LIFE IS SALACA habitat expert presents the natural values of the Salaca River and its coastline at the conference “Baltic Sea, Coast and Salaca in perpetual motion and change”

On 26 November this year, the Nature Conservation Agency’s office in Salacgrīva hosted the conference “The Baltic Sea, the coast and the Salaca in perpetual motion and change”, which gathered more than 60 participants. Its main objectives were to raise awareness of the Baltic Sea and the Salaca River in the context of sustainable environmental development in the context of tourism development opportunities, to raise awareness of society’s responsibility to manage the sea, rivers and coastal natural resources in a balanced way and the need to preserve biodiversity, and to promote ethical principles in scientific research and technological development.

Linda Uzule, freshwater habitat expert of the LIFE IS SALACA project, gave a presentation on the “Natural values of the Salaca River and its coastline”, encouraging people to be proud of the place where they live and emphasising that the Salaca is one of the most beautiful rivers in Latvia. The expert presented the natural values of the Natura 2000 site “Salaca Valley” – habitats of EU importance and specially protected species, with a special focus on the main Baltic salmon river – the Salaca. L.Uzule talked about the LIFE IS SALACA project work and research carried out so far, as well as the quality problems of the Salaca River – increased overgrowth and invasive species found on the banks.

In his opening speech, Dagnis Straubergs, Chairman of the Limbaži Municipality, stressed the importance of the Salaca River in the context of the development of the municipality, as well as in the daily life of the local population. Taking into account that within the LIFE IS SALACA project a nature management plan for the nature park “Salaca Valley” will be developed, this conference was a valuable opportunity not only to acquaint local residents with the natural values of the area and what is being done to preserve them within the project, but also to identify various issues and problems of local residents that will need to be addressed during the development of the nature management plan.

The conference was organised in the framework of the project “Save the Baltic Sea: Ocean literacy and living well”. More information on the event at https://helcom.fi/helcom-to-collaborate-with-the-save-the-baltic-sea-campaign/.