Alien species in the Dutch Wadden Sea: Policies and Management

Bureau Waardenburg bv and NIOZ

The 12th Wadden Sea Conference (Tønder, 6 february 2014) has decided to further develop a trilateral strategic framework for dealing with alien species in the Wadden Sea as well as a trilateral alien species management and action plan for the international Wadden Sea (§ 35 of the Tønder Declaration). The Task Group Management of the Wadden Sea Board will coordinate this initiative in close cooperation with its Working Group Alien Species.

The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, therefore, commissioned this project to Bureau Waardenburg to (1) prepare an inventory of the current situation and future intentions with regard to monitoring, policy and management of alien species in the Dutch Wadden Sea; (2) prepare an update of relevant regulations, directives and conventions within EU, OSPAR and IMO; (3) prepare an update of current management actions; (4) analyse the findings from the perspective of the requirements of Wadden Sea alien species monitoring and management, including a gap analysis; (5) to give recommendations for amendments to the strategic framework for alien species management in the Wadden Sea based upon the analysis.

This report was prepared in close cooperation with D. Poszig and C.J.M. Philippart of the WaLTER project. Folkert de Jong, Saa Henry Kabuta and Sander Smolders provided comments on previous versions of this manuscript.

Authors:
T.M. van der Have, B. van den Boogaard, R. Lensink, D. Poszig, C.J.M. Philippart