Data on protected species – for their protection

Project facts

Project promoter:
Lithuanian Ornithological Society
Project Number:
LT03-0005
Target groups
Children
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€100,426
Final project cost:
€99,607
From EEA Grants:
€ 76,199
The project is carried out in:
Lithuania

Description

The main issue of species conservation is the lack of data about distribution, abundance and exact location of findings of protected species. Although they are often identified, the information is found in the notes of individual researchers or in private archives. Therefore, the data on protected species is not used in planning general type of protection measures and cannot guarantee that species found by individual observers can be protected by the law on protected species of the Republic of Lithuania, or other national or international law. This problem can be easily solved by publishing data of individual researchers or naturalists in the Information System of Protected Species (SRIS), where all published records have a special legal status, and the existing information about protected species must be assessed while planning any economic activity or preparing territorial plans of development. The Lithuanian Ornithological Society plans to provide the data on the sites of not less than 21,500 animal and 2,000 plant species.

Summary of project results

In the period 2015 January – 2017 April the Lithuanian Ornithological Society was implementing project “Data on protected species – for their protection”, when about twenty sixs thousands of records were entered into the Information System of Protected Species (SRIS). The main aim of the project was to collect all available, including historical, data about the exact sites of protected species all over the country from numerous researchers and to enter the data into the Information System of Protected Species thus to increase the level of the biodiversity protection in Lithuania. The main issue of data conservation was the lack of data about distribution, abundance and, in particular, exact location of findings of protected species. Although they are often identified, all information before the project implementation was found in the notes of individual researchers or in private archives. Therefore, the data on protected species, if not published or recorded on special data basis or information systems, could not be used while planning general type of protection measures and could not guarantee that species found by individual observers can be protected by the Law on protected species of the Republic of Lithuania, or other national or international law. This problem was acute while planning economic activities, particularly during spatial planning. 20 members of Lithuanian Ornithological Society participated in the implementation of the project – they provided previously collected data as well as implemented other project activities. The SRIS, supervised by the Ministry of Environment, is an official database on the protected species in Lithuania. Collected data now are used while preparing various planning documents – nature management plan, special plans etc. and issuing permissions for economic activities. Using this tool, all members of the society can contribute to the protection of Lithuanian natural heritage.

Summary of bilateral results