Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING
Medicinal and aromatic plants in Latvia
Ieva Zukauska
Latvia University of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Jelgava, Latvia
Legal protection of medicinal and aromatic plant species and their natural habitats
The central executive institution for nature protection in Latvia is the Ministry of
Environmental Protection and Regional Development. With the help of the institutions
under its supervision, the Ministry is responsible for: preparing and implementing a national
policy for nature protection, preservation and rational use of natural resources; drafting legal
acts within its jurisdiction; harmonizing government mission statements with the
requirements of the European agreements and Commission; and ensuring their
implementation.
The National Environmental Policy Plan for Latvia included tasks to cooperate with
international organizations for nature conservation to ensure consideration of Latvian
interests and to draw financial investments into the adoption of the National Programme for
Biological Diversity.
The Nature Protection Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and
Regional Development is regulated by the laws of Latvia: Law on Protected Territories and Law
on Conservation of Species and Habitats (National Programme of Biodiversity 2000). Medicinal
and aromatic plants (MAPs) are included together with other species.
The Department prepares the National Programme on Biological Diversity. Its main tasks
are in situ conservation and prevention of the decline in numbers and distribution of local
wild species. The programme includes:
- Survey of medicinal plant resources;
- Development of nature reserves for the most important sites of medicinal herbs, where
priority is given to resource maintenance and sustainable use;
- Development and implementation of commercial regulations for harvesting and trade in
medicinal plants, including requirements for protection of herbs; and
- Popularization and promotion of herb cultivation.
Inventory of natural resources of MAPs
The inventory data of MAP natural resources are not suitable for today's requirements, since
it was obtained and published 20-30 years ago. Since then, the status of many species has
changed, and now information on many species including MAPs is quite problematic.
Additionally much useful information can be found on birds and plants in the Red Book of
Latvia (Aigare et al. 1985).
The last inventory project was the CORINE Biotopes Project 14 conducted in Latvia 1994-
1997 (Opermanis et al. 1997). At the end of the project, 251 "Biotopes sites" for a total area of
598 106 ha were designated in Latvia. The total terrestrial plus inland water Biotopes sites
area covers 504 000 ha, or 7.8% of the area of Latvia. About 6% of the total number of
Biotopes sites contained areas free from human influence. About 174 750 ha (34.6%) of the
total Biotopes sites coverage is protected by the State.
14 CORINE = CO-oRdination of INformation on the Environment. The CORINE Biotopes inventory
aims at identifying the sites of major importance for nature conservation on the European level
(Biotopes sites).