Marine Protected Areas in Croatia

Marine protected areas in Croatia

Gordana Zwicker Kompar, Institute for Environment and Nature Conservation

Izola, 19th September 2019. Introduction

. PA network of Croatia – national categories and Natura 2000 . Institutional framework . State of MPAs . Management effectiveness of MPAs . Ongoing projects and activities in MPAs . Key issues challenging functionality and effective management of MPAs PA network of Croatia National categories

. 12,36% of inland area and 1,93% of marine area are protected in national categories

% area of CATEGORY number of PAs area (km²) Croatian territory Strict Reserve 2 24,19 0,03 National Park 8 979,63 1,11 Special Reserve 77 400,11 0,45 Nature Park 11 4.350,48 4,90 Regional Park 2 1025,56 1,16 Monument of Nature 80 2,27 0,00 Significant Landscape 82 1.331,28 1,51 Park Forrest 27 29,55 0,03 Horticultural Monument 119 8,36 0,01 Total PAs in Croatia 408 7.528,05 8,55

PA network of Croatia Natura 2000

. Natura 2000 sites mostly overlaps national categories (~90%)

Area of Area out of territorial sea % territorial sea territorial sea Inland area and inland sea and inland sea and inland sea Total surface of % of total No of Natura (km2) % of land waters (km2) waters waters (km2) RC (km2) surface RC 2000 sites

SCI (POVS) 16.093 28,44 4.861 15,31 9,62 20.954 23,72 745 SPA (POP) 17.102 30,22 1.056 3,32 18.158 20,55 38 Natura 2000 20.772 36,7 5.164 16,26 9,62 25.936 29,36 783 PA network of Croatia

Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 ‘By 2020, at least 17 % of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 % of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area- based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape’.

. ZERP - Ecological and Fishing Protection Zone in the Adriatic . Jabuka Pit as Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA) - Ministry of Agriculture . agreement between Croatia and Italy 2017-2020 Institutional framework

Ministry of Environment and Energy

Nature Protection Directorate Institute on Environment and

Nature

State National and nature parks Inspectorate management authorities Nature (management of PAs & Protection corresponding Natura 2000 sites) Inspection (19)

site management

County authorities County / Municipality management authorities Departments responsible

for nature conservation (management of PAs & corresponding Natura 2000 sites) (21) (21 + 4)

. Centralised Governance System = (IUCN type) Governance by Government . Legal possibility for (partial) delegated management for national categories and Natura 2000 sites Institutional framework

. Segments of PA Management : - Conservation of natural values - Sustainability of natural resources usage (if appropriate) - Conservation of cultural heritage and traditional values - Visitor management - Cooperation with local community . PA network, especially MPA, is very demanding for management and depends on public institution capacities – human (no. of employees and their capacities) and financial, but also political and local community support Institutional framework

Management documents . Management plan - long term work plan with management zonation . Supporting documents: sustainable tourism plan…. . Annual program of protection, maintenance, conservation, promotion and use of protected areas . Ordinance on protection and conservation/Resolution on measures for the protection and conservation of the protected areas - regulation of different human activities in the specific PA (visitation limits, no-entry, restrictions, etc.) and management zonation . Spatial plan - land use plan that highlight the future needs for construction (buildings, infrastructure…); land use zonation Name Category Subcategory Values Area (km2) Sea (km2) paleontologic Datule Barbariga special reserve al dinosaur bones under the sea 4,26 4,18 ichtiological- State of MPAs Delta Neretve - ornithologica jugoistočni dio special reserve l hatchery for fish species 4,99 4,57 Prvić i Grgurov botanical- high cliffs, colony of Gyps kanal special reserve zoological fulvus 57,6 44,7 Malostonski high bioproduction, seashelf zaljev special reserve in the sea farm 149,01 57,2 . In total marine protected areas: ichtiological- 901 km2 out of which 67% ornithologica Pantan special reserve l 0,45 0,1 teritorial sea and inland sea flooded karst valley, high bioproduction, breeding waters Limski zaljev - mussels and other seashells, rezervat special reserve in the sea caged fish 4,29 4,2 Brijuni national park group of 14 islands 34 28,5 the most indented island group in the European Mediterranean, cliffs, relief structures, more than 3/4 in Kornati national park the sea 215,71 165,7 Mljet national park indented shore with two lakes 52,88 24,4 Lastovsko otočje nature park 44 islands, islets, cliffs 195,72 143,1 cliffs, indented and recessed Telascica bay, several smaller Telašćica nature park islands 69,99 44,7 Sitsko-žutska significant otočna skupina landscape island landscape 100,09 80,7 significant Kanal - Luka landscape 11,69 4,24 significant Zavratnica landscape sea flooded torrental valley 0,41 0,1 Špilja na otoku monument of geomopholo Ravniku nature gical monument of geomopholo Modra špilja nature gical Medvidina monument of geomopholo pećina nature gical State of MPAs

Endangered area Satisfactory the values of the area are the values of the area are in endangered and need change of favorable condition and use, revitalization or additional management of the area is conservation measures appropriate

Kornati Lastovsko otočje Telašćica Brijuni Mljet THREATH - anthropogenic pressures on the sea (decrease in THREATS fish stock) - decreasing fish stock - needs monitoring and conservation measures - settlements of Posidonia Oceanica are degraded, - alien and invasive species (e.g. Caulerpa cilindracea), . self assessment agressive species (Pomatomus saltatrix), of PA - extinction of Pinna nobilis management - coraligen damage authority in Annual program Management effectivnes of MPAs

. Marine PAs do have management plans (Lastovsko otočje, Brijuni and Mljet period 2017-2026; Kornati 2014-2023; Telašćica 2013-2022) and management zonation . Data on the PA Management Effectiveness in Croatia are not yet systematically collected on the PA network level . But… METT survey (Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool) conducted for 2012, 2014 and 2016 in national and nature parks – our main source of data about PA management effectiveness at the moment Management effectiveness of MPAs

100 2012.

90 2014.

80 2016. 70

Assessment of management effectiveness by public institutions in METT Management effectivnes of MPAs

Most effective . Legal status of National and Nature Parks (100%) . Collection of entrance fees and their use for PA management (95%) . Economic benefit for local communities (e.g. income, employment, payment for environmental services) (80%) . PA boundaries clearly marked (75%) . PA is being managed according to agreed objectives (74%) Least effective . Participation of local communities in the decision making (42%) . Adequacy of visitor infrastructure (43%) . Active resource management (e.g. grazing, mowing) (45%) . Monitoring management effectiveness (46%) Lastovsko otočje Telašćica Pollution entering or generated Climate change and severe within protected area weather High threat: Specific cultural and social Fire (including arson) threats Household sewage (septic tanks) High threat: and public wastewater system Shipping lanes and canals Sewage and waste water from Recreational activities and tourism protected area facilities Fishing, killing and harvesting Garbage and solid waste aquatic resources Depopulation Depopulation Mljet Brijuni Biological resource use and harm within Invasive and other problematic a protected area species and genes Specific cultural and social threats High threat: High threat: Sewage and waste water from Fishing, killing and harvesting aquatic protected area facilities resources Recreational activities and tourism Fire (including arson) Other ‘edge effects’ on park values Succession of vegetation Kornati Invasive non-native/alien animals Natural system modifications Household sewage (septic tanks) and public Pollution entering or generated within wastewater system protected area Garbage and solid waste High threat: Loss of cultural links, traditional knowledge Other ‘edge effects’ on park values and/or management practices Succession of vegetation Natural deterioration of important cultural site values Ongoing projects and activities

National level projects: . „Mapping of coastal and demersal marine habitats in the Adriatic Sea under national jurisdiction” (Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020) Project objective: map for a minimum of 51% of the surface of coastal and demersal marine habitats in the Croatian territorial sea and continental shelf, and revision of the national habitat classification and a harmonized key according to EUNIS . Management plan with action plan for species: Puffinus yelkouan Calonectris diomedea Gyps fulvus

Kaukal (Calonectris diomedea), foto: Goran Šafarek

Gregula (Puffinus yelkouan), foto: BIOM Ongoing projects and activities

. The development of Natura 2000 management framework (OPCC 2014- 2020) project output: management plans for at least 200 Natura 2000 sites (40%) of Natura and capacity building of stakeholders for Natura 2000 management National level activities: . Protocol for reporting and action in the case of finding dead, sick or injured strictly protected marine species - sea mammals, sea turtle, chondrichtyes fish . Monitoring program: Natura2000 habitat 1170 Reefs Coralligene (Coralligenous community) . Analysis of Reports on annual programs of management authorities Ongoing projects and activities

Other organisations Projects: . BIOM - LIFEArtina Future for seabirds with objective: create the preconditions for the designation of new marine conservation areas important for birds (SPA) in Croatia by creating a list of proposed new SPA sites and development of conservation measures for these areas. . Plavi svijet - Acoustic monitoring of cetaceans and dolphins in the South Adriatic and Life EURO TURTLES - western coast of Istria Peninsula and west side of Cres-Lošinj – Dugi otok Archipelago as a high-use feeding areas . WWF Adria – FishMPABlue2 Fishing Governance in MPAs: potentialities for Blue Economy 2 test the “Governance toolkit for small scale fishery” in different typologies of MPAs Ongoing projects and activities

. Croatian Veterinary Institute and Institute for Environment and Nature Conservation are preparing monitoring program for Pinna nobilis . Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries – database on state of marine environment, aquaculture and fisheries indicator Site level projects: . Promoting sustainable use of natural heritage in national and nature parks „6c2” (Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020) - all parks are involved with their visitor infrastructure . MPA-Adopt (Brijuni) – adaptation to climatic change – monitoring biological indicators of climatic change (finished) i MERCES (Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas) – monitoring of Pinna nobilis . Operation Wallacea - Dinaric karst biodiversity initiative - Course on Mediterranean Biodiversity Ecosystem (Mljet) - monitoring of Pinna nobilis Ongoing projects and activities

Site monitoring: • settlements of Posidonia oceanica, coraligen, marine habitats, sea turtles, Tursiops truncatus, invasive algae Caulerpa racemosa, birds, etc.

Site active measures: • establish and maintain anchoring and mooring system for conservation of settlements of Posidonia Oceanica • removing of Caulerpa racemosa from coraligen Key issues challenging funcionality and effective management of MPAs

. Lack of capacity (staff and financial) . Continuous monitoring of umbrellala/key species . Implementation of active measures for conservation of biodiversity (species and habitat) (threat of alien and invasive species) . Establishment of no take zones for the protection of fish stock and other species . Monitoring management effectiveness . Adoption of Ordinance on protection and conservation – regulation of fishing, nautical tourism and other activities