Photo 1. Final presentation of the MedMPAnet Project – Project partner
representatives Matija Franković (State Institute for Nature Protection)
and Sonja Šišić (P.I. “Priroda”), and County representatives
Prefect Zlatko Komadina and Koraljka Vahtar-Jurković (Photo by Ivana Rogić)

MedMPAnet PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED

On 27 October 2014 on board the vessel Arca Fiumana in
Rijeka, the final presentation of the MedMPAnet Project was held, together
with a press conference, to inform the public of the results of research
and their importance in the conservation of biological diversity, as well
as their contribution to creating a platform for the sustainable management
of marine protected areas in the Adriatic.

The project was launched as early as March 2013 and by
late November 2014, the time of its termination, all the planned project
activities were successfully accomplished and the following results achieved:”
A total of 8 scientific studies were conducted, involving a total of 10
biological field surveys.

• A MAP OF MARINE HABITATS AND SPECIES FOR THE ISLANDS PRVIĆ, GRGUR,
  GOLI AND THE ISLANDS SUSAK, UNIJE AND SRAKANE was developed.
• National Monitoring Protocols were developed for two priority Natura
  2000 habitat types: the NATIONAL MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR NEPTUNE GRASS
  MEADOWS and the NATIONAL MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR CORALLIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.
• A fishery study, ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF COASTAL FISHERIES RESOURCES
  AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY OF LOCAL FISHERIES AT SELECTED AREAS OF PRIMORJE
  – GORSKI KOTAR COUNTY, was developed.
• A study titled PROTECTION EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT OF THE MARINE AREA
  OF THE SPECIAL RESERVE “PRVIĆ AND GRGUR CHANNEL” FOR THE REHABILITATION
  AND CONSERVATION OF COASTAL FISHERY RESOURCES was developed.
• To facilitate the capacity building of the Project partners’ institutions,
  EMPLOYEES WERE EDUCATED IN THE USE OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
  (GIS).
• Also, during the Project, two ArcGIS licences and one inflatable dinghy
  were procured to help build the capacity of Public Institution “Priroda”
  for management and supervision.

This Project has been of great importance to the Government
of the Republic of Croatia, particularly with regard to the Protocol concerning
Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity (SPA/BD), which Croatia,
as a signatory of the Barcelona Convention, is obliged to implement, and
with regard to fulfilling the obligations of monitoring and reporting
as stipulated by the Habitats Directive for all EU Member states. There
is no doubt that the results achieved and knowledge acquired will prove
vital in future research, especially for the protection of marine areas
and biodiversity and for the development of sustainable fisheries.

For more information on the Regional Project, Pilot Project
Croatia, goals, contents and results, please go to:

Regionalni
projekt
Pilot
Projekt Hrvatska