Baltic Sea National Park: Schedule for workshops - water sports event on 11 July
Tobias Frauen
· 24.05.2023
There is great uncertainty among water sports enthusiasts in light of the planned Baltic Sea National Park. Many fear for their spots on the coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The lack of understanding as to why recreational athletes, of all people, should have a decisive influence on the state of the Baltic Sea is coupled with the question: What is the current situation and what will happen next?
The ministry roughly outlined the timetable for the process at the kick-off in March: Consultations with various interest groups are to take place in workshops until late summer; these will then be bundled in an "interlocking workshop" in October/November and finalised by the end of the year. According to the ministry's plan, a decision will be made in the second half of 2024.
Water sports in the Baltic Sea National Park are on the agenda on 11 July
The dates for the specialist workshops were announced this week:
- 13.06.2023, Scharbeutz: Agriculture/water management workshop
- 27.06.2023, Lübeck: Tourism workshop
- 30.06.2023, Kiel: Fisheries workshop
- 11.07.2023, Kiel: Water sports workshop
- 30.08.2023, Neumünster: Nature conservation workshop
- 12.09.2023, Scharbeutz: Regional development workshop
- 19.09.2023, Neumünster: Municipalities workshop
"The workshop is intended to bring together as representative a cross-section as possible of the relevant stakeholders with a connection to Schleswig-Holstein's Baltic Sea coast," says the ministry. According to the press release, the following organisations have been invited to the specialist workshop on water sports:
- ASC Kappeln e.V.
- Federal Association of the Water Sports Industry
- CORE Kiteboarding GmbH
- German Wing Foil Association (DWFV e.V.)
- German Motor Yacht Association e.V.
- German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) e.V.
- German Rowing Association e.V.
- German Sailing Association e.V.
- German Surfing Association (DWV)
- DGZRS The Sea Rescuers
- DLRG German Lifesaving Association
- Global Kitesport Association e.V. (GKA)
- Hanseatic City of Lübeck / Tourismus-Agentur Lübecker Bucht AöR
- IHK Schleswig-Holstein
- Kieler Yacht-Club e.V.
- Kitesurf Club Germany e.V.
- Lübeck District Sailing Association
- Kuratorium Sport und Natur e.V.
- State capital Kiel regarding regatta
- Landes-Kanuverband Schleswig-Holstein e.V.
- State Sports Association S.-H. e.V.
- Nordwind Watersports Surendorf
- Point of Sailing Marketing GmbH
- Rowing Association SH
- Sail and Surf Pelzerhaken
- Sailing school Hohwacht / Ostwind Segelsport GmbH
- Sailing school Well Sailing Neustadt
- Sailing Association Schleswig-Holstein e.V.
- Segler-Verband Schleswig-Holstein e.V. Youth Committee
- Lemkenhafen Sailing Club
- Sportjugend Schleswig-Holstein im Landessportverband Schleswig-Holstein e.V. (sjsh)
- Surfer's Paradise Station Laboe
- Surf Club Kiel e.V.
- SUS Hanse Surf
- SH Diving Association
- VDWS International Water Sports Training Association
- Association of German Sports Boat Schools e.V
- Association of German Scuba Divers (VDST)
- Association of German Watersport Schools (VDWS)
- Watersports Björn Brüggemann, online petition
- Watersports centre Heiligenhafen
- Water Tourism in Schleswig-Holstein e.V.
- Windsurfing Wulfen Fehmarn
These are the plans for a Baltic Sea National Park
Tobias Goldschmidt has already presented initial plans for a "Baltic Sea National Park" in 2022. It is intended to connect the various nature and bird sanctuaries on the Baltic Sea and at the same time "deepen their protection", as the Green politician says - so that the Baltic Sea "will be better again in the future". This could entail massive restrictions for water sports, as part of a national park are so-called no-use zones in which water sports, shipping and fishing would be taboo. The affected areas can be seen in a "potential map" published at the beginning of the year.
In a national park, at least 50 per cent of the area would have to be left to nature - similar to the Wadden Sea National Park, which is around 300,000 hectares larger than the potential on the Baltic Sea. The ministry hopes that the new national park will provide "a real boost in attractiveness" for the Baltic Sea coast and "enormous opportunities for tourism and the economy", as Goldschmidt told the Schleswig-Holstein newspaper publisher.
