Innovations in environmental legislation as a threat to biodiversity conservation

One of the tasks of national environmental legislation at the present stage is legal regulation of specially protected natural areas (hereinafter - SPNA), whose contribution to biodiversity conservation can hardly be overestimated. The article considers changes in the legislation on SPNA and related problems of functioning of such areas. The article shows how innovations with serious weakening of the protective and conservation regime for different categories of SPNA are becoming increasingly dangerous for the implementation of the main function for which the protected area system of the country is created, i.e., for the purpose of biodiversity conservation. Particular attention is paid to changes in «reserved area» legislation related to the development of tourism within the boundaries of such territories.