Year: 2019, Number: 4, Pages: 87-108
Scientific and legal problems of detection of rare algal species for inclusion in the federal and regional Red Data Books are discussed. It is pointed out that marine algae are difficult for observation in nature and estimation of their real abundance and role in the ecosystems. Possibly because of these problems the information on them was absent in the previous editions of the Red Data Books. The list of 11 rare species of algae-macrophytes was presented in the Red Data Book of Kamchatka [2007] for the first time. The Red Data Book of the Russian Federation [2008] was published a year later and also contained the list of rare species of algae. Besides that it contained five more species also treated as rare. In fact these algae are common and even mass in the near-Kamchatka water area (Halosaccion firmum, Opuntiella ornata, Constantinea rosa-marina, Palmaria moniliformis, Mazzaella phyllocarpa). However due to the priority of the information in the Red Data Book of RF which is considered to be main legal document at compiling regional lists of rare species we were forced to incorporate the above-mentioned disputable species in a new edition of the Red Data Book of Kamchatskii krai [2018]. Still the categories of these species were reduced from critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable to the category of lower risk as opposed to Red Data Book of RF. Such unreasonable incorporation of mass algal species in the list of rare ones impaired the scientific level of the second edition of the Red Data Book of Kamchatskii Krai [2018] as compared to the first one [2007]. Obviously the present system of selection of the rare algal species for inclusion in the Red Data Books is irrational and imperfect from both legal and scientific viewpoints and needs cardinal revision.