October 12, 2020 - We can already see specific changes and improvements in the Boka Bay ecosystem due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ana Pešić, a senior research associate at the Kotor Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Montenegro, from the Laboratory for Ichthyology and Marine Fisheries, told Radio Kotor.
"For nature, the coronavirus is a kind of respite—an opportunity to renew partially, to rest from the influence of man. It is already evident that the reduced turbidity of the water in the bay, as a consequence of reduced sea traffic, is benefitting the ecosystem. There has been an increase in water transparency, which positively affects the entire bay and life in it. Because when a large cruise ship sails into our bay, a large amount of mud rises. It disturbs the life of fish, especially pelagic species when navigating in the bay. That was not the case this year, and the effects are already recognizable," explains Pešić.
Due to the drastic reduction in the number of tourists, there is less noise and inflow of wastewater. "Even though sport-recreational fishing at sea is not prohibited, due to reduced tourist demand, fishing in our bay is not the same as in previous years. We are already noticing the positive impact of the epidemiological situation, caused by the coronavirus, and we will see this in the following period as well," Pesic said.
Source: Radio Kotor
