Protecting birds in the Wadden Sea: Navigating opportunities and constraints of predation management

Over the past years, significant efforts have been made to address the growing impact of predation on breeding waterbirds in the Wadden Sea. From habitat restoration to predator control programmes, these initiatives had the goal to improve breeding success of key Wadden Sea species, but challenges remain. The presence of both invasive and natural predators on the Wadden Sea islands continues to threaten the survival of ground breeding species, making effective management more crucial than ever. However, legal and logistical challenges as well public perception of predator control mechanisms often slow down conservation efforts.

The workshop "Protecting birds in the Wadden Sea: Navigating opportunities and constraints of predation management" aims to bring together experts, representing research, nature conservation or management, to exchange information on proven solutions for predator control in the Wadden Sea while also discussing possible innovations and the various constraints. 

The workshop is expected to be subdivided into two parts:

Day 1 will provide a general overview on the situation in the three Wadden Sea countries as well as concrete examples of successful research, monitoring and management projects taking place. This part will be open to all interested participants.

On Day 2, we will discuss specific topics and management issues in the Wadden Sea in smaller breakout groups (upon invitation). The outcomes of these discussions will be considered for the update of the Breeding Bird Action Plan, while they are also expected to be relevant for the development of the new Nature Recovery Plans.

Target audience: Site managers, conservationists, NGOs, researchers, bird & predator experts.

If you would like to suggest a speaker or raise attention for a specific topic to be discussed in more detailed, please contact Kristine Meise (meise@waddensea-secretariat.org) by 15 May 2025.