The Importance of Natura 2000 Sites and Their Management for the Conservation of Freshwater Fish, Lamprey and Crayfish in Latvia

Abstract

Natura 2000 protected areas have been considered the most important instruments for biodiversity conservation in the European Union intended for the protection of species and habitats. In Latvia, they have not originally been established to protect freshwater species and their habitats, so the effectiveness of their protection is still unclear, influenced by past and current anthropogenic alterations and their consequences. We assessed and discussed 1) species occurrence and protected habitat rate by Natura 2000 sites and outside them; 2) species diversity Natura 2000 by their size and landscape complexity; 3) the main anthropogenic pressures and options for reducing them; 4) opportunities to improve the Natura 2000 management. For the first time in Latvia, 46 fish, lamprey and crayfish species (in total 1962 records) have been compiled, based on UTM 1x1 km grid cells. The analysis shows that Natura 2000 sites, which cover only 11 % of the country's land area, contain all the species identified in the studies and most of the country's freshwater habitats. This suggests that the Natura 2000 network in Latvia is sufficient to protect species and their habitats in their current state. However, this can be improved by addressing gaps in fish, lamprey and crayfish species management plans and making them more relevant to current challenges such as river network fragmentation, the spread of invasive species, and climate change.