The Hedwige polder in Zeeland will not be flooded, junior agriculture minister Henk Bleeker announced at a press conference on Friday afternoon. Instead, two smaller polders to the east of Flushing will go under water.

The Hedwige polder is an important feeding and breeding area for tens of thousands of birds, but was due to be flooded as compensation for the loss of land caused by deepening the Westerschelde estuary.
Bleeker said the government has now found an alternative. Parts of the banks along the Westerschelde will be used to create new nature areas and the Schorer and Welzinge polders will be flooded.