Nature conservation minister drains the floodplain national park
a typical Brandenburg contribution to international wetland protection in the face of global warming and desertification
Monday June 9, 2009
Every year again — in spring it is that time again, when the Brandenburg Minister, Woidke, who is actually responsible for nature conservation, pumps out Germany’s only floodplain national park, which is costly and energy-intensive. Although the pumps were started a little later this year, which is to be welcomed, the annual pumping action remains economically and ecologically devastating. Many rare birds, such as the black tern, whitebeard tern and white-winged tern, which have only just started breeding and are dependent on the high water levels, sit on dry land and with their nests are easy prey for foxes and raccoon dogs.
These cost-intensive measures are intended to enable farmers to use grassland as early as possible at the taxpayer’s expense, although they are hardly dependent on it for feed supply.
All of the farmers still working in the Fiddichow Polder (10) today have written to the association that they are ready to forego the costly pumping out of the polder. They have also given their consent to the inlet and outlet structures in the Fiddichower Polder (10) remaining open, as recommended by a water management feasibility study commissioned by the Brandenburg Ministry of Agriculture.
In response to a small question from MP Klocksin (SPD), Landtag Brandenburg, 4th electoral period, printed matter 4/6539, Minister Woidke admitted that closing the gates and pumping out the polder has devastating ecological consequences. Despite the consent of practically all farmers working in the area and despite better understanding, he persistently refuses to remedy this grievance. The water régime in the floodplain national park is to remain as ordered by the police chief in Szczecin in 1931. Woidke has not yet noticed that time has passed. The damage is caused by nature and extremely rare, endangered birds. A floodplain national park that is artificially pumped empty every year becomes a fraudulent label. We therefore finally call on and also to Woidke: Woidke wake up, there are elections!
