In Split, on March 26th, an event titled Surveillance and Enforcement for the Effectiveness of Marine Protected/Natura 2000 areas in the Adriatic Sea was organized by Sunce. Natura 2000 is the ecological network of the European Union, consisting of areas important for the conservation of endangered species and habitat types of significance to the EU.
This event, organized as part of the EFFICIENTN2K project and supported by Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process, brought together Croatian and Italian experts and stakeholders to discuss the importance of surveillance and enforcement in marine Natura 2000 areas.
EfficientN2K is a step towards ensuring sustainability and protection of Natura 2000 areas
Zrinka Jakl, Head of the Nature Protection Department at Sunce, emphasized the importance of the EfficientN2K project, which aims to strengthen institutional collaboration in the surveillance of protected areas. The focus was on the need for efficient on-site protection, which required a thorough analysis of the legislative and institutional framework for surveillance of nine Natura 2000 areas at the beginning of the project. Both project partners, Sunce and the city of Ugento from Italy, conducted the analysis. Salvatore Chiga, the mayor of Ugento, expressed his gratitude to Sunce’s team for their collaboration and coordination throughout the project.
Project’s objective is to enhance surveillance and enforcement in coastal and marine protected Natura 2000 sites in Italy and Croatia. This is crucial for preserving biodiversity and protecting natural resources that are vital for this region and for the local communities that depend on them. The project team is actively working on identifying challenges in surveillance to provide recommendations for its improvement, with active involvement of relevant stakeholders and strengthening of their capacities.
This is an important step towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of Natura 2000 areas and protecting their unique biological and ecological values, as highlighted Zrinka.
Experts’ presentations on joint action
A range of experts held presentations, and one of them was Kristina Wood from Nature Bureau. Wood presented their work on the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process in partnership with CEEweb for Biodiversity. This process involves a series of seminars and networking events in each region aimed at promoting knowledge exchange, networking and collaboration among member countries on issues related to Natura 2000.
– The current cycle of the Biogeographical Process is focused on providing additional support to the Member States to contribute to the full implementation of the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, – said Wood.
Dr. Vedran Nikolić from the European Commission presented the EU legislative framework for effective management of Natura 2000 sites. In his presentation, he highlighted the key objectives of the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 related to marine areas, emphasizing the need for effective protection and restoration of nature. He also extensively discussed Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, emphasizing that Member States have a clear obligation to establish and implement conservation measures for target habitat types and species and must take appropriate steps to prevent deterioration of natural habitats. He highlighted that anchoring can cause significant deterioration of Posidonia oceanica meadows within Natura 2000, and allowing this activity is a clear violation of Article 6 of the Habitats Directive.
Nikolić also mentioned that new guidelines for establishing conservation measures within the EU Common Fisheries Policy and for the purposes of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive will be available by the end of 2024. In conclusion, he emphasized strong legal obligations for managing Natura 2000 sites, once again highlighting the state’s responsibility for defining specific conservation objectives and implementing necessary measures, as well as the urgency in ensuring effective protection implementation in Natura 2000 sites.
Nikolić also invited everyone to participate in the voting for the Natura 2000 Award 2024 until April 25, 2024.
Analysis example from Ugento
Giuseppe Scordella, Director of the Regional Park Litorale di Ugento presented the park and its features. The Natura 2000 network in the Puglia region covers an area of 402,899 hectares, which represents 20.81% of the total area of the administrative region.
– I must point out the need to improve coordination among competent authorities and organizations involved in surveillance to strengthen the management of protected areas. The existing law from 2007 is outdated but serves as the basis for park management. Additionally, there is a lack of communication among the bodies involved in surveillance, and they face a series of challenges in addressing situations on the ground, – said Scordella.
Pressures include illegal fishing, widespread pollution of surface waters due to agricultural activities and fires. In this regard, the Port Authority Office plays a significant role in surveillance in the maritime domain, participating in cases of pollution and collaborating with other institutions to protect coastal areas.
– Increasing funding at the regional level could significantly improve management and surveillance, enabling the employment of qualified staff and securing the necessary equipment for effective surveillance, – stated Scordella.
