Rottum is the name of a protected natural monument

Natural Monument

A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance....

 in the Wadden Sea

Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...

 in The Netherlands. It consists of the three West Frisian Islands

West Frisian Islands

The West Frisian Islands are a chain of islands in the North Sea off the Dutch coast, along the edge of the Wadden Sea. They continue further east as the German East Frisian Islands and are part of the Frisian Islands....

 Rottumerplaat

Rottumerplaat

Rottumerplaat is one of the three islands that make up Rottum in the West Frisian Islands. The island is located in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. Access to the island is prohibited since Rottemerplaat is a resting and forage area for numerous bird species...

, Rottumeroog

Rottumeroog

Rottumeroog is one of the three islands that make up Rottum, a group of islands that are part of the West Frisian Islands archipelago. The island is situated off the Dutch coast in the North Sea. The island is named after the village Rottum in Groningen: the Benedictine "St...

, and Zuiderduintjes

Zuiderduintjes

Zuiderduintjes is a very small island to the south of Rottumeroog, West Frisian Islands, Netherlands. It is part of Rottum and access to the island is prohibited since it's a rest and forage area for birds and seals....

. As a protected nature reserve (Rottum receives highest protection status under Dutch Law ), admission to the islands is restricted. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the government organisations Rijkswaterstaat

Rijkswaterstaat

Rijkswaterstaat, founded in 1798 as the Bureau voor den Waterstaat, is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the former Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management...

 and Staatsbosbeheer

Staatsbosbeheer

Staatsbosbeheer is a Dutch organization founded in 1899 to control and conserve Dutch nature reserves.Staatsbosbeheer currently oversees over 250.000 hectares of land in the Netherlands. Usually this land is open to the public for recreational purposes, but restrictions often apply...

share responsibility for the nature reserve.