Combined Fish and Birds survey in the Dutch coastal zone

Abstract

Knowledge on the relationship between birds and fish is important when assessing the impact of infrastructural development on birds and fish in the coastal zone. It can have a direct effect on bird migration routes and resting areas. It can also have an indirect effect by changing the fish community and hence food availability for the bird community. RIKZ assigned Bureau Waardenburg a continuation of the prematurely terminated Flyland project in which the relationship between fish and birds should have been studied. This renewed project aims at describing the ecological relationships between marine birds and their food sources, mainly pelagic fish. The present report describes the results of a study on the relationship between fish and birds in the Dutch coastal zone. With this knowledge, impact of future infrastructural development on birds and their food (fish) can be better assessed