Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information The number of Somateria mollissima increased during the winters of 1992/93 and 1993/94 due to food shortage in the Wadden Sea.

Site description An extensive area of coastal waters, extending from the Eems/Dollard estuary and German border in the east across to Groet (Noord-Holland) in the south. The area is adjacent to 11 IBAs (001, 003-004, 006-012, 019). The outer boundary follows roughly the line of 20 metres depth. Important habitats include shallowly submerged sandbanks.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Duinen Ameland - NL2003057	Habitats Directive	2,016	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Ameland - NL3009005	Birds Directive	2,055	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Schiermonnikoog - NL2003058	Habitats Directive	1,021	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Schiermonnikoog - NL3009006	Birds Directive	1,043	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Terschelling - NL2003059	Habitats Directive	5,101	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Terschelling - NL3009007	Birds Directive	3,221	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Texel - NL3009008	Birds Directive	3,102	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Texel, Waal en Burg, Dijkmanshuizen en De Bol - NL2003060	Habitats Directive	4,657	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Vlieland - NL2003061	Habitats Directive	1,532	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Duinen Vlieland - NL3009009	Birds Directive	1,398	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Noordzeekustzone - NL2003062	Habitats Directive	24,838	protected area overlaps with site	180,196
Noordzeekustzone - NL9802001	Birds Directive	123,646	protected area contained by site	123,646
Noordzeekustzone II - NL2008004	Habitats Directive	118,658	protected area overlaps with site	141,828
Waddeneilanden,Noordzeekustzone,Breebaart	Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)	135,000	protected area overlaps with site	0
Waddenzee - NL1000001	Habitats Directive	259,214	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Waddenzee - NL9801001	Birds Directive	272,027	protected area is adjacent to site	0

Habitats

Land use

Management considerations The zone lying up to three nautical miles offshore from islands is included in the Trilateral Cooperation Area between Denmark, Germany and Netherlands with regard to the protection of the Wadden Sea. The ecological target for this zone is a ";favourable food availability for birds"; (as agreed upon in 1994).

Protection status National None International None

Related state of the world's birds case studies

• Commercial shellfisheries can negatively impact migratory waterbirds

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: North Sea north of the Wadden Sea. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013

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