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Traditionally, the living and nonliving natural resources of the coastal waters of The Netherlands have been exploited. Part of this exploitation took the form of embankment and reclamation to produce new agricultural land.
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The first nature reserve within the coastal waters was established in 1916. After this year the number of coastal nature reserves gradually increased. However, until about 1970 the status of a nature reserve provided little protection when other interests claimed the same area.
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In the period 1965ยฑ1980 the situation changed drastically. The Dutch government took farreaching decisions with regard to the protection of the Wadden Sea and the Oosterschelde estuary.
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At the start of this century about 10 000 km 2 of coastal waters existed between the mainland coast and the three-miles territorial border of The Netherlands. Of these, 4500 km 2 have been embanked and reclaimed or changed into freshwater lakes, 4000 km 2 have protected status, and about 1500 km 2 within the former three-miles zone and in the Westerschelde estuary (250 km 2 ) are still unprotected.
5.The present situation with regard to the conservation of coastal waters in The Netherlands is largely due to private initiatives. Scientists played an active part in the conservation movement by providing information, especially in the early phases of this development.