Fishery-free zones in the North Sea: Too little sea for nature

The state government of Lower Saxony has selected areas in the Wadden Sea National Park, including waters off Borkum and parts of the Jade Bight, to designate as fishery-free zones, following EU requirements to protect 10% of marine areas. A fisheries dialogue is scheduled for Tuesday with representatives of shrimp and blue mussel fisheries and environmental groups. The government calls it a balanced compromise between conservation and fishing industry viability. However, WWF criticizes the plan as insufficient, noting the North Sea seabed is in poor condition and fish stocks declining. WWF demands at least 50% of the Wadden Sea be excluded from fishing, citing the Federal Nature Conservation Act. German Environmental Aid (DUH) also criticizes the national park's intensive economic use and threatens legal action. Environmental groups highlight damage from bottom trawling, which disturbs seabed communities and seagrass meadows. Fishermen's association rejects claims of seabed plowing and warns that 50% exclusion would end coastal fishing.