WSF News
Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen exchanged ideas with WSF
During a visit to the WSF office on August 25th a broad discussion about relevant topics from medical supplies, offshore energy to climate change and its consequences for the coastal region were covered by the state parliament member Meta Janssen-Kucz (Leer / Borkum) as well as the port and shipping politicians of Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen, Bärbel Kraus and Ulf Berner together with the new managing director of the WSF, Dr. Frank Ahlhorn. Ms. Janssen-Kucz highlighted the successful efforts of the WSF to work on nature and climate protection in the Wadden Sea Region across national borders together with a sustainable economy and to think of this region as an attractive living space for people and to promote it in projects. Dr. Ahlhorn presented current projects and future plans, such as the initiative for "ecological sediment management" in the Wadden Sea or the intended exchange on the routes planned through the Wadden Sea for the submarine cables connecting off-shore wind farms with the mainland. Dr. Ahlhorn made clear that the WSF understands and offers itself as a neutral discussion/exchange platform for various topics for the Wadden Sea Region. Ulf Berner: "Climate protection and making business are not mutually exclusive, but on the contrary, we need an innovative, sustainable economy to protect this living space and to further develop it at the same time."
New Managing Director WSF is Dr. Frank Ahlhorn
The long-time managing director of the Forum, Manfred Vollmer, retired in July 2020. On August 1, Dr. Frank Ahlhorn has been taken over. Dr. Ahlhorn has been dealing with topics on the coast of the southern North Sea for over 20 years. He studied mathematics and marine environmental sciences in Oldenburg and received his doctorate in the field of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IKZM) at the University of Kiel. As part of his professional positions at the Coast Research Center, as a research assistant at the University of Oldenburg and nine years of self-employment, Dr. Ahlhorn worked on various research projects related to the coast at regional, national and European level. Topics such as flood and coastal protection as well as civil protection and water management, but also demographic change played a role. Dr. Ahlhorn grew up in Butjadingen, Wesermarsch district, directly behind the dike. In the WSF, Dr. Ahlhorn wants to further expand and strengthen the successful cooperation between the various players from the local region, but also from the Netherlands and Denmark.
WSF Goose Management Newspaper Article
Recently the "Ostfriesische Nachrichten" placed an article about our position regarding Goosemanagement. "Farmers are annoyed about damages caused by barnacle geese. Wadden Sea Forum calls for a quick solution for agriculture in Leer and complains about the inactivity of the regions." (read the full article in German) and (see more information on Goosemanagement)
WSF Resolution Goose Management
The WSF plenary discussed in its meeting on 18-19 November the process of implementing the AEWA management plans for Greylag and Barnacle geese on flyway level. These management plans were adopted by the range states in December 2018. For the implementation in the different countries Favorable Reference Values (FRVs) have to be defined. As this process is lacking, the WSF elaborated a resolution, which requests the responsible ministries to speed up the process and support the AEWA concept. The Meeting adopted the resolution without any vote of dissent. (see more information and document)
WSF presents Policy Paper
Climate change is a fast growing threat impacting the Wadden Sea Region (WSR) with the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site and its hinterland, where people live, work and recreate. The Wadden Sea Forum has elaborated a policy paper on challenges of water management in the Wadden Sea Region due to climate change. The paper reflects the view of the different stakeholders of the WSF and is forwarded to responsible organisations and decision makers to consider WSF recommendations in their dealings.
Inventory Report for a climate friendly Waddensea Region
At the 11th Trilateral Governmental Conference for the Protection of the Wadden Sea on Sylt in 2010, it had been stated that the Wadden Sea Region (WSR) shall develop into a CO2-neutral region. This was reinforced at the conference in 2014 in Tønder.
To analyze the progress with regard to this aim, the Wadden Sea Board in cooperation with the WSF agreed to elaborate an inventory of CO2 reduction policies, measures and best practices. This was done on different levels, to get a complete picture, encompassing the European and national levels as well as the Wadden Sea Region with its provinces, counties and municipalities. On the local level only best practice examples have been compiled. The full report is now available for download. see here more information to CO2 and the report
