More litter in the Wadden Sea ANP
The amount of litter in the Wadden Sea is increasing. This mainly concerns plastic, paraffin and ceramics.
There is as yet no good explanation for the increase in the amount of waste, according to Rijkswaterstaat and the Wadden Unit, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Rijkswaterstaat and the Wadden Unit have been measuring how much waste there is in the Wadden Sea every year since 2018.
Both organizations are investigating the amount of waste at three mudflats: Steenplaat near the coast of Vlieland, Griend near Terschelling and Zuiderduintjes near Rottumeroog. Griend showed the highest increase in the amount of litter. A lot of plastic from candy and chip bags was found there, and in addition to fluff from nylon fishing ropes, there was also a striking amount of remains from helium balloons, which were apparently used at parties, according to Rijkswaterstaat.
sailing route
The sailing route runs along Griend to the port of Harlingen, which is also widely used by recreational boating. Due to the corona crisis, many holidaymakers stayed in their own country. Rijkswaterstaat thinks that the increase in litter in the Wadden Sea may be related to more tourism. The Wadden Islands previously reported more damage from motocross and mountain bikers in the dunes.
In addition to plastic waste, many lumps of paraffin have been found. That is a by-product of oil refining. The chunks are released when ships rinse and empty their hold. According to Rijkswaterstaat, work is being done on dispensing points for paraffin in ports.
Waste research in the Wadden Sea will be repeated in the coming years. The researchers mainly want to know where the waste comes from, so that measures can be taken to prevent litter in the Wadden Sea.