Frequently asked questions

The disaster and incident control takes place under the operational command of the Coastguard (Kustwacht) Director. The Coastguard is a partnership and is a cooperative organisation of government services (five departments) for the operational implementation of Coastguard tasks.
The responsibility for the policy of the Coastguard is shared by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and the Permanent Contact Group Enforcement North Sea (Permanente Kontaktgroep Handhaving Noordzee, PKHN).

Officially, you may not throw anything into the sea without government permission. In practice, however, the scattering of ashes at sea is tolerated. You can find information on the scattering of ashes on http://www.yarden.nl/regelen/na-de-uitvaart/as (+31 (0)800-1292)

The government has designated certain locations where dredging is allowed. You can get this information and obtain a permit from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Rijkswaterstaat Sea and Delta.

The Rijkswaterstaat Water Service can provide you with current information. (+31 (0)320-298411)

You can find this information in the Notice to Mariners (Bericht aan Zeevarenden) of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Hydrographic Service.

Rijkswaterstaat has current geographical information on existing uses available. You can view the details on http://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/apps/geoservices/mapviewer2i/ and request information at servicedesk-data@rws.nl

You can report this to Cees Camphuijsen of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), (+31 (0)222-369300). If the bird is still alive, you can take it to the local bird protection service

In principle, you will need a Water Permit. According to the Water Act (Wtw), you should apply for a permit for anything installed on or in the seabed of the North Sea. Exceptions are the cables that come with mining installations which are covered by the permit granted under the Mining Law of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.