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the most acute problems include habitat destruction, the co-
inciding of recreational activities with breeding periods of
rare species, and increasing populations of predators.
The Wadden Sea is also regarded as the most impor-
tant wetland for migrating waterbirds on the „East Atlantic
Flyway” which, via the birds, ties such different geographic
areas as the high Arctic tundras in Siberia, Greenland and
northern Canada together with coastal wetlands in western
and southern Africa. It is estimated that the Wadden Sea is
of international importance for at least 52 geographically
separate populations of 41 species.
The Danish Wadden Sea plays a role for migrating
waterbirds all year round as a feeding, resting and moul-
ting area, and when most populations reach their peak in
autumn, it is not uncommon to be able to count between half
a million and a million waterbirds at a time. And if the focus
is on the impacts on the waterbirds, which can be limiting
or threatening to the many populations, the most significant
is reckoned to be the acute threat of pollution of the marine
environment, the increasing number of recreational activi-
ties and the types of fishing which can affect species, both
in terms of food supply and disturbances.
Protection of birds in the Wadden Sea is a concept which
has been known for many years, and the first bird reserves
were established as early as 1907 and 1939. But it was not
until the 1970s that the need to provide better protection
for the Wadden Sea’s unique natural environment and bird-
life grew significantly. There was considerable focus on
the hunting of migrating waterbirds, and it was decided to
create Denmark’s biggest game reserve in the Wadden Sea
in 1979, following which the Wadden Sea became a nature
protected area in 1982, and it has since been managed in
accordance with a comprehensive regulation on the Nature
and Game Reserve Wadden Sea.
Apart from the national legislation, Denmark, Germany
and The Netherlands have sought to coordinate the admini-
stration and protection of theWadden Sea since 1982 via the
Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation. Apart from this govern-
mental partnership, the Danish Wadden Sea is also cove-
red by the Ramsar Convention (since 1977), the EC Bird
Protection Directive (since 1979/1994) and the EC Habitat
Directive (since 1992/1998), and work is currently in pro-
gress on designing the provisions in the EU-based directives
and agreements via the so-called NATURA 2000 planning.
In general terms, the many years of Danish, German,
and Dutch initiatives for the Wadden Sea have gradually,
and especially the over 25 years with the Danish nature and
game reserve, borne fruit and had positive effects on a large
part of the highly significant occurrences of both breeding
and migrating birds which are so characteristic of the area.
But as the protection is still limited to parts of the birds’
habitats, and as new problems are continually arising in re-
lation to the birds’ wellbeing in the Wadden Sea area, the
future will also present a challenge to be met in adapting
the reserve such that its administration becomes even better
and more sustainable. Finally, it will also be a challenge to
establish a Wadden Sea national park in such a way that it
includes a balance between use and protection of the unique
landscape and nature area which the Wadden Sea truly is.
Stor Kobbersneppe er endnu en typisk ynglefugle i visse marsk- og
kogområder. Foto: Carsten Gadgaard.