The increasing human use of the coastal zone for recreational purposes is often in conflict with nature conservation objectives. Such conflicts arise because human activities disturb animals and birds thereby depreciating the biological value and diversity of coastal areas. A number of protection attempts have been made in order to prevent such conflicts. The challenge for nature management is to create sustainable regulations which allows a certain measure of human activity at the same time as taking nature conservation interests into consideration. Conservation projects, however, meet with increasing opposition from the local communities. An example of this is the establishment of hunting- and disturbance-free areas in EU Special Protection Areas around Denmark. The aim is to improve the content of nature protection through regulation of human activities, but local opposition against further protection has made this process difficult. Consequently, it has become necessary to test new strategies for mechanisms for nature management in order to find a balance between human exploitation of nature conservation areas in coastal zones and their nature conservation interest.

Purpose

As a result of the increasing local opposition towards the establishment of bird sanctuaries new strategies will be examined in order to meet the expectations of the users regarding human exploitation of the areas as well as allowing a greater in-put in the decision-making processes. The goal is to define operational objectives for sustainable conservation management of the coastal zone incorporating recreational use as well as farming of areas to be included in conservation areas.

Head of Project: Jesper Madsen, National Environmental
Research Institute, Dept. of Coastal Zone Ecology,
Grenåvej 12, Kalø, DK-8410 Rønde, Ph.
+45 89 20 15 13, jm@dmu.dk

Participants:

Karsten Laursen, National Environmental Research
Institute, Dept. of Coastal Zone Ecology, Grenåvej 12,
Kalø, DK-8410 Rønde, Ph. +45 89 20 15 41,
kl@dmu.dk

Thomas Bregnballe, National Environmental Research
Institute, Dept. of Coastal Zone Ecology, Grenåvej 12,
Kalø, DK-8410 Rønde, Ph. +45 89 20 15 17,
tb@dmu.dk

Jørgen F. Hansen, Danish Institute of Plant and
Soil Sciences, Department of Land Use, Research Centre
Foulum, P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Ph. +45 89 99 18 82,
JorgenF.Hansen@agrsci.dk

Flemming Nielsen, Danish Institute of Plant and Soil
Sciences, Department of Land Use, Research Centre Foulum,
P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Ph. +45 89 99 18 15,
Flemming.Nielsen @agrsci.dk

Jesper Sølver Schou, Danish Institute of
Agricultural and Fisheries Economics, Gl. Køge
Landevej 3, DK-2500 Valby, Ph. +45 36 44 20 80,
- now National Environmenat Research Institute, jss @dmu.dk

The objectives of the sub-project:

• Mapping human recreational activities and conflicts with conservation interests
  in the coastal zone
• Testing the effects of less restrictive limitations (primarily regarding hunting) on
  the possibility for waterfowls to use selected areas, particularly land
• An analysis of the economic consequences for agriculture by including areas in sanctuaries
• An analysis of the opinions of local people regarding the establishment of sanctuaries,
  as well as the consequences of sanctuaries to the use of the area (particularly regarding hunting).

Examination areas

The examination will be located in two selected areas: Voerså-Stensnæs in Northern Jutland and Ulvshale-Nyord in Southern Zeeland. Experiences from the establishment of other hunting- and disturbance-free areas will also be included in a synthesis.

Sub-goals:

First year

• Local hearings regarding the establishment of sanctuaries. Target group:
  owners, users, local and regional management authorities.

Second year

• Workshop entitled "What is sustainable use of Coastal Areas?" Target group:
  nature conservation authorities, researchers (national).

Third year

• Report regarding recreational use of coastal areas and conflicts with nature interests.

Fourth year

• Report regarding economical consequences for agriculture of the
  establishment of sanctuaries
• Report regarding the use by waterfowl of sanctuaries with restrictions
  on human use
• Report regarding the consequences of the establishment of sanctuaries
  for human use of coastal areas
• Workshop entitled "Establishment of sanctuaries: redefinition of models for
  sustainable use of coastal areas". Target group: nature conservation
  authorities, researchers (national and international).

Time schedule:

1997: Site recording (baseline); workshop

1998: Site experiments; preparation of results; workshop

1999: Site experiments; preparation of results

2000: Site experiments; preparation of results; workshop

2001 (June): Final report (the final report can not be finished until June 2001 because the site experiments are not due to be completed until December 2000).