The Nature Conservation Agency and the partners of the LIFE REEF project have drawn up a new version of the nature conservation plan for marine protected areas (MPAs). The advisory group has approved submitting the revised version of the plan for public consultation. We invite residents and other interested parties to take part in one of the in-person meetings on the plan on 19, 20 or 21 May.
Meetings with identical content will be held on 19 May at 6 p.m. at the Salacgrīva office of the Nature Conservation Agency (Rīgas iela 10a, Salacgrīva), on 20 May at 6 p.m. at Engure Culture House (Jūras iela 85, Engure) and on 21 May at 6 p.m. at Pāvilosta Town Culture House (Dzintaru iela 47, Pāvilosta). The MPA nature conservation plan that has been drawn up is already available at AJT DA plāns 2026 Sabiedriskā apspriede .
The public consultation will last a month – from 6 May to 5 June. During this time anyone may also submit written proposals on the plan, addressing them to the Nature Conservation Agency (Baznīcas iela 7, Sigulda, Sigulda municipality, LV-2150 or pasts@daba.gov.lv
At all of the meetings, experts and scientists from the LIFE REEF project will present the revised MPA nature conservation plan and its annexes. The revised version of the plan strikes a balance between nature conservation and socio-economic needs and interests, taking into account both the latest scientific data and knowledge on marine habitats, bird and fish populations and the impact of human activity on the fragile ecosystem of the Baltic Sea, and the information gathered during the previous public consultation and in talks with stakeholders about development, economic and public activities.
The new version of the plan provides for transparent administrative supervision and implementation of the MPAs, while the revised zoning will make it possible to protect the most sensitive marine habitats more effectively, at the same time preserving development opportunities for sustainable fishing, tourism and recreation. The new draft regulation gives businesses, investors and local authorities clarity about which activities are permitted in the MPAs and what conditions must be observed.
The MPA nature conservation plan is approved by order of the Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development. The plan has advisory status – new boundaries and zoning will not be established in the Baltic Sea straight away; they will come into force only after the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the individual protection and use regulations for the MPAs.
The MPA nature conservation plan for the next 12 years (until 2038) is being drawn up by the Nature Conservation Agency in cooperation with Daugavpils University, the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology agency and the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment “BIOR” under the LIFE programme project “Marine protected habitat mapping and determination of the necessary conservation status in the Latvian exclusive economic zone”. The main aim of the project is to study marine habitats and species and to establish a comprehensive protection system for MPAs in Latvia's exclusive economic zone, including in order to avert an infringement procedure initiated by the European Commission over an insufficient Natura 2000 network of marine sites for the protection of habitat 1170 Reefs. The measures to be implemented in order to achieve this aim include an assessment of the effectiveness of the MPAs in Latvia's marine waters, the drawing up of a nature conservation plan for all MPAs, and the assessment of potential MPAs and their inclusion in the Natura 2000 network.