Status, threats and conservation of birds in the German Wadden Sea Technical Report Impressum – Legal notice © 2010, NABU-Bundesverband Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) e.V. www.NABU.de Charitéstraße 3 D-10117 Berlin Tel. +49 (0)30.28 49 84-0 Fax +49 (0)30.28 49 84-20 00 [email protected] Text: Hermann Hötker, Stefan Schrader, Phillip Schwemmer, Nadine Oberdiek, Jan Blew Language editing: Richard Evans, Solveigh Lass-Evans Edited by: Stefan Schrader, Melanie Ossenkop Design: Christine Kuchem (www.ck-grafik-design.de) Printed by: Druckhaus Berlin-Mitte, Berlin, Germany EMAS certified, printed on 100 % recycled paper, certified environmentally friendly under the German „Blue Angel“ scheme. First edition 03/2010 Available from: NABU Natur Shop, Am Eisenwerk 13, 30519 Hannover, Germany, Tel. +49 (0)5 11.2 15 71 11, Fax +49 (0)5 11.1 23 83 14, [email protected] or at www.NABU.de/Shop Cost: 2.50 Euro per copy plus postage and packing payable by invoice. Item number 5215 Picture credits: Cover picture: M. Stock; small pictures from left to right: F. Derer, S. Schrader, M. Schäf. Status, threats and conservation of birds in the German Wadden Sea 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4 Technical Report 2 The German Wadden Sea as habitat for birds .......................................................................... 5 2.1 General description of the German Wadden Sea area .....................................................................................5 2.2 Landscape history 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................36 2.3 Salt marshes: historic development and current management .......................................................................7 2. The 2.3.1German Extent Wadden ............................................................................................................................. Sea as habitat for birds .................................................................................................47 2.1 General2.3.2 Land description use ............................................................................................................................. of the German Wadden Sea area ........................................................................................47 2.2 Landscape2.3.3 Drainage history and ............................................................................................................ other coastal defence measures .......................................................................................58 2.42.3 BirdSalt marshes:habitats inhistoric the Wadden development Sea ......................................................................................................................... and current management .................................................... 69 2.3.1 Extent .................................................................................................................... 6 3 Conservations2.3.2 Land use Status ................................................................................................................ of the Wadden Sea............................................................................... 126 3.1 Legal2.3.3 aspects Drainage and and protected other coastal areas...................................................................................................................... defence measures .................................................................127 3.22.4 International Bird habitats conventionsin the Wadden ............................................................................................................................ Sea ................................................................................................137 3. 3.3Conservation Administration Status of the of National the Wadden Parks ............................................................................................................... Sea .......................................................................... 1140 3.43.1 Main Legal features aspects ofand the protected the national areas parks ....................................................................................... ............................................................................................................1140 3.53.2 Regulations International within conventions national ................................................................................................. parks ....................................................................................................................1150 3.63.3 Regulations Administration of adjacent of the National conservation Parks areas ................................................................................. .....................................................................................................1172 3.73.4 Care Main takers features for ofthe the Wadden national Sea parks ........................................................................................................................ ..................................................................................... 1172 3.83.5 Trilateral Regulations Wadden within Sea national Corporation parks ...................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................1173 3.93.6 Monitoring Regulations and of coterminous scientific research conservation of birds areas in the ..................................................................... German Wadden Sea ....................................................1183 3.7 Care takers for the Wadden Sea ......................................................................................... 13 4 Issues of concern in the German Wadden Sea ...................................................................... 20 3.8 Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation .................................................................................... 15 4.1 Habitat change and habitat loss ........................................................................................................................20 3.9 Monitoring and scientific research of birds in the German Wadden Sea ..................................... 15 4.1.1 Missing coastal dynamics ......................................................................................................................20 4. Issues4.1.2 of Changesconcern in inhabitat the German composition Wadden ............................................................................................................ Sea ................................................................ 1207 4.1 Habitat4.1.3 Embankments change and habitat ............................................................................................................................. loss ......................................................................................................1217 4.1.44.1.1 MissingSettlement coastal ............................................................................................................................. dynamics .............................................................................................................1227 4.1.54.1.2 ChangesWaterways in .............................................................................................................................habitat composition ...................................................................................................1227 4.1.64.1.3 ReclamationPredation............................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................1228 4.2 Fisheries4.1.4 Settlement ................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................ 1238 4.2.14.1.5 BrownWaterways shrimp ............................................................................................................ fishery ..............................................................................................................................1238 4.2.24.1.6 ShellfishPredation fisheries ............................................................................................................. ......................................................................................................................................1248 4.34.2 Oil Fisheries and gas ....................................................................................................................... extraction .........................................................................................................................................1259 4.4 Tourism4.2.1 Brown and recreationalshrimp fishery activities .............................................................................................. ...................................................................................................................2270