Safety comes first and foremost in nature enhancement projects: for people, for our environments, and the species living in these areas. This includes permits requirements, special training and certificates, and health and safety checks. Insurances are also essential. To ensure that you’re following standard guidelines, make sure to check Dutch and international legislation for nature enhancements in the North Sea area.
As of 2024 most laws relating to the marine area have been added to the Environment and Planning Act (“Omgevingswet”). Read more about this act and activities on the North Sea here.
When working with living organisms (catch or release), please consider the Fisheries Act.
For working with oysters from hatcheries, please be aware of required EU-regulated certification. Read more about this here (Dutch-only version).
When working in the North Sea area, consider these key frameworks and conventions.
Insurance is crucial for activities such as the deployment of marine species and shells, and the use of monitoring frames and vessels near offshore assets.
Download our step-by-step guide that will help you prepare for your meeting with an insurance broker.
To enter an offshore windfarm, employees and visitors must have specific training and certificates which may include:
Training generally needs to adhere to specific standards such as OPITO, NOGEPA, STCW, or GWO. In many cases, a medical approval is also needed. Operators might also require a wind farm specific induction or training. Please contact the wind farm operator to learn which certificates you need.
Every nature enhancement project requires unique supplies and services. This can include live broodstock, monitoring devices and services, as well as suitable ships for installation and monitoring. The following resources will help you to explore and evaluate suppliers for your project.
Having the right vessel is essential to your project, whether you’ve secured a dedicated ship or are sharing a voyage to save on costs.
Download our guide to navigate the process, from comparing vessels to meeting specific requirements.
Many nature enhancement efforts focus on restoring the population of European flat oysters, a near-extinct species in many areas. By using hatcheries, the few wild populations may be spared. This guide will help you to locate hatcheries suitable for your project.
Please also see this report containing guidelines that can help hatcheries in obtaining a Bonamia-free status (in Dutch).
Monitoring is crucial for every project. We are currently working on a guide to help you learn about monitoring methods, and North Sea organisations that can help you. Stay tuned!
Need inspiration for suppliers of nature enhancement products? Head to our nature enhancement product catalogue to discover the possibilities.
Are you in need of more technical details or raw data to inform your project? Instead of starting from scratch in a search engine, you can browse through the links below for additional information on marine databases in the North Sea, maps and GIS data, and science and research.
This page provides a brief overview of the Nature Regeneration North Sea Program. It is intended as a starting point only. The program website contains more detailed and up-to-date information. This Toolbox page is under construction and will be expanded with additional information and documents in 2026.
Launched in 2025, the Nature Regeneration North Sea program is a public-private partnership between the government, science, businesses, and societal organizations. The Rich North Sea is part of its core group.
With a Climate Fund grant, this program expands beyond wind farms and focuses on nature restoration across the entire North Sea – scaling up projects, increasing our reach, and driving real impact for a healthy North Sea.
The program supports the recovery and strengthening of marine ecosystems in the Dutch North Sea, alongside ongoing offshore activities such as wind energy. It focuses on improving ecological conditions, restoring habitats and embedding nature regeneration into the way the North Sea is planned, developed and managed. For users of this Toolbox, the program provides important context and direction for nature-inclusive design, mitigation measures and long-term ecosystem resilience at sea.
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