Conservation status and protection of migratory species in Germany Document submitted to the 7th COP to CMS and the 2nd MOP to AEWA Conservation status and protection of migratory species in Germany Document submitted to the 7th COP to CMS and the 2nd MOP to AEWA September 18-27, 2002, Bonn, Germany Contents Contents A Word of Welcome by the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Jürgen Trittin ....................................................6 A Word of Welcome by the President of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Professor Dr. Hartmut Vogtmann ..................................................................8 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................12 1 Selected aspects of protection of migratory species in Germany..................16 1.1 Protection of the white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) ................................16 1.2 Species: inventories and research ..............................................................................24 1.2.1 Bats ..................................................................................................................................26 1.2.1.1 Bat-conservation activities as part of an integrated project system – the strategy of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) for implementing the EUROBATS agreement ..........................................................26 1.2.1.2 Ecology and protection of bats in forests – with special considerations for migratory species ....................................................................................................34 1.2.1.3 The research project "Development and Protection of Bat Populations in Bavaria”..........................................................................................44 1.2.2 Research and development project on the distribution, abundance and migrations of seabirds and waterbirds in the German North Sea, and development of international nature conservation objectives (Boffwatt)............73 1.2.3. Research and monitoring in the framework of efforts to protect wetlands limicolae in Germany – description of R+D projects of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) ........................................................80 1.2.4 Monitoring and research into bird migration – the Mettnau-Reit-Illmitz programme (MRI) as an example of a long-term research programme for monitoring development of populations of common songbird species ..............98 1.2.5 Description of EU-Life projects involving efforts to protect the Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris) ....................................................................105 1.3 Network of protected areas for selected species ....................................................115 1.3.1 Tern protection on the coast......................................................................................115 1.3.2 The Wadden Sea national parks on the German North Sea coast ....................128 1.3.3 Basis for scientific assessment of Germany`s SPAs under the EC Bird Directive ..........................................................................................................135 1.4 Contributions by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) ..................................138 1.4.1 EURONATUR..................................................................................................................138 1.4.2 NABU ..............................................................................................................................141 1.4.3 WDCS ............................................................................................................................144 1.4.4 DJV..................................................................................................................................145 1.4.5 DDA ................................................................................................................................148 3 2 Conservation status and protecting measures of CMS-protected species native to Germany ......................................................................................152 2.1 Conservation status of CMS-protected species native to Germany, and related measures..................................................................................................152 2.1.1 White-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla)............................................................152 2.1.2 Great bustard (Otis tarda)............................................................................................155 2.1.3 Ferruginous duck (Aytha nyroca) ..............................................................................159 2.1.4 Aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola)................................................................161 2.2 Administrative agreement for protection and management of the central European population of the great bustard (Otis tarda) ........................................167 2.3 Native species listed in the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) ....................................................168 2.3.1 Waterbird conservation ..............................................................................................169 2.3.1.1 Progress in waterbird conservation – the health of native waterbird populations ....................................................................................169 2.3.1.2 The "White Stork” Species Assistance Programme in Bavaria ............................248 2.3.2 Species protection........................................................................................................256 2.3.2.1 Legal measures ............................................................................................................256 2.3.2.2 Action plans for individual species ..........................................................................263 2.3.2.3 Emergency measures ..................................................................................................265 2.3.2.4 Species re-establishment ............................................................................................268 2.3.2.5 Introduction of non-native species ..........................................................................270 2.3.3 Biotop conservation ....................................................................................................272 2.3.3.1 Habitat inventories ......................................................................................................272 2.3.3.2 Site protection ..............................................................................................................285 2.3.3.3 Restoration and regeneration of wetlands..............................................................305 2.3.4 Intervention ..................................................................................................................309 2.3.4.1 Hunting ........................................................................................................................309 2.3.4.2 Eco-tourism....................................................................................................................317 2.3.4.3 Other human activities ..............................................................................................319 2.3.4.4 Damage to crops ..........................................................................................................321 2.3.5 Research and monitoring ..........................................................................................329 2.3.6 Training and information ..........................................................................................337 2.3.7 Final comments............................................................................................................340 2.3.8 Progress in implementing resolutions and recommendations of previous meetings of the parties ..............................................................................341 2.4 Bats and bat conservation in Germany – summary by the BfN (1999 b) ..........341 2.5 Protection of the harbour porpoise in the North Sea and Baltic Sea ................346 2.6 Harbour seals in the German Wadden Sea ............................................................352 4 Contents 3 Other native migratory bird species listed in CMS Annex II ........................358 3.1 Example: peregrine falcon ........................................................................................384 4 Current national projects that benefit migratory species of the Bonn Convention ..........................................................................................392 5 Germany`s contributions to supporting and developing the Bonn Convention .............................................................................................. 396 6 Appendix......................................................................................................................402 6.1 Bibliography ................................................................................................................402 Contributions to the report ........................................................................................................418 Imprint ..........................................................................................................................................421