Das Projekt "Massnahmen zur Hege und Vermehrung der Rordommel-Populationen (Botaurus stellaris) in bayerischen Fischteichen" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Landesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern e.V. durchgeführt. The bittern (Botaurus stellaris) prefers nesting in broad stretches of reeds and rushes, but will settle for small fish ponds, when these are part of a more extensive complex of surface waters. The brown speckled bird with its distinctive long claws has been decimated by habitat loss throughout southern and western Germany, and Western Europe in general. One of the most important nesting areas remaining in Bavaria is the Charlottenhof ponds complex, a 900 ha area mainly used to farm carp. Between four to six bittern nesting sites are occupied here each season and there is a potential, assuming appropriate management of the ponds, for more nesting sites. The polygamous bittern requires reeds or rushes which are not too dense and are free from disturbance, as well as good foraging opportunities (fish, amphibians, invertebrates, etc). On the other hand, intensive fertilizer application, high fish stocking densities, continual removal of the reeds and any inflow of nutrients and pesticides must all be avoided. The project is an attempt to develop a model for boosting bittern populations by combining protection with the application of specific forms of fish pond exploitation: Areas of rushes suitable for bittern have to be preserved and, to keep them in good shape, mowed at regular intervals. Extensive fish farming in the ponds has to be ensured. To carry out these measures, about 10 ha of ponds around existing bittern populations will be acquired by purchase or long-term lease and extensification contracts concluded with the fish farmers. These contracts compel them to keep terrestrialization zones (40-50 per cent of total surface area taken up by such zones per pond is ideal) and to guarantee that there will be water in the ponds all year. They will also prohibit them from applying fertilizer, lime or artificial feedstuffs to the pond or mowing aquatic vegetation. Because market prices for carp are currently very low, it is expected that the fish farmers attitudes towards such contracts will be positive, as on the hand less effort and input will go into fish farming (so production costs are lower) while on the other income rises on account of the compensation payments which go together with the contracts. In addition to all this, one-off measures to improves habitats will be taken: flattening the gradient of pond banks to stimulate terrestrialization, bringing more structure to the reedbeds and - along the edges of intensively used farmland - laying out buffer strips and ditches to carry off polluted water.