Westbroek, 17-01-2010.
European Commission,
Enviremental Directorate,
200, rue de la loi,
B-1049 Bruxelles.
Dear Ladies, Sirs,
In our letter of 21th July 2009 (1) , to the Gedeputeerde Staten of Noord Holland, a county in the north west of the Netherlands, we complained that the county will destroy the habitat of the black tailed godwit ( Limosa limosa) by inundating large parts of a polder called the Horstermeer.
Without any fair reason the Limosa limosa ( Bern Convention Appendix 3 ) has to disappear, in order to keep the polder dry.
In her answer Gedeputeerde Staten stated that in the Netherlands every polder is reservated for some specified species and other species are not welcome in that particular polder. (1)
It is a homeland policy which other species originating from Africa fortunately have left behind. Maybe people understand the meaning of this, but birds don’t!
After first mentioning the Dutch text of the Bern Convention to our Minister of Agriculture and Envirement (2), the ministry partially removed and changed the position of the text, from the internet, so we had to rely on the French and English versions. Excuse us for that.
In which is written: Cette protection devant etre realisée en toutes circonstances et en dépit des problèmes internationeaux, la Convention privilégie une prise en compte globale de la conversation.“Elle interdit notamment la “pertubation intentionelle de la faune sauvage” et
l’utilisation de tous les moyens non selectifs de capture et de mise mort et des moyens suspectibles d’entrainer localement la disparition ou de troubler gravement la tranquillité des populations d’une espece.
This implies that changing the habitat of a specie in danger is prohabited.
The Netherlands is severely violating against art. 1.2, art 3.1, art. 4.2, art.4.3, and art.7.1 of the Bern Convention.
But our government will change the waterlevel, because they changed the destiny from fauna to flora! Spoken in general: The Dutch government has not done any research to the existance of any endangered birds or migrating species in the polders they intend to inundate!
In his answer of 16/11/2009 the current Director General of the Ministery of Agricultere writes that by art.9. of the Bern Convention, the Netherlands are allowed to change the habitat for the Limosa limosa. But that is not true.
Artikel 9 was made for urgent reason of national importance.
The rest of his defend is based on false and highly incorrect interpretation of the Dutch Flora and Fauna law.
In an article (3) , written on the 7th of January 2010, in the biggest newspaper of the Netherlands, dr.Julia Schroder, from the Universaty of Groningen stated that the Limosa limosa will disappear very soon from our country. She did research during several years on this bird for her promotionservey.
Since 95% of the world population of the Limosa limosa is breading in our country, the Netherlands have a very special obligation in protecting this bird and its habitat.
Therefore it is also ashaming that on behalve of European laws our country had to change our special developed protecting system, which was very good.
With European law in hand, a Dutch farmer nowadays, without any nests of birds of meadows on his land, receives subventions for not protecting the non spawning birds.
Untill now the costs of keeping the polder dry are € 80.000,- per year.(1)
At an investement of € 21.000.000,- the county is willing to change the habitat in order to be able to keep the polder dry. As the say!
But it is a lie!
The only reason to act like this is to bring more meadows to the NGO’s.
All grounds in our country , bought with taxpayers money, are transferred almost for free, towards the so called NGO’s ( Natural Gestion Organisations).
These organisations are only concerned about their own status and bonuses. They even have a secret policy in order to obtain more land.
They are directed by late Ministers or late Directors of Departements who are strongly friends with Ministers now in charge.
They should be controlled by a parlementairy commission. But since this commission has transfered their job to another commission; they follow the statements in their reports.
Complaining about the policy of the NGO’s is in vain since they have their own jurisdiction.
Complains are heard by a commision they may install themselves!
Going to court is not possible!
It is like the butcher checking his own meat.
On the 6th of oktober 2009 we wrote a letter of complaint to our Minister of Agriculture and Envirement, in which we pointed her to the now growing difficulties for the Limosa limosa.
The answer we received on november the 16th was very poor because the director in question mentioned the wrong article numbers in order to defend the Ministers decision.
In fact there are no articles in the Bern Convention to be found to defend the Dutch attitude towards her desire to change waterleves and to partially inundate polders.
We therefore wrote today a new letter to our Minister in order to ask her to act according the articles in the Bern Convention.
In 2010, the year of Biodiversaty, it is essential to save the Limosa limosa from disappearing.
We therefore ask you to place this bird immidiately in the most protected bird grade and
judge, reject and change the system of subventions to the farmers.
We ask you to investigate the spoiling policy of our government of collecting land for friendly organisations.
Organisations who deliberately let birds disappear in order to get authority over new collected meadows. When the birds have gone they are free to change the polder.
At the same time we would like to ask you to force the Netherlands to do everything in their power and beyond, to protect the Limosa limosa for which benefit the land originally was bought by our government.
Awaiting for your answer,
On behalf of the Vereniging Onafhankelijke Natuur Informatie,
Yours sincerally,
drs. J.C. Vendrik.
(chairman)
VONI, Westbroekse Binnenweg 23, 3612 AG Tienhoven, the Netherlands.
C.o.C. : 30261749
www.voni.nl