60% of 'protected' habitats neglected

(ANSA) - Brussels, May 20 - A European report released Wednesday found that more than 60% of Italy's habitats protected under a European nature conservation policy were not in good health as of 2013, a percentage that doubled since 2007. The study, called State of Nature, examined the state of ecosystems like dunes, marshes, forests, water systems, coasts and grasslands that fall under the watch of the Europe's Habitat Directive.
    It found that 90% of Italy's dunes are in a poor or inadequate state of conservation as are 80% of the country's marshes, 79% of its forests, and 60% of its freshwater habitats, coasts and grasslands.
    Only 43% of the 2576 Italian sites designated in 2012 as significant to the EU or as special protected zones were covered by management plans and conservation measures, while plans for 27% of the sites were under preparation.
    Meanwhile, no improvement was seen in the inadequate conservation observed for roughly half of the species of flora and fauna - especially fish and mollusks - protected by the European Habitat directive.