US and German activists fight LNG terminal threatening Wadden Sea bird sanctuary

Climate and environmental activists from Germany and the United States are jointly opposing a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Wilhelmshaven that threatens a valuable bird sanctuary in the Wadden Sea. The protest, led by James Hiatt, took place in early March 2026 at the Außenhafen Hooksiel in Wilhelmshaven, with around 80 demonstrators. The terminal is part of Germany's strategy to increase LNG imports from the US, but critics argue it will destroy a protected biotope. Hiatt, wearing a shirt reading "It's all super fun until it's Superfund," references the US Superfund program for toxic waste cleanup. The article, published in Der Freitag and authored by Kathrin Hartmann, highlights the transatlantic alliance of activists fighting the project.