By closing the sub-areas, nature in and around the Dogger Bank can recover. This especially applies to the permanently submerged sandbanks. This is a protected habitat under the Habitats Directive. The area has high ecological value and is currently only partially protected. The regulation allows the protected habitat to recover and be preserved, which also benefits other parts of the ecosystem such as fish, marine mammals, and birds.
The Dogger Bank is protected under the Habitats Directive and is part of Natura 2000, a European network of protected natural areas. With these fishing measures, the Netherlands is working to fulfill international obligations.
The basis of the legislation is a Dutch-German proposal that has been worked on for more than 10 years. The decision was preceded by a careful and lengthy process. The proposal was shared and discussed with all involved parties, including the North Sea Consultation, the Scheveningen Group, the NSAC (North Sea Advisory Council), and the European Commission.
The exact boundaries of the closed areas can be viewed in the Open Data Viewer. The precise coordinates can be found in the European regulation.
