
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE SEA AREA (ESSA)

The Republic of Lithuania has restricted the ESSA districts: Biosphere polygon of Sambian plateau, Biosphere polygon of Klaipeda -Ventspils plateau and Biosphere polygon of Baltic Sea.
In ESSA biosphere polygons are prohibited:

1. To perform economic or other activities if that would change water content chemically, long term hydrodynamic processes (except when these processes have been caused by vessels in transit), conditions of underwater habitats, or otherwise would importantly worsen the protection status of natural habitation of wintering seabirds;

2. To handle and disrupt sea bottom, to perform dumping activities or otherwise change the habitations if that would significantly worsen protection status of 1170 reefs having the importance of European Union, places of regular accumulations of protected wintering seabirds Velvet scoters (Melanitta fusca) having the importance of European Union, populations of Auks (Alca torda) and Long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) and their places of wintering and migratory accumulations;

3. Hunting seabirds;

4. To perform construction activities below and above water level if that would significantly worsen the protection status of values listed in clause 2.

5. Fishing by surface nets with a mesh size of 50 mm and more - from 1st of November to 30th of April;

6. Fishing by bottom-set nets of mesh size equal to or larger than 50 mm at a depth of more than 20 metres from the water surface to the upper boundary of the net shall be fished in Biosphere polygon of Sambian plateau and Biosphere polygon of Klaipeda-Ventspils plateau, this limitation applies from 1 November until 30 April;

7. It is prohibited to fish with bottom trawls in the part of Biosphere polygon of Klaipeda-Ventspils plateau, which enters the territorial sea of the Republic of Lithuania.

8. Fishing with static nets with mesh sizes of 50 mm or more in Biosphere polygon of Baltic Sea from 1 November until 30 April, at a depth of less than 15 metres from the surface of the water to the top of the nets.


MARINE RESERVE (MR)

Protected areas established in the Baltic Sea shall be prohibited from any activity that would impair the status of protected wintering and migratory water bird populations or natural marine habitats. It is forbidden to hunt waterfowl in these areas, and fishing with static nets during their migration and wintering.


THE CURONIAN SPIT NATIONAL PARK AND NERINGA TALASOLOGICAL RESERVE (MR)

The intention of The Curonian Spit National Park and Neringa Talasological Reserve is to preserve the ecosystems of the underwater landscape of the shallow seacoast with habitats of European Community importance.