Since the creation of the European Diploma for Protected Areas, 74 protected areas have received it. Among them is the Matsalu National Park The European Diploma of Protected Areas is a prestigious international award given by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe since 1965. The diploma values natural and semi-natural communities and landscapes that are of exceptional European...

14 species of bats have been registered in Estonia, but 2 of them are occasional visitors. All Estonian bat species belong to the list of protected category II species UNEP/EUROBATS is an international agreement for the protection of European bat populations. The agreement was concluded in 1995 as part of the Bonn Convention, an agreement on the protection of migratory routes of wild animal...

There are seven HELCOM areas in Estonia, covering 24% of Estonia’s territorial sea The Helsinki Convention, or the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (also the HELCOM Convention), is designed to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea. The first version of the convention was adopted in 1974 and entered into force in 1980. Estonia acceded to this...

The aim of the fisheries agreements is cooperation on the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources and the fight against illegal fishing Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982, states have the right to control fishing in the waters adjacent to their coasts. Under the convention, countries are required to conclude reciprocal fisheries agreements...

The aim of the agreements is to regulate cooperation between countries on the sea, with the main emphasis of combating marine pollution There are many agreements for the protection of the seas in the world. Estonia has joined several of them [1]. The aim of the agreements is to regulate cooperation between countries on the sea, with the main emphasis of combating marine pollution. The most...

The purpose of the Ramsar Convention is to protect the wetlands of the world, which are in danger of disappearing due to drainage, pollution, and economic uses Each year, on 2 February, the World Wetlands Day is celebrated. On that date in the year 1971, the convention for the protection of the world’s wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran. The convention entered into force in 1975. The purpose of...

The purpose of the convention is to protect the whale populations The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling aims to protect whale populations and ensure the sustainability of whaling. The convention was signed and entered into force in 1946 in Washington. Estonia acceded to the convention in 2008. As at 2022, 88 countries have acceded to the convention [1]. The International...

The aim of the AEWA is to protect migratory waterbirds and their habitats throughout the migratory range The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) aims to provide international protection to migratory waterbirds and their habitats throughout the migratory area of the African-Eurasian migratory route of arctic waterbirds. The agreement is administered by the...

The Aarhus Convention is an important cornerstone of environmental policy and law The Aarhus Convention regulates access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. The convention is one of the conventions of the UN. The Aarhus Convention is an important cornerstone of environmental policy and law. It gives people the opportunity to have...

The purpose of the Bern Convention is to protect all species of wild flora and fauna, as well as their habitats The Bern Convention, which was concluded in Switzerland in 1979 and entered into force three years later, aims to protect all species of wild flora and fauna, as well as their habitats. Particular attention is paid to the protection of endangered species, including migratory species. The...