At this year's award ceremony of the European Union's LIFE program, “LIFE REEF” project for the development of marine protected areas prepared and implemented by the Nature Conservation Agency (hereinafter - the Agency), launched this autumn, received an award as the highest rated new project.

Over the next five years, the LIFE REEF project, led by the Agency and involving two more partners, will focus on establishing a comprehensive system for the protection of marine resources, developing criteria for assessing marine habitats and improving monitoring methodologies for assessing marine protected habitats and species.

It is planned to submit proposals for the establishment and inclusion of new marine protected areas in the Natura 2000 network, as well as to develop a scientifically based coastal fisheries management plan, including proposals to reduce by-catches of seabirds and mammals. The project also envisages the development of a single management plan for all existing and also newly established marine protected areas, also assessing the potential of marine habitat ecosystem services.

In order to take care of the preservation of sensitive marine habitats, seven marine protected areas have been established in Latvia since 2010 - “Ainaži-Salacgrīva”, “Akmensrags”, “Irbe Strait”, “Nida-Pērkone”, “Western Coast of the Gulf of Riga”, “Selga, West of Tūja ”and“ Vitrupe-Tūja ”. The purpose of their establishment is to provide protection for the habitats of specially protected biotopes and species, as well as for feeding and wintering places of migratory birds.

The project “Study of Marine Protected Habitats and Determination of the Necessary Protection Status in the Latvian Exclusive Economic Zone” is implemented by the Nature Conservation Agency as a leading partner in cooperation with the Scientific Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR and the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology. Its total budget is 4 million EUR, of which 60% is covered by the EU environment and climate action program LIFE, while 40% is covered by the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund and project partners.

The Agency is currently implementing a number of projects supported by the EU LIFE program, including the integrated project “Optimization of the management and administration of Natura 2000 protected areas” and the project “Endangered Species in Latvia: Improved Knowledge, Opportunities, Information and Understanding” which will devote the next four years to reviewing the national legal framework for protected species and associated habitats of European importance.

The implementation of all these LIFE projects will contribute to the achievement of the goals of the action direction “Nature and Environment - “Green Course”” set in the Latvian National Development Plan for 2021-2027, as well as support the implementation of the European Union's Biodiversity Strategy "Bringing nature back into our lives" adopted by the European Commission in this year's May It is the protection and restoration of biodiversity and well-functioning ecosystems that has been identified as the most effective way to increase human capacity to prevent the risk of new diseases emerging and spreading. Investment in nature protection and restoration will play a key role in Europe's economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, and the new economy must be driven by the European green course, where the economy serves humankind and society and gives back to nature more than it takes.