The involvement of local communities in the management of Natura 2000 sites is a key element for the long-term success of conservation.
Analysis example by Sunce
Matea Špika, project manager from Sunce, presented common challenges and analysis of the institutional and legislative framework for surveillance and enforcement in Croatia.
For the purpose of analysis, a total of five marine pilot areas in Croatia, belonging to various categories of protection and part of the Natura 2000 network, have been selected: the special marine nature reserve Mali Ston Bay and Malo More, Pakleni Islands, Kornati National Park, Telašćica Nature Park, and the northwest part of Dugi otok-Sakarun Bay. There are many pressures on the marine ecosystem, but this analysis focused on free anchoring, wastewater from ships and fishing.
Anchoring is the most complex topic, as it is regulated through the legislative framework of many sectors. Laws and sub-legal acts of maritime and spatial planning, along with nature protection, are the most relevant for the establishment of anchorages and regulation or ban of free anchoring. The new Maritime domain and Sea Ports Act has brought new obligations for public institutions managing marine protected areas, but also new opportunities for more effective surveillance on their part.
The legislative framework is established, but there are numerous challenges in enforcing regulations on-site, especially regarding wastewater. Although there is a clear legal ban on discharging wastewater from vessels into the sea, the infrastructure for discharging them is still insufficient for the large number of vessels during the season.
Data from numerous reports, strategic documents, etc. have been collected and presented and they clearly show that maritime surveillance in general, as well as within marine protected areas, is currently insufficient for effective protection.
Presentation by the Ministry
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development presented activities that they are currently undertaking that are aimed at achieving effective protected areas and Natura 2000 sites in Croatia.
At the end of last year, a long-term project to establish a framework for managing the Natura 2000 ecological network was completed. The project included the development of management plans for many Natura 2000 sites, capacity building for managing these areas and raising public awareness about the importance of conserving these areas.
The Ministry’s activities are currently focused on proposing new marine Natura 2000 sites in line with the 30% protection target for protection of sea within the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, refining conservation objectives for target species and habitat types of Natura 2000 sites and establishing anchoring regulations aimed at protecting Posidonia oceanica meadows.
Work groups conclusions
At the end of the event, discussions within working groups on recommendations for improving the effectiveness of surveillance and enforcement were held.
The first working group discussed anchoring. Highlighted solutions included spatial plans at the county level regulating the establishment of anchorages, which was done by Split-Dalmatia County. Specifically, an anchorage study was prepared as an expert basis for the spatial plan for Split-Dalmatia County. The study provides guidelines for the development of ports with special-purpose anchorages within Split-Dalmatia County. The preparation of the anchorage study proves to be a quality way to address the issue of free anchoring in terms of protecting sensitive and valuable habitats and serves as a good example of cross-sectoral cooperation. The location, size, and maximum capacity of anchorages will be determined by the spatial plans of municipalities and cities based on the previously prepared Anchorages Distribution Plan of the Split-Dalmatia County.
The second working group focused on surveillance in protected areas, considering whether the current legislative framework enables the action of rangers in the field, especially for Natura 2000 sites. The need for new technologies was highlighted, as well as certain limitations in their use for surveillance. Enhanced cooperation between public institutions at the county level with institutions of national parks and nature parks was proposed, as well as their collaboration with local authorities, to increase the effectiveness of surveillance of marine protected areas. Discussions were held on the overlap of powers between rangers and inspectors and how to ensure sufficient funding for the surveillance of marine protected areas, as well as opportunities for improving the record-keeping of rangers’ surveillance and actions.
In the third working group, which discussed fires, the importance of fire prevention was emphasized, including education, cooperation and coordination between authorities, improving equipment, and involving private owners in fire prevention and mitigation efforts. The possibility of using advanced technologies for surveillance, such as remote monitoring systems and drones, as well as other innovative solutions to overcome the physical and logistical constraints of traditional monitoring, was also considered.
Based on the conducted analysis and the results of organized workshops with stakeholders, project recommendations will be developed to address the identified challenges of effective surveillance.
