environment of Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands agreed on a
Guiding Principle for the trilateral Wadden Sea policy and management, which is
"to achieve, as far as possible, a natural and sustainable ecosystem in which natural processes proceed in an undisturbed way."
However, protection of processes in the Wadden Sea cannot prevent anthropogenic impacts. Their solution requires other political decisions. Natural processes
are e.g. also affected by pollution from the land, rivers, the North Sea and its adjacent seas, and by climate change. Thus, protection of the Wadden Sea can never
stand alone, but requires an improvement of boundary conditions as well. A reduction of pollution and other anthropogenic impacts is the goal of international
conservation endeavours.
12.2.2
Realization of the Approach and Problems of Acceptance
To realize the protection of processes in the Wadden Sea National Park of Lower
Saxony which has still got a high share of human activities (e.g. tourism, fishing),
the area was divided into three zones of different protection level. The highest
protection level is realized in 54 % of the area (zone I), followed by areas for
restricted use (zone II) and areas for recreation (zone III). But even in zone I human acti vities are not totally banned, a fact further complicated by varying legislation depending on high and low tide. Another disadvantage for the efficiency of
the protection in zone I is their patch-work like arrangement in space without
regard to ecological requirements.
To improve the protection, the results of the applied part of the "Ecosystem Research Wadden Sea" in Schleswig-Holstein formed the scientific base for recommendations for a new concept of the National Park there (Stock et al. 1996). It is
suggested therein to protect entire tidal basins as the smallest ecological "units" in