On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, which is celebrated every year on February 2nd to raise awareness about wetlands, it is evident that wetlands in Montenegro, despite their undeniable value, do not have state protection.
In Montenegro, there are several wetlands that contribute to biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, the availability of fresh water, the economy, and more. Among them are Skadar Lake, Ulcinj Salina, Tivat Solila, Mareza, Lužnica, Buljarica, Plav Lake and its surroundings, Šasko Lake and its surroundings, Jezerska Površ on Durmitor, and others. Among them, Skadar Lake, Ulcinj Salina, and Tivat Solila are included in the Ramsar List, making them officially recognized as internationally important wetlands.
Instead of these areas being preserved as the most valuable natural resources of this country, not only in a formal sense but also in a substantive sense, this is not the case in practice. In these areas, as well as throughout Montenegro, actions and activities occur that are in complete contradiction to the protection of these valuable ecosystems, which include illegal exploitation of natural resources, illegal construction, dumping of wetland areas, pollution, and so on.
For all of this, the state, and local governments, have not had an adequate response for years, resulting in the permanent and irreversible destruction of these ecosystems.
The problems are numerous. For example, since Ulcinj Salina was declared a protected area at the national and international levels in 2019, no suitable solution for a manager has been found to date. Skadar Lake has been continuously targeted by illegal construction, space usurpation, illegal fishing, and so on, without the state creating mechanisms to curb these activities. Furthermore, the Mareza and Lužnica areas are continuously being filled with rubble, on which illegal construction is taking place, without adequate response. In concrete examples, I am talking about areas that are formally protected, and yet, mechanisms to preserve these ecosystems have not been created. It is unnecessary to discuss the condition of those that do not even have protected status.
The theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day is “Protecting wetlands for our common future“. The current situation regarding nature protection in Montenegro, which has been ongoing for a very long time, points to a complete lack of strength and will from the state to take care of its most valuable natural areas and to complete management systems in such a way that there is at least an adequate response to all illegal activities, which would move things forward and improve management. If we continue like this, our wetlands will disappear under trucks of rubble and deposits, and there won’t be much left preserved for the future.
International Wetlands Day was declared in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources, and to date, it has been signed by 171 countries worldwide. On the list of wetlands with international protection status, i.e., the Ramsar List, 2414 wetlands have been included. Despite their importance, wetlands are one of the most endangered ecosystems on Earth, with a high rate of disappearance, which is why this date is celebrated internationally. The causes of degradation and loss of wetland habitats and wetlands are drainage, habitat alteration, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change, which also characterize our wetlands.
