In order to restore the former population of little terns Sternula albifrons, the estuaries of Gauja, Ķikana and Irbe are closed to visitors from May 1 to July 31. Little terns build their nests in the sand of beach and during nesting they are very sensitive to disturbances caused by people, especially dogs, which negatively affects hatching, raising young and the population of the species. Since the sands of beach are the only home and nesting place for these birds, for the second yearthe Nature Conservation Agency invites tourists, boaters, fishermen to choose other areas for recreation and walks or to get to know new places.
"Annual monitoring of coastal birds shows that currently less than 100 pairs of little terns are nesting on the almost 500 km long coast of Latvia. Unfortunately, their number continues to decrease, so the species is critically endangered in Latvia. Thanks to the interest of several municipalities in restoring the population of little terns in their region, we have closed three potentially the most favorable places with a suitable habitat for these birds. If it is possible to restore the attractiveness of these areas for the nesting of little terns, other species living in beach, such as river and sand terns, river and sea terns, as well as sea terns, will nest alongside them," explains the NCA department director Gita Strode.

In the past, significant colonies of small terns were recorded in the estuaries of the Gauja and Irbe rivers. The last time the species tried to nest in the estuary of Gauja was in 2010. However, with the increase in the number of people and the presence of stray dogs, birds no longer choose this area for nesting.
Research shows that birds perceive people in their vicinity as a threat, so adult birds leave their nests, while young birds wander away from their parents when they run away. Over time, birds leave the previously chosen territories, no longer lay eggs and do not raise young, as a result of which the population of the species decreases. On the other hand, the baby birds nesting on the beach are nest escapees, which leave the nest soon after hatching and follow their parents, who feed and care for them. Baby birds do not fly at this time, they move nimbly on the ground, so they can become easy prey for dogs.
Already last year, when this pilot project was carried out for the first time, it was possible to observe individual pairs of birds visiting, feeding and exploring the restricted areas of the estuary. It is likely that this year we will not see them nesting in these estuaries, because first the little terns need to regain confidence in these areas as good nesting places.
In 2022, the NCA's inspectors regularly inspected the fenced estuaries. Thanks to the public's understanding and desire to support the restoration of natural diversity, deliberate non-compliance with the ban was found only in isolated cases.