Reactions via Facebook
A strong representation of sailors' interests is absolutely necessary.
Andreas Deubel, Facebook comment
My experience with such considerations, which I had to make at Steinhuder Meer, is that smaller areas are designated as a "compromise". It is then argued that the water sports enthusiasts have already been accommodated to a great extent. Man as a whole "disturbs" the earth. And there will be extreme changes over the course of time despite their intervention. The fact that massive changes are currently taking place is certainly undisputed. What annoys me is the fact that Germany, which is certainly playing its part in these changes, wants to save the world on its own.
Stefan Ibold, Facebook comment
Previous YACHT articles on this topic:
This madness has nothing to do with green. These are civil servants who believe they have to do something useful. And because what is effective is not tolerated by the industry, they are content to invent rules that chastise citizens. Above all, however, the narrative is that this is the right behaviour to adopt in order to save the planet. This is also the assumption of the author, who is unfortunately only conveying the personal sensitivities of German journalism.
Knuth Hornbogen, Facebook comment
We don't want any restricted areas or access bans. That already existed. Also as a result of a failed policy. Sweden, where everyone has the right to spend the night wherever they want, should be our role model for freedom. In any case, I wonder what the coalition partner in Kiel has to say about this. At least they should have an idea of what it means for tourism businesses if the Baltic Sea is cut in half like this.
Am sailing, Facebook comment
And then allow chlorine flushing at an LNG terminal (Jade Bay). Oh well!
Sebastian Kummer, Facebook comment
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel area is of course excluded. If you make a mess in one place, you can make up for it elsewhere. I make the world the way I like it. Green politics far removed from reality
Holger Wepunkt, Facebook comment
Further comments under postings
Letters to the editor on the Baltic Sea National Park
Nothing against environmental protection contributions, but these measures are being reduced to absurdity by the disaster that is unfolding east of Rügen and on the Greifswalder Bodden. This really is an unspoilt coastal area that is worth protecting. The LNG feeders (tankers and converters) will cause incalculable damage, noise and exhaust fumes in the future. As planned, three 100-metre-long feeders will travel to and from Lubmin every day to the offshore tankers at anchor. The water depth in the Bodden is often only six metres, the vessels have just as much draught and do not travel slowly.
Falk Maibier, Limbach-Oberfrohna
As a long-time YACHT reader, Baltic Sea sailor and member of a sailing club in Kiel, I was horrified to read your current cover story. Baltic Sea - the threatened idyll. Seriously, an idyll? Hardly any other sea suffers more from human intervention than this inland sea. The Baltic Sea is a victim of over-fertilisation, over-fishing, mass tourism, intensive shipping, military use, waste - and of course water sports also leave their mark. A planned national park of all things is supposed to be a threat? It is also hard to see why the protection of marine habitats should be symbolic politics - cold-water reefs, sea ducks and harbour porpoises are found precisely there and are extremely endangered. This project offers unique opportunities for co-determination. Why do the detailed maps scare you? It is precisely this transparency that allows us water sports enthusiasts to help shape the project. Of course, sailing is also possible in a national park. No Opti training has to take place in the reed belt, and what's wrong with equipping the trainer boats with electric motors after a transitional period? Or do you think the Baltic Sea is lost as a natural area anyway and nobody should take away our playground? Is that an idyll then?
Dr Andreas Günther, Kiel
As you can read in issue no. 9 of YACHT, the preservation of nature is becoming increasingly important. The Schleswig-Holstein Sailing Association has initiated a collection campaign for sailing clubs to clean their harbour surroundings and beaches of plastic waste for the first time this year on 11 March. There is even a reusable "beach collector" collection bag made from used, stylish sailcloth, which is being offered in cooperation with Schleswiger Werkstätten, an organisation for the disabled. I would be delighted if these actions were taken up on our doorstep and the motivation to improve things in our personal environment was increased. Good argument against the planned conservation area. No sailor or beachgoer likes to spend their free time amongst rubbish and rubbish tips. Incidentally, we use every floating bottle, plastic bag or similar piece of rubbish for MOB training in order to fish for them.
Björn Storsberg, Flensburg
On the issue of the national park on the Baltic Sea coast, you take the easy way out and blame the "Green politician Goldschmidt" by name - enemy stereotypes are always handy - and point the finger at other "culprits" (agriculture) without making a constructive proposal yourself. Let's just wait and see what kind of clamour will break out when the Baltic Sea is nothing but a stinking pond or storms of unprecedented proportions play skittles with the expensive yachts. Your "experts" may not experience this, but their children and grandchildren will if we continue to react so hesitantly to climate change. Marc Bielefeld, on the other hand, has thankfully provided some hard facts about the Mediterranean that show what will happen if no or far too few protection zones are designated.
Manfred Räther, by e-mail
In establishing the Baltic Sea nature conservation areas, I hope that you will demonstrate that restricted areas for sailors do not remedy the cause of the over-fertilisation of the shallow seas by conventional agriculture and factory farming one iota.
Frank Bode, Hamburg
