On 5 June 2025, the Croatian Government adopted a key regulation expanding the Natura 2000 ecological network to include marine areas. For the first time, offshore sites vital to seabirds like the Yelkouan and Scopoli’s shearwaters have received official protection in Croatia.
This follows years of scientific work by BIOM and partners through the EU-funded LIFE Artina project. Using GPS tracking and boat-based surveys, experts identified key marine zones essential for the birds’ feeding and movement.
BirdLife Malta played an active role in the project, supporting research that led to the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas at Sea and their designation as Marine Special Protection Areas (SPAs). These findings helped inform national decisions, showing the impact of collaborative science in nature conservation.
On 6 June, Croatia and Malta amongst others, also ratified the Agreement on the High Seas, enabling the creation of Marine Protected Areas beyond national jurisdictions.
Seabirds are among the most threatened bird groups globally, with nearly half their populations declining due to habitat loss, invasive predators, bycatch, depleted fish stocks and climate change. Designating protected areas is a proven method to help them recover.
Two new sites — the Lastovo Channel and Northern Adriatic — were included in the ecological network. However, other scientifically proposed sites are pending further consultations.
LIFE Artina’s partners, including BirdLife Malta, now call for the adoption of conservation measures to ensure the new protections are effective. This milestone shows how strong cross-border cooperation and science-based action can safeguard Europe’s most threatened seabirds.
BirdLife Malta’s contribution to LIFE Artina was co-financed by the Maltese Ministry for Education and Employment. This was BirdLife Malta’s first participation as a partner in a LIFE project based overseas. It utilised its experience and expertise in seabird conservation to ensure a wider impact on regionally important seabird species cooperating within our BirdLife partnership.
