Natura 2000 Network in Sardinian coastal areas

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 1 Natura 2000 in the European Union

Natura 2000 is a European coherent network of areas to be protected for their ecological importance, established under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and under the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC). It aims at protecting biodiversity, especially habitats and species rare, valuable or threatened. Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 2 Natura 2000: lists of habitats and species

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 3 Management and protection of Natura 2000 sites (Habitats Directive, art. 6)

Within Natura 2000, Member States must:  Take appropriate conservation measures to maintain and restore the habitats and species for which a site has been designated to a favourable conservation status. Such conservation measures involve, “if need be, appropriate management plans specifically designed for the sites or integrated into other development plans” that should address all foreseen activities.  Avoid damaging activities that could significantly disturb these species or deteriorate the habitats of the protected species or habitat types. What if new planned developments might affect a Natura 2000 site?  Plans or projects likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 must undergo an Appropriate Assessment. The competent authorities can agree to the plan or project only after ascertaining that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site concerned.  In exceptional circumstances, a plan or project may still be allowed to go ahead, in spite of a negative assessment, if no alternative solutions exist and if the plan or project is considered to be of overriding public interest (but appropriate compensatory measures are required).

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 4 Natura 2000 Network in Sardinia

In Sardinia it currently consists of:

 37 Special Protection Areas (SPA), designated under the Bird directive  91 Sites of Community Importance (SCI), designated under the Habitats directiveand bound to become Special Areas of Conservation (SCA)  2 proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCI)

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 5 Natura 2000 network in Sardinia: Coastal habitats (source: art. 17 Database Report – updated Nov 2012) Code Category Code Category Area Area Code Habitat Priority 1 1 2 2 (km2) (%) Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the 1110 11.73 0.21% time 1120 Posidonia beds (Posidonion oceanicae) * 433.74 7.60% Open sea and 11 1130 Estuaries 2.44 0.04% tidal areas 1150 Coastal lagoons * 98.49 1.73% 1160 Large shallow inlets and bays 25.19 0.44% 1170 Reefs 61.72 1.08% Sea cliffs and 1210 Annual vegetation of drift lines 6.27 0.11% 12 shingle or stony Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts with 1240 26.61 0.47% Coastal beaches endemic Limonium spp. and Atlantic and 1 1310 Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand 3.68 0.06% halophytic continental salt 13 habitats marshes and 1320 Spartina swards (Spartinion maritimae) 0.19 0.0033% salt meadows Mediterranean 1410 Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi) 7.56 0.13% and thermo- Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs 1420 13.72 0.24% 14 Atlantic salt (Sarcocornetea fruticosi) marshes and salt meadows 1430 Halo-nitrophilous scrubs (Pegano-Salsoletea) 3.40 0.06% Salt and gypsum 15 1510 Mediterranean salt steppes (Limonietalia) * 6.69 0.12% inland steppes

Sea dunes of 2110 Embryonic shifting dunes 6.40 0.11% the Atlantic, 21 North Sea and Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria 2120 7.01 0.12% Baltic coasts (‘white dunes’) Inland 2210 Crucianellion maritimae fixed beach dunes 7.26 0.13% dunes, 2 2230 Malcolmietalia dune grasslands 4.09 0.07% old and Sea dunes decalcified of the 2240 Brachypodietalia dune grasslands with annuals 10.34 0.18% 22 Mediterranean 2250 Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. * 15.36 0.27% coast 2260 Cisto-Lavenduletalia dune sclerophyllous scrubsa 2.11 0.04% 2270 Wooded dunes with Pinus pinea and/or Pinus pinaster * 31.03 0.54% Coastal habitats in Sardinia: examples

*1120 - Posidonia beds 1420 - Mediterranean and thermo- Atlantic (Posidonion oceanicae) halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi)

2210 - Crucianellion maritimae *2250 - Coastal dunes fixed beach dunes with Juniperus spp.

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 7

Photo credits: http://vnr.unipg.it/habitat/ Natura 2000 network in Sardinia:

Marine species (-birds) (source: art. 17 Database Report – updated Nov 2012)

Number of Natura 2000 sites in which Habitat Directive the species is present/observed Group Code Species SCI & Annex II Annex IV Annex V SPA SCI TOT SPA 1008 Centrostephanus longispinus x 2 2 1001 Corallium rubrum x 9 12 3 24 Inverte- 1012 Patella ferruginea x 3 6 2 11 brates 1028 Pinna nobilis x 11 16 4 31 1090 Scyllarides latus x Salaria fluviatilis 1 1 1 3 1103 Alosa fallax x x 9 20 2 31 Fish 1152 Aphanius fasciatus x 9 15 24 1095 Petromyzon marinus x 1 2 3 1224 Caretta caretta x x 9 24 2 34 Marine 1227 Chelonia mydas x x reptiles 1223 Dermochelys coriacea x 2618 Balaenoptera acutorostrata x 1 1 2621 Balaenoptera physalus x 2 2 4 1350 Delphinus delphis x 1 1 2 2029 Globicephala melas x Marine 2030 Grampus griseus x 2 2 4 mammals 2034 Stenella coeruleoalba x 3 3 6 2624 Physeter macrocephalus x 1366 Monachus monachus x 1 1 Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 8 1349 Tursiops truncatus x 6 6 1 13 Marine species in Sardinia: examples

Corallium rubrum Pinna nobilis

Caretta caretta Stenella coeruleoalba

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 9

Photo credits: http://vnr.unipg.it/habitat/ Coastal habitats in Sardinia:

spatial distribution

2013

October

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Draft

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Action Framework Action Framework

Prioritised Source: Regione Source: Regione Sardegna «

Type 1 (Coastal and halophytic habitats) Type 2 (Inland dunes, old and decalcified) Coastal sites

In a recent study carried out in the framework of a cooperation project, three sub-networks were identified:  coastal and maritime sites  mountain and forest sites  rural sites

The identification was based on the following criteria:  spatial distribution of natural habitats and threshold percentages of area concerned by natural habitats (e.g.: dominance of types 1 and/or 2)  presence of priority habitats typical for a given network (e.g. *1120, *1150, *2250, *2270)  land cover types and HNVF (relevant for types “b” and “c”) a. Coastal and maritime sites b. Mountain and forest sites c. Rural sites

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 11 Conservation strategy for coastal sites

Conservation priorities are set in the Regional Prioritised Action Framework (PAF) for the programming period 2014-2020. Some examples are as follows: 1. To enlarge extant knowledge on some marine habitats and species for which lack of sufficient information still exists. 2. To improve current knowledge on marine environment and marine dynamics. 3. To increase the maritime and coastal Natura 2000 network in number and size so as to protect important seabird species (Calonectris diomedea, Hydrobates pelagicus, Larus audouinii, Larus genei, Larus melanocephalus, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Puffinus yelkouan, Sterna hirundo, Sternula albifrons). 4. To identify effective management models for marine sites. 5. To improve knowledge on invasive alien species. 6. To counteract habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity. 7. To promote sustainable fishing and sustainable fisheries.

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 12 Potential Target species/ Description of measure financing habitats/ sites sources** Scientific studies aimed at identifying new Natura 2000 sites (both SCIs ans SPAs) Marine sites EFF; Horizon 2020 Directives and guidelines for the management of dune habitats Dune habitats EFF; LIFE; ERDF Directives and guidelines for the management of Posidonia beds *1120 EFF; LIFE; ERDF Pilot projects aimed at testing effective management models for marine sites, which might include: Marine sites ERDF; EFF  networks of bodies responsible for Marine Protected Areas, involvement of associations  creation of networks of stakeholders organizations (e.g. to support identification and conservation of marine turtles, marine mammals, sharks) Scientific studies and monitoring activities concerning marine turtles, marine mammals, sharks: Marine turtles, EFF; Horizon 2020 marine mammals,  satellite tracking of sea turtles sharks  monitoring of beaches on which sea turtles are likely to lay their eggs  monitoring of egg laying  studies on marine litter (e.g. investigation of the stomach contents of stranded animals)  studies on impacts of human activities (e.g. fishing and boating) Scientific studies on the marine environment, concerning, inter alia: Marine sites ERDF; EFF; Horizon  marine water quality 2020  dynamics and evolution of the coastal system  socio-economic aspects (use of the marine environment and costs of its degradation)  presence and distribution of waste (in beaches, water and sea bed)  benthic and pelagic habitats, especially coral reefs Action plans for species for which an insufficient conservation status has already been Calonectris diomedea, EFF; LIFE; ERDF Puffinus yelkouan, ascertained Hydrobates pelagicus

Action plan against invasive alien species typical of coastal and marine sites Marine and coastal EFF; LIFE; ERDF sites Conservation and restoration of marine and coastal habitats: Marine and coastal EFF  restoration of Posidonia beds sites  installation of mooring buoys to protect Posidonia beds  restoration and protection of sandy dunes (e.g. by means of walkways, sand fences and other sand traps, planting of native species) Support of sustainable fishing: Marine sites EFF  awareness campaigns to promote low-impact fishing gears and low emission vessels  incentives for the modernization of fishing vessels  incentives to fishermen for the use of selective fishing methods Management plans for Natura 2000 Network in Sardinia

Since 2005, the Regional Administration of Sardinia has regarded Management Plans as necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000.

Provinces, municipalities, as well as bodies responsible for Parks and Marine Protected Areas were asked to draw up and submit MPs for SCIs (the call for proposals was funded under the ERDF).

The Regional Administration of Sardinia retained its ultimate responsibility for approving the plans.

As a result of the approval of 74 plans by the regional executive, 83 SCIs (out of 89) have now an MP in force.

Plans for SCAs are currently under preparation, together with updates of MPs already in force (the call for proposals was SCI with an MP in force SPA without MP funded under the EAFRD). SCI without MP Municipalities Municipalities Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 14 Conservation actions envisaged in the MPs: Examples

SCI ITB042233 Punta di Santa Giusta (Costa Rei) – ERDF funded project

SCI ITB040020 Isola dei Cavoli, Serpentara e Punta Molentis – LIFE funded project

Nuoro,Cagliari 22– November settembre26, 2009 2013 Linea di intervento 4.2.1.a Regione Sardegna, Servizio Tutela della natura 15 Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020

“The services that nature provides us with, like clean water, clean air, fertile soil, food, are not only crucial for the well-being of human kind, they also represent an astronomical economic value. According to economists, each year we lose 3% of GDP due to the loss of biodiversity. That costs the EU €450 billion year after year. Compared to these figures, investing €5.8 billion per year in Natura 2000 is a bargain!” (EU rapporteur Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, NL).

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