Kosterhavet National Park

Kosterhavet National Park
Location:	Västra Götalands län , Sweden
Specialty:	National Marine Park
Next city:	Strömstad
Surface:	365 km²
Founding:	2009
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The Kosterhavet National Park is located on the Swedish west coast and is Sweden's first marine national park . It was inaugurated on September 9, 2009.

Landscape in the Kosterhavet National Park

The national park includes parts of the sea and the land around the Kosterfjord and the waters south of it. In total it covers an area of 365 km², of which 12 km² is land area, including parts of the inhabited islands of North Koster , South Koster and Saltö . The park extends over the municipalities of Strömstad and Tanum . The Norwegian National Park Ytre Hvaler joins in the north , together an area of 719 km² is under protection.

The idea of creating a marine national park in this area arose in the late 1980s and 1990s when both marine biologists and environmental groups recognized the importance of the fjord. The Swedish nature conservation association Svenska Naturskyddsföreningen carried out educational work with the authorities, circulated video films about the importance of the marine area and ran a postcard campaign aimed at the authorities and individual key people.

Web links

Commons : Kosterhavet - collection of images, videos and audio files

Information of the Government of Västra Götaland National Park Kosterhavet (English)
Swedish National Park Plan with description of the new Kosterhavet National Park (pdf, 4.5 MB, Swedish)
Swedish coastal waters map (pdf, 4.3 MB)