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Dutch Wadden Sea might not be doing so well

The Wadden Sea of The Netherlands, a country that prides itself on its environmental policy, is one of the world's most frequently visited wetlands, and is also among Europe's highest priority conservation sites. Unfortunately, recent reports suggest that cockle dredging might be altering this sea in irreversible ways, with severely impaired bivalve recruitment (Journal of Applied Ecology 38, 976-990). Other signs of ecosystem degradation include the death of at least 20 000 eider ducks in the winter of 2000, declines in oystercatchers, and increases in some aromatic hydrocarbons (http://www.interwad.nl). This extraordinarily valuable ecosystem is visited on foot by > s75 000 people each year, and is meant to be under the protection of the Dutch Government. Several ecologists, however, feel that the Government has been remiss in its policy, because it is unwilling to take necessary actions, such as restricting cockle dredging, without incontrovertible proof that dredging is causing serious harm. Thus, instead of being precautionary in its protection of this remarkable wetland, the Government is being precautionary about protecting fishery. This is an old story, but one that nevertheless deserves the attention of ecologists and conservation biologists.

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