A large-scale marine restoration project is set to take place in Sejerø Bay, aiming to revitalize the area’s ecosystem over the next five years. The initiative, backed by WWF Verdensnaturfonden and various partners, involves planting eelgrass, releasing half a million cod, and establishing blue mussel banks and stone reefs.

The project, one of Denmark’s largest marine nature restoration efforts, is supported by DKK 33 million from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Program (ELSP), which has recognized Sejerø Bay as a key restoration site in Europe.

According to WWF Secretary General Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, the bay was once abundant with marine life, and the project aims to restore important natural habitats and fish stocks that have deteriorated.

WWF’s head of Danish nature, Line Gylling, emphasizes the potential for restoration due to existing protections, including a prohibition on stone fishing and bottom trawling, and the designation of parts of the bay as a Natura-2000 area.

Despite the bay “still breathing,” Gylling notes the need to improve and expand protection, as well as reduce nutrient emissions from the land. The goal is to transform Sejerø Bay into a marine area with high biodiversity, serving as a model for future restoration projects in Denmark.