ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

26/11/2025 | The North Sea is unique, but fishing, shipping, plastic waste and noise from offshore installations are taking their toll. It urgently needs better protection – especially for the native harbor porpoises, whose populations have been declining for two decades. ZMT doctoral student Wiebke Homes studies the small whales and says they are an example of biodiversity under pressure and of how urgently effective protection measures are needed. The scientist is now participating in a newlly-founded "Network for North Sea Protection" – NeNo for short.

It all began in 2023 with an exchange between various associations on the situation of porpoises in the North Sea. This led to a trusting collaboration, which resulted in a joint position paper on the need for stronger measures to protect porpoises in the whale sanctuary off Sylt and Amrum. This was personally handed over to Schleswig-Holstein's Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt in February 2025.

Wiebke Homes ( 2nd from left) at the hand-over of the position paper to Schleswig-Holstein's Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt in February 2025. | Photo: Schutzstaion Wattenmeer

This collaboration has now resulted in a permanent alliance: the North Sea Protection Network (NeNo). In future, NeNo will work to effectively protect the North Sea through joint campaigns and projects, promoting intact ecosystems and protecting endangered species such as the harbour porpoise. The aim of the network is to raise awareness of harbour porpoises and their protection through educational work and public communication. To this end, environmental education measures will be implemented and demands formulated for political decision-makers.

The North Sea Protection Network (NeNo) is an association of nature conservation organisations and research institutions. The current partners are:

● Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine e.V. (GRD), München

● Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT), Bremen

● Naturschutzbund Schleswig-Holstein e.V. (NABU SH)

● Naturschutzgemeinschaft Sylt e.V.

● Öömrang Ferian i.f. (Amrum)

● Schutzstation Wattenmeer e.V.

● Sölring Foriining e.V.

● Verein Jordsand e.V.

● WWF Wattenmeerbüro, Husum

The network is open to further partners and initiatives that wish to commit to effective marine conservation and sustainable use of the North Sea.