Nature protection and biodiversity - National Responses (Estonia)

The Estonian Environmental Strategy to 2030 approved by the Parliament in 2007 (http://www.envir.ee/orb.aw/class=file/action=preview/id=1103816/inglisekeelneStrateegia.pdf) states:

Goal for forests – balanced fulfilling of all ecological, social, cultural and economic needs in forest use.

Biodiversity targets:

• total forest area should be at least 2 264 000 ha; in 2009 it was 2 087 105 ha;
• total area of protected forest habitats should increase from 10 000 ha; in 2009 it was 8 400 ha;
• total area of primeval forest should stay at 131 200 ha, in 2009 it was 108 466 ha.

Goal for game animals – to ensure diversity and vitality of populations of game and other wild animal species.

Biodiversity targets:

• ratio of counted and hunted animals by species should rise from base levels as follows – wolf: 4,7; lynx: 8,1; brown bear: 23,0; beaver: 3,0; roe deer: 5,4; wild boar: 1,5; red deer: 13,1; moose: 2,0.

Goal for soil and land use – environmentally sustainable use of soil. Protection and sustainable use of the diversity of the natural and cultural landscapes should be well planned and managed by the state.

Biodiversity targets:

• increase in artificial area due to building and real estate development should stop. In 2009 the trend was rising;
• increase of total area of spoiled land – area of mines, landfills, number of facilities abandoned by local governments – should stop and start decreasing. In 2009 the trend was rising;
• percentage of total area of traditionally managed rural landscapes in all cultivated land should increase from 2007 levels. In 2009 the trend was rising.

Goal for landscapes – to maintain the current diversity and connectivity of landscapes.

Biodiversity targets:

• total area of semi-natural communities and its percentage of the total territory of Estonia should increase from 20 000 ha. In 2008 it was 21 386 ha and the trend is rising.
• total area of protected areas should increase from 1 389 677 ha. In 2008 it was 1 513 621 ha and the trend is rising.

Goal for biodiversity – to ensure the existence of habitats and communities needed for keeping vital populations of wildlife species.

Biodiversity targets:

• percentage of total area of the habitat types in the Habitats Directive to the total territory of Estonia should increase from the 2007 base level;
• Trends in population numbers of 1st category protected animal species should increase slightly – Black Stork: base in 2004: 100-115 pairs (2009 trend negative); White-tailed Eagle: base in 2004: 140 pairs (2009 trend positive); Osprey: base in 2004: 45 pairs (2009 trend stable); Golden eagle: base in 2004: 45 pairs (2009 trend positive); Spotted Eagle: base in 2004: 20-30 pairs (2009 trend negative); Lesser Spotted Eagle: base in 2004: 500-600 pairs (2009 trend stable); Flying Squirrel: base in 2004: 60 habitat sites (2009 trend stable); Lesser White-fronted Goose: base in 2004: 25-29 individuals;
• percentage of total area with legal nature protection restrictions to total territory of Estonia should be kept at the base level of 18 % (2009 it was 18 %);
• expenditure for nature protection as a percentage of GDP should increase from the base level of 2.8 billion Estonian kroons.

Restoring and maintaining habitats. The area of semi-natural communities should be maintained at about one quarter of the total area of semi-natural communities. On average, about 3 % of semi-natural communities are restored each year.

The Estonian rural development plan for 2007-2013 stipulates that, by 2013, the area of semi-natural communities that receives maintenance support from the state should be 35 000 ha and the number of recipients of assistance should be 1 500. Currently slightly more than 40 % of the targets have been achieved for the first and slightly over half for the second. Thus by 2013 the area of semi-natural communities that is receiving maintenance support should be increased by about 20 000 ha and the number of beneficiaries should increase by 750.