CEPF FINAL PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT Organization Legal Name: Hrvatska Ekološka Udruga “Buna” – HEU Buna Project Title: Education of the public on sustainable water use and the protection of endemic fish in the Neretva River