Skadar Lake is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. It is compared to some of the world's most attractive locations in Thailand and, therefore, caution surrounding the construction process is valid.
"If the construction continues around the lake, it will soon look like any place else, as in Spain or southern France, and tourists may not return," said Tobias Salate from Ramsar Convention.
Let’s recall, within the Skadar Lake National Park, construction already began on the access roads for the future hotel complex Porto Skadar Lake, and the construction of a tourist settlement at Mihailovici is planned, within which a hotel, a grocery store, and a spa center, berths and marinas are planned. All this is done without the adoption of a new Spatial Plan of Special Purpose.
In addition to Ramsar, representatives of the Bern Convention came to Montenegro, and are dealing with the protection of wild animals and their habitats on an international level, in which Montenegro is one of the signees.
"Our mission is to help the state authorities to manage the conservation measures of the habitats and to protect the species listed in the Bern Convention. After we collect all information, independent experts will prepare the report with conclusions," said Gianluca Silvestrini, who added that the Bern Convention will provide a final rating on these projects in a couple of months.
Interlocutors say that the construction within the area of the national park should be planned and carefully carried out while taking into account the local, and not just the interests of foreign investors.
"You have only one Montenegro, and investors can go anywhere with their money. For longer runs, you have to decide what exactly you want to keep in the state," said Salate.
The Informal Association of Citizens of Virpazar has earlier appealed to the highest state addresses but also submitted a petition of citizens seeking to prevent the construction of these facilities as they will devastate the area of the Skadar Lake National Park.
Text by Tijana Pravilovic, on June 12th 2018, read more at Vijesti
