The Department of Natural Environment and Biodiversity Management of the Ministry of the Environment invites the interested public and agencies to express their opinions in writing on the draft Ministerial Decision on "National Action Plan for 10 species of cave bats" in the framework of the LIFE GRECABAT program – LIFE17 NAT/GR/000522 at batactionplangr@gmail.com.

The installation of the proposed monitoring systems is part of the implementation of Action C2 "Establishment of monitoring and early warning systems for caves and bat colonies" in three caves of the LIFE GRECABAT program. The monitoring systems will record and transmit in real time both data of conditions inside and outside the caves (temperature, humidity, CO2 levels, etc.) and, additionally,  image through remote controlled infrared surveillance cameras.

In this report we present the results of the action "Inventory of habitat 8310 in the project sites" (action A1.2) which aims to collect and analyze data to describe and evaluate the conservation of habitat 8310 (Caves not open in the public) in 8 sites of the project (Figure 1), the relevant invertebrate fauna and the typical species. In addition, a brief reference is made to some interesting species in the lower Panagopoula’s tunnel (nr 8, Figure 1) although as a technical work is irrelevant with habitat 8310.

The present report concerns the quantitative and qualitative assessment of attitudes and behaviours of specific population groups in the project implementation areas regarding the protection and management of caves and cave life (Habitat 8310 and bats), as well as the assessment of their willingness to support actions for their protection and management.

The aim of Action A2 is to prepare the implementation of the concrete conservation Action “C1: Protection, management and restoration of caves and other important roosting sites for bats” of the project Life-Nature: «Greek Caves and Bats: Management Actions and Change of Attitude» - LIFE17 NAT/GR/000522, providing the necessary technical details and specifications that are required for their successful implementation.

The aim of Action A2 is to prepare the implementation of the concrete conservation action “C1: Protection, management and restoration of caves and other important roosting sites for bats” of the project Life-Nature: «Greek Caves and Bats: Management Actions and Change of Attitude» - LIFE17 NAT/GR/000522, providing the necessary technical details and specifications that are required for their successful implementation.

The aim of Action A2 is to prepare the implementation of the concrete conservation action “C1: Protection, management and restoration of caves and other important roosting sites for bats” of the project Life-Nature: «Greek Caves and Bats: Management Actions and Change of Attitude» - LIFE17 NAT/GR/000522, providing the necessary technical details and specifications that are required for their successful implementation.

National Action Plans (NPs) contain detailed and documented information on the biology, ecology, distribution, pressures and threats, conservation status and priorities, as well as the measures and actions proposed to be implemented in order to ensure an appropriate conservation status of the species. In particular, for European Union countries, Species SDSs are tools for achieving the objectives set in the context of the implementation of Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC.

This report presents the results of Action A1.1 (Inventory of bat species and their colonies at the project sites) the project LIFE GRECABAT (LIFE17 NAT / GR / 000522). More specifically, the findings of the visits to the project sites are presented and discussed in the light of the management needs that led to the proposal of the project but also the pressures and threats identified after the start of its implementation. From November 2019 to April 2020, 62 visits were made to the 13 sites of the program.

On Wednesday October 9th, 2019, a workshop on Action Plans for selected habitats and species took place at the premises of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.