The Netherlands and the Designation of Marine Protected Areas

Abstract

"In 2002 the states attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg agreed to establish representative networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2012. The declaration adopted at the fifth North Sea Ministerial Conference that was convened in Bergen, Norway in 2002 set the even more ambitious target of 2010 for the creation of a network of MPAs within the North Sea. This article addresses the contribution that is made by the Netherlands to the North Sea MPA network. It focuses on legal questions related to the designation of MPAs for nature conservation purposes in the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of the Netherlands. MPAs that are located in internal waters such as the Wadden Sea are only covered if they also extend to the North Sea. The article does not address legal questions related to the protection and management of designated MPAs, including the regulation of maritime activities such as fishing and shipping, which will be the subject of a follow-up article."