Protected areas

The rich and diverse nature is one of the most valuable resources available to the Republic of Croatia, and as elsewhere in the world, nature is under constant pressure from human activities. It is precisely for this reason that certain areas are declared protected areas.

The Nature Protection Act (Official Gazette 80/13) defines protected areas as a geographically clearly defined area that is intended for nature protection and is managed for the long-term preservation of nature and the accompanying services of the ecological system.

Protected areas are declared to protect biodiversity and geodiversity. Biodiversity is defined as the totality of all living organisms that are integral parts of an ecosystem, and includes diversity within species, between species, living communities, and ecosystem diversity. Geodiversityis the diversity of soils, rocks, minerals, fossils, landforms, underground objects and structures, and the natural processes that created them through geological periods.

For the purpose of quality management, a protected area management plan is drawn up, i.e. a strategic document that determines the purpose and condition of the protected area and determines management goals, activities necessary to achieve the goals, and management efficiency indicators.

Based on the Law on Nature Protection (Official Gazette 80/13), protected areas are divided into nine categories:

• A strict reserve is an area of ​​land and/or sea with unchanged or slightly changed overall nature.
• A national park is a vast, largely unchanged area of ​​land and/or sea of ​​exceptional and multiple natural values ​​that includes one or more preserved or slightly altered ecosystems.
• A special reserve is an area of ​​land and/or sea of ​​special significance due to unique, rare or representative natural values, or is an endangered habitat or the habitat of an endangered wild species.
• A nature park is a large natural or partially cultivated land and/or sea area of ​​great biodiversity and/or geodiversity, with valuable ecological features, emphasized landscape and cultural-historical values.
• A regional park is a large natural or partially cultivated area of ​​land and/or sea of ​​great biodiversity and/or geodiversity, with valuable ecological features and landscape values ​​characteristic of the area where it is located.
• A natural monument is an individual unchanged part of nature that has ecological, scientific, aesthetic or educational value.
• A significant landscape is a natural or cultivated area of ​​great landscape value and biodiversity and/or geodiversity, or a landscape of preserved unique features characteristic of a particular area.
• A park – a forest is a natural or planted forest, of greater biodiversity and/or landscape value, which is intended for rest and recreation.
• A monument of park architecture is an artificially shaped space (garden, botanical garden, arboretum, city park) that has aesthetic, stylistic, artistic, cultural-historical and educational value.

The categories are for the most part compatible and harmonized with the corresponding internationally established categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Protected areas represent a treasure trove of biological diversity and form the backbone of overall protection as well as key nodes of the ecological network. In order to open the possibility of quick protection of some natural value, the Law on Nature Protection introduced the concept of preventive protection. The Ministry of Culture issues a decision on preventive protection for a maximum period of 3 years for an area for which the expert explanation of the State Institute for Nature Protection determines that it has the characteristics of a protected area and/or a protection procedure has been initiated. During the duration of preventive protection, all provisions of the Nature Protection Act apply to the natural value.
Protected areas can be cross-border connected with protected areas of other countries. The management plan and measures of the protected area that is cross-border is determined by agreement with the competent authority of the state where the cross-border part of the protected area is located.

Protected areas occupy about 9% of the total area of ​​the Istrian County, and Natura Histrica protects 6% of the total area.
In the territory of Istria County, in addition to JU Natura Histrica, three other public institutions operate in the management of various protected areas and other protected natural values:

• Brijuni National Park
• Učka Nature Park
• Public institution Kamenjak

List of protected areas managed by JU Natura Histrica:

Endangered species of plants, animals and fungi are assessed according to the standardized criteria prescribed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). On the basis of such assessment, the so-called red lists and red books. They represent one of the basic professional foundations in nature protection and show us what and how much a particular taxon is endangered, what measures can be taken and how the risks of extinction of a particular taxon can be reduced or removed. The main purpose of the red lists is to focus the attention of state institutions, non-governmental organizations and the general public on taking specific measures to protect these species with established priorities and the urgency of actions, so that in the future as few species as possible are included in the red list. Endangered or rare wild taxa are declared protected or with strictly protected taxa, the Ministry of Culture by ordinance on the proposal of the State Institute for Nature Protection based on the assessment of the threat of individual taxa and obligations arising from international treaties to which the Republic of Croatia is a party and which are in force. Native domesticated taxa that are endangered are determined and declared protected native domesticated taxa by the minister upon the proposal of the State Institute for Nature Protection.

IUCN threat categories

Number of plant and animal taxa processed in the Red List by groups and IUCN categories.

(Source DZZP)
Protected taxa – wild taxa that are endangered or rare, are protected as strictly protected taxa or protected taxa.

A strictly protected taxon can be defined as:

• a wild taxon threatened with extinction in the territory of the Republic of Croatia;
• narrowly distributed endemic;
• wild taxon protected on the basis of an international treaty.

A protected taxon can be defined as:

• a native wild taxon that is sensitive or rare and is not threatened with extinction in the territory of the Republic of Croatia;
• a wild taxon that is not endangered, but due to its appearance it can easily be confused with an endangered wild taxon;
• wild taxon based on international agreement.

(Source DZZP)

Minerals, fossils and fossils are determined and declared protected natural values ​​by the minister at the proposal of the State Institute for Nature Protection.
Minerals are native homogeneous chemical elements or compounds in the form of crystallized or amorphous substances, of a certain structure, shape and composition.
Sigovines are accumulations of minerals in underground spaces of various shapes (stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnates, helectites, etc.).
Fossils represent preserved wholes, parts or traces of extinct organisms and their life activities.
A protected mineral, rock or fossil can be defined as a phenomenon that, due to its rarity, exceptional size or appearance, or extraordinary scientific significance, represents a natural value within the meaning of the Nature Protection Act.

Minerals, wood and fossils are the property of the Republic of Croatia. It is forbidden to destroy them and damage their sites.
If the Ministry of Culture proposes protection, and the appropriate representative body does not pass an act on protection within three months of receiving the proposal, the Government of the Republic of Croatia will declare that natural value protected.