sign in sign up
<<
Home , Hutovo Blato, Neretva

MedWet Mission to ( and

the floodplain areas of the , Brejava, and Trebizat , and the Bosnia & part of the Prut marshes. · The delineation of the Ramsar Site bound- aries on a map, to be sent to UNESCO, is a high priority to finalise Bosnia & Herzego- vina's accession to the . 2) Ratification of SPAMI Protocol · The mission encouraged the National Authorities of and of Bosnia & Herzegovina to ratify the new Protocol on Specially Protected Areas of Mediterra- nean Importance under the Barcelona Convention. This would entitle them to benefit from possible specific technical and financial support for SPAMIs. 3) Declaration of the creation of a Nature Park in the Croatian Neretva Delta · Ms Radovic of the newly created Croatian Mostar and Neretva river. Photo Government of Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning informed the partici- eport Prepared by:Tobias SALATHE. follow-up of the seminar on "Socio-eco- pants of the imminent declaration of a Convention on , Regional nomic aspects of the use of the Neretva val- Nature Park covering the lower Neretva RCoordinator for Europe. ley" held on 11-13 November 1997 in floodplain and adjacent hillsides, based on [email protected] Metkovic. the new law on Nature Parks, currently Nikos KONTOS. MedWet Team, Greek · Drafting of a project proposal or concept under consultation. The establishment of a Biotope/Wetlands Centre EKBY. to be further developed and subsequently Nature Park will also include the establish - [email protected] submitted to international donors to obtain ment of a local management authority. Frederic PLATINI. UNEP Mediterranean financial and technical support for the elab- Croatian Nature Parks profit from support Action Plan, RAC/SPA. oration and implementation of integrated from the central government, unlike the [email protected] management measures for the lower existing Nature Reserves in the Neretva Neretva floodplain (including Hutovo Delta that depend on the - OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION Blato). Neretva County (Zupanija). · Discussion about the possibility that the · The preparation of the Physical Plan for State of Bosnia & Herzegovina (composed MAIN RESULTS the Dubrovnik-Nerteva County has already of two Federal States: the Federation of 1) Declaration of succession of Bosnia & been finalised, taking into account existing Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic Herzegovina to become a Contracting natural and cultural heritage. In addition, Srpska) declares its succession to the for- Party to the Ramsar Convention specific management planning will be mer Yugoslav Federation to become a · UNESCO informed the Ramsar Bureau required by law for the territory of the Contracting Party to the Convention on on 14 March about a letter received from future Nature Park. Wetlands (including the designation of a the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 4) Current LIFE project "Development Ramsar Site). declaring the wish of Bosnia & Herzego- of new management policy for Hutovo · Discussion with the Authorities of the vina to become a Contracting Party to the Blato wetlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina" Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (one of 10 Ramsar Convention. This was noted with · The field visits and the meeting organised cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and satisfaction and the members of the mis- in the Nature Park showed Herzegovina) about plans for the integrat- sion, including the Croatian delegation, the natural richness and the existing ed management of the lower Neretva area congratulated the National and Cantonal tourism potential of the site which merits to (including Hutovo Blato). Authorities for this significant development. be better known. The Nature Park profits · Discussion with the local Authorities · It was however noted that the designation from the strong support of Capljina munic- responsible for the Hutovo Blato area of a Ramsar Site is still missing. It was sug- ipality. The LIFE project leader (Ivan about the proposed management measures gested that Hutovo Blato should become Buntic) of the Ministry of Civil Enginee- and visit of the Hutovo Blato area and its the first Ramsar Site of Bosnia & Herzego- ring, Physical Planning and Environmental surroundings. vina. In order that the Hutovo Blato Protection of the Herzegovina-Neretva · Meeting with the Croatian Authorities to Ramsar Site would be adjacent to the Canton informed the participants about discuss the integrated management propos- Croatian Ramsar Site "Neretva River current studies under the LIFE project that als for the lower Neretva area and possible Delta", it should also include areas outside are considered very valuable follow-up transboundary cooperation, including the the actual Nature Park (Park Prirode), i.e. activities to the 1997 LIFE project cover-

SEHUMED Nº13. MARZO 2000 6 MedWet ing the Croatian Neretva project for the management plan for the Delta (as part of the MedWet2 lower Neretva valley, prepared according project). to the "Guidelines on management plan- · Deputy Minister Saravanja ning for Ramsar Sites and other wetlands" informed the mission about (Annex Resolution V.7). Some phases of the seminar planned for mid- the project could start even before the May 2000 to discuss management authority of the future related legislation in Bosnia Nature Park will be established. It could & Herzegovina, Croatia and be envisaged that they submit a proposal at international level, man- for project preparation assistance (dead- agement questions for the lines: end of April 2000, end of March Hutovo Blato area, and the 2001) to the Ramsar Small Grants Fund cooperation with the authori- (for evaluation criteria and operational ties on the Croatian side. It guidelines cf. was felt that the publication of http://ramsar.org/key_sgf_index.htm). the results of this seminar will · It was concluded that Bosnia and be important for future trans- Herzegovina and Croatia should officially boundary cooperation. Copies present these significant developments to in English should also be sent the forthcoming MedWet/Com3 meeting to the members of the mission. in April 2000 in Djerba (Tunisia), and that · It was suggested that the they should profit from this opportunity to Ministry involves actively discuss these issues with other members local NGOs to carry out activ- of the Mediterranean Wetlands Commi- ities to raise public awareness ttee and potential donors present at the about the values of Hutovo meeting. Blato and to educate the pub- · Deputy Minister Karavanja informed the lic and schoolchildren. participants about the starting transregion- 5) Transboundary coopera- al cooperation on the development of tion for the wise use of the Adriatic river catchment basins, including lower Neretva area 3 Counties on the Croatian side and 3 · During the meeting in Cantons in Bosnia & Herzegovina. This Metkovic and the field visit of will provide a general framework for Kuti , the Croatian and transboundary cooperation in the lower Bosnia & Herzegovina dele- Neretva valley and other, nearby interna- Neretva flood plain, Ramsar site in Croatia. Photo Tobias Salathé gations, the authorities of the tional river catchments. Dubrovnic-Neretva County, of Metkovic, Ploce and Opu-zen, and local projects (MedWet2 in NGOs strongly declared their wish for a Croatia and Hutovo joint management of the lower Neretva Blato), priority objec- area. This was noted with satisfaction and tives for the manage- reference was made to the useful results of ment of the entire area. the 1997 seminar in Metkovic on "Socio- - The management economic Aspects of the Use of the committee should also Neretva Valley". The Barcelona and identify local training Ramsar Conventions are endorsing these needs. These should promising developments and will send then be submitted to the official letters of support to the Croatian MedWet Coordinator and and Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministers at RAC/SPA for technical national level. and financial support. · Additional discussions at the Ministry in - Based on the identi-

Mostar concluded on the following Action fied key management Hutovo Blato (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Points: objectives, the manage- Photo Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Designation of Hutovo Blato by Bosnia ment committee - with & Herzegovina as a Ramsar Site and its the help of the MedWet Team (EKBY) and The authors of this report would like to notification to the RAC/SPA for inclusion of RAC/SPA - shall start the development thank their hosts in Mostar, notably Deputy as a SPA in the Directory of Marine and of an integrated management plan and of Minister Saravanja and Mr Vego for their Coastal Areas of the Mediterranean concrete project proposals (including hospitality and their excellent preparation Region; designation of the budgets) for subsequent submission to spe- of the mission programme. Nature Park by Croatia (cf. above). cific donors. The Ramsar and Barcelona They would also like to thank Ms Radovic - Creation of a bilateral management Conventions will actively endorse and sup- from the Croatian Ministry of Environ- committee by the relevant Authorities of port such proposals for international techni- mental Protection and Physical Planning Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. cal and financial support. for her pivotal preparatory work and con- - This management committee will have · Ms Radovic and Mr Vego pointed out that tribution for the future transboundary to identify, based on the studies of the LIFE they consider the possibility of a shared cooperation. .

SEHUMED Nº13. MARZO 2000 7