Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke (S) is planning to expand the area that will be Denmark's first national nature park at sea.
This concerns Øresund, where it was initially intended that only the northern part would be designated as a maritime protection area. On Sunday, Heunicke took to the social media X with a new message:
- The entire Øresund should be a marine national nature park, including Køge Bugt, was the message from the minister.
In addition to Øresund, Lillebælt has been designated as the first two national nature parks at sea for the time being. They already did so in connection with the 2022 Finance Act. Just like the 15 national nature parks on land, the plan is that the marine national nature parks will be free to develop on their own terms.
This means, for example, restrictions on fishing and the extraction of raw materials.
- I know that there are raw material zones in Køge Bugt, among other things, but it is important that we create the best conditions for fantastic marine nature, says the post from Heunicke.
Happy mayor and association
The Køge Bugt Alliance has long worked to include the entire Køge Bugt area down to Rødvig on Stevns in a future marine national nature park. The announcement from Heunicke excites one of the mayors in the alliance, Greve Mayor Pernille Beckmann (V).
- Animal and plant life is disappearing due to lack of oxygen, and there are extreme amounts of oily dung in Køge Bugt. We will have to give nature priority if we are to ensure a good marine environment for the next generation, says Pernille Beckmann.
At the Danish Nature Conservation Association (DN), President Maria Reumert Gjerding shares the enthusiasm.
- We highly praise the proposal to expand the area so that Køge Bugt is also included. But we would like it to be the entire Øresund, so that it also expands northwards and includes the area from Gilleleje all the way down to Stevns, she says.
According to the DN president, it has been unclear exactly which restrictions will apply in the upcoming marine nature national parks.
- I think we need a clear statement from the government about the content. If it were up to us, a marine national park should be an area where nature is protected and where raw materials are no longer extracted, harbour mud is scooped up or fishing with bottom-dragging gear is no longer practiced, says Maria Reumert Gjerding.
At WWF World Wildlife Fund, we would like to see the two adopted marine national parks become many more. We see potential here for establishing at least 20 national parks in the sea areas around Denmark.
- Denmark's waters are crying out for nature restoration, both in coastal areas and out in the deeper waters, but marine nature has been politically overlooked for far too long, says Jacob Fjalland, environmental director at WWF World Wildlife Fund, in a press release.
The World Wildlife Fund sees, among other things, the possibility of marine national parks in the South Funen archipelago, the Sejerø Bay and parts of the Limfjord. Magnus Heunicke has called for political negotiations at Christiansborg on the future parks at sea on Friday. It is not clear whether the upcoming nature park will have an impact on offshore wind projects.
jel /ritzau/
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