Welcome to SWIMWAY Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea is the world's largest tidal flats system, where natural processes continue largely undisturbed. This UNESCO World Heritage property stretches along the coasts of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Within the framework of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (TWSC), these three countries share the responsibility of safeguarding this unique and irreplaceable ecosystem for present and future generations.

The Wadden Sea provides essential habitats for many fish species - at least during key stages of their life cycles. However, populations of many fish species in the Wadden Sea have declined in recent decades, highlighting the need for coordinated conservation efforts.

Fish conservation

In 2010, Danish, Dutch, and German experts within the trilateral Expert Group Swimway (EG-Swimway, former Working Group WG-Swimway) developed joint conservation objectives for fish - known as the Trilateral Fish Targets, which were incorporated into the Wadden Sea Plan.

Progress towards these targets is regularly assessed through the Wadden Sea Quality Status Report (QSR). An overarching ambition and target for fish conservation in the Wadden Sea was defined in the 2017 QSR thematic report on fish:

There should be no human-induced bottlenecks in the Wadden Sea for fish populations or their ecosystem functions (Tulp et al, 2017)

A trilateral Expert Group Swimway is working on improving the situation for fish in the Wadden Sea (see organisational structure of Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation). This goal is to be achieved by strengthening trilateral collaboration in implementing the Trilateral Fish Targets and by advancing the SWIMWAY approach - an overarching framework that brings together initiatives under the Swimway Vision Action Programme.

SWIMWAY Wadden Sea

SWIMWAY Wadden Sea is an overarching approach - an umbrella – for a wide variety of initiatives related to achieving these targets. In 2019, a Trilateral Wadden Sea Swimway Vision Action Programme was published. This Action Programme involves steps to operationalise the Fish Targets by deriving concrete courses of action. 

Since then, the Expert Group Swimway has updated the Swimway Vision and Action Programme, building on the 2019-2026 plan and extending it for the period 2026-2032. The update programme incorporates a revised Swimway Vision with a strengthened focus on ecological connectivity, safeguarding the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Wadden Sea, and climate impact mitigation. 

SWIMWAY Wadden Sea is connected to the World Fish Migration Foundation and Global Swimways.