Natura 2000 is the EU’s flagship wildlife project
NATURA 2000 is the European Union’s flagship project for protecting wildlife and biodiversity throughout the territories of the 27 member states.
Natura 2000 sites are sites in the Natura 2000 network. With the loss of the United Kingdom due to Brexit, the number of sites in the network fell to 26,918 covering an area of over 1.2 million kilometres squared.
The Natura 2000 web of nature conservation sites stretches over 18% of the European Union’s land area and more than 8% of its marine territory, forming the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world.
With 5,200 Natura 2000 sites, Germany has the greatest number of sites for a single member state while Malta has only 55. However, the land area covered by the Maltese sites is 13% of the country compared to 15% for the German sites. The average for the entire European Union is 18% ranging from a high of 38% (Slovenia) to a low of 8% (Denmark). Ireland is ranked about mid-range with 13% of its land area covered.
The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats, listed under both the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. Member states are charged with the responsibility of looking after the sites and ensuring that they are managed in a sustainable manner, both ecologically and economically.
In Ireland, we have 604 Natura 2000 sites. They come in two basic kinds: Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for wild birds and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for the habitats and species they support. Several sites have dual SPA/SAC designation due to overlap of areas important for wild birds and habitats, or places, important for life forms other than birds. For example, an offshore island may be a designated SPA for its breeding seabirds and a designated SAC for its cliffs supporting rare wild flowers, sea caves, and a breeding seal colony.
As the map above shows, many of our Natura 2000 sites are concentrated along the western seaboard and many of these sites comprise areas of blanket bog. The website of the National Parks and Wildlife service (NPWS) at www.npws.ie has full details of all 604 Natura 2000 sites with maps, descriptions aerial photos, and other useful information.