Europe and Central Asia

European Seabird Resource Hub - Germany

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    NABU/BirdLife Germany marine programme

    The NABU marine programme was developed in 2009 and focuses on the conservation of the marine environment in the North and the Baltic Seas.

    NABU's main activities involve tackling the problem of marine litter, management of marine protected areas (MPAs), sustainable fisheries as well as offshore wind farms.

    The programme is located in the NABU headquarters in Berlin but works closely with NABU federal branches around the German coast.

     

    		 

    Latest news

    Hamburg rock band Dock3 and sportsman Silvio Heinevetter support NABU's Plastic-free Oceans campaign with a video.

    Watch it below!

     
     

    NABU's Marine Projects

    		  
     

    Plastic-Free Oceans

    Fisherman engaged in the NABU Fishing for Litter project © NABU/A.Hentschel

    		 

    Marine Protected Areas

    Germany is protecting up to 45 percent of national waters of the North and the Baltic Seas under the Natura 2000 network.

     

    The project Plastic-free Oceans thrives for the development of effective solutions to stop marine litter from getting to the ocean.

    The initiatives include fishing for litter, beach clean-ups and monitoring and environmental education.

    		 

    Despite Germany protecting 45% of its national waters, activities such as fishing, shipping or sand and gravel extraction are neither prohibited nor regulated in marine protected areas. For this reason, NABU has developed its own proposals for effective marine protected area management.

    Read more... (German only)

     
     

    Bycatch and sustainable fisheries

    Jigging-reels might help to reduce bycatch of sea birds in the Baltic © NABU/K.Detloff

    		 

    Offshore wind energy

    Red-throated divers are threatened by offshore wind-farms projects in the German North Sea © NABU/F.Derer

     

    Thousands of marine mammals and birds are killed every year as bycatch in gill-nets, especially in the Baltic Sea. NABU is engaged in a research project funded by the German Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) by testing alternative fishing techniques in order to replace gill-nets in MPAs and other conflict areas.

    Since the end of 2013 two vessels are equipped with an automatic long-line system and four jigging-reels, respectively. Eventually, baited fish pots will be tested as well. 

    		 

    Germany has ambitious plans to develop offshore wind energy, particularly in the North Sea. More than 30 farms are already approved and 90 are in preparation. While NABU acknowledges that renewable energies are needed, companies need to ensure the correct placement of these wind farms, to avoid any potential impacts on marine life.

    Read more... (German only)

     
     

    Our International Projects

     

    		 

     

     

    In collaboration with the International NABU Foundation additional marine projects are running or in preparation.  

    For example, saving Maui dolphins from extinction in New Zealand and tackling the problem of marine litter in Ghana.

    Read more... (German only)

    Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on these pages are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe.

     

     


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