After almost a decade and a half, Lake Skadar National Park has received a new vessel that will be used for supervision, control, and conducting scientific research. The vessel, worth around 36,000 euros, was procured through the EU project “Lake Skadar Basin – Transboundary Biosphere Reserve”, implemented under the Montenegro–Albania Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014–2020.
The goal of the project, in which the partners were EnvPro – Environmental Programme, Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro, EDEN Center from Albania, and the Regional Unit Shkodra/National Agency for Protected Areas of Albania (NAPA), was the preservation and sustainable management of one of the most valuable ecosystems in the region – the Lake Skadar Basin.
Director of the Public Enterprise National Parks of Montenegro, Marinela Đuretić, emphasized that numerous activities were carried out within the project with the aim of preserving and jointly managing the park area.
“We are particularly proud that the project has provided a new vessel for Lake Skadar National Park – the first since 2010. The procurement of such a valuable working asset is of special importance for the Protection Service, but also for other services of the national parks. It will enable us to conduct more efficient supervision, monitoring, and research, which is crucial for nature protection and the development of sustainable tourism. I thank the European Union and all partners for their support, because this project shows that through joint efforts we can ensure a better future for Lake Skadar and the local communities that depend on it,” Đuretić said.
Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Region Development, Damjan Ćulafić, stressed that the project represents a significant step in strengthening cross-border cooperation between Montenegro and Albania.
“The Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Region Development, as the institution responsible for the nomination of the UNESCO transboundary biosphere reserve in the Montenegrin part of the basin, strongly promotes synergy between the protection of natural values and the sustainable development of local communities. This paradigm of biodiversity and natural habitat conservation lies at the heart of modern ecological policy, allowing us to preserve unique landscapes and natural wealth for future generations,” Ćulafić concluded.
The project “Lake Skadar Basin – Transboundary Biosphere Reserve”, worth 453,000 euros, lasted 30 months.
Sources: Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Region Development