Photo. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in the chambers of Primorsko-Goranska
County

PUBLIC INSTITUTION “PRIRODA” JOINS MedMPAnet, A PROJECT FOR THE CONSERVATION OF COASTAL AND MARINE DIVERSITY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MEDITERRANEAN MARINE AND COASTAL PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS) NETWORK

With the signatures of Mr Mihael Zmajlović, the Minister
of Environmental and Nature Protection; Mr Matija Franković, Head of the
State Institute for Nature Protection; and Ms Sonia Šišić, Head of Public
Institution “Priroda”, PI “Priroda” officially became
a part of MedMPAnet, a project for the conservation of coastal and marine
diversity through the development of a Mediterranean marine and coastal
protected areas (MPAs) network. Worth EUR 199.960, the project is fully
funded by the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA)
of Tunisia. Its aim is to provide PI “Priroda”, the Ministry
of Environmental and Nature Protection, and the State Institute of Nature
Protection support in building their capacities for monitoring and collecting
data about protected coastal and marine areas at the national and county
levels. The project is also intended to help develop a Croatian national
protocol for monitoring two habitat types: Neptune Grass Communities,
and Circalittoral Hard Substrata and Rock. The development of such a protocol
would facilitate the implementation in Croatia of the Protocol Concerning
Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean
(SPA/BD Protocol), and it would enable monitoring and reporting to be
carried out as required of all EU Member Countries according to the Habitats
Directive.