Croatian Natural History Museum and Partners from Five EU Countries Approved a Project Worth EUR 5.1 Million
On Thursday, 21 July at 12 noon, a press conference was held at the Croatian Natural History Museum following the news that the Croatian Natural History Museum and partners from five EU countries had been approved for the EU LIFE+ project “Collective Actions for Improving the Conservation Status of the EU Sea Turtle Populations – LIFE EUROTURTLES”, worth EUR 5.1 million.
The participants were:
Prof. Dr. Tatjana Vlahović, Director of the Croatian Natural History Museum
Dr. Martina Šašić, Head of the Zoological Department of the Croatian Natural History Museum
Dr. Draško Holcer, author and coordinator of the EU project
The Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Mr Milan Bandić, also addressed the journalists.
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Sea turtles are among the most endangered groups of animals on Earth. Therefore, in both the European Union and Croatia, they are listed as strictly protected and priority species for conservation.
Within the European Union, the area of the northern Adriatic, especially its eastern part along the coasts of Istria and Kvarner, is the most important feeding and developmental area for the loggerhead sea turtle. However, turtles that grow along our coasts travel across the Mediterranean, especially during the breeding season, when they return to traditional nesting sites in Greece, Turkey, or Cyprus.
For this reason, joint action in all areas that form their habitat is essential for the conservation of sea turtles.
This project is the first to bring together the most important countries and areas for the conservation of the largest population of loggerhead sea turtles in the European Union.
With the aim of implementing joint and coordinated activities, partners from key countries for the conservation of sea turtles in the European Union – Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Cyprus, Greece, and Malta – submitted a joint project entitled “Collective Actions for Improving the Conservation Status of the EU Sea Turtle Populations – LIFE EUROTURTLES”.
The project, with a total value of EUR 5.1 million, will be co-financed by the European Union through the LIFE+ programme. The project will last five years.
The entire project is coordinated by the Croatian Natural History Museum, which will lead activities related to the coordination of overall project activities, data analysis, development of management measures, development of applications and “citizen science” systems, public awareness raising, and more.
The implementation of field activities in Croatia, which includes aerial surveys, work with fishermen, and the implementation of measures to reduce bycatch, will be carried out by the Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation from Veli Lošinj.
The Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection will be involved in activities related to the identification of areas for the establishment of Natura 2000 sites.
Project partners from other countries include ARCHELON – The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus, Nature Trust Malta, the University of Cyprus, the “Charles Darwin” Department of Biology and Biotechnology of Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Primorska – Koper, and WWF Italy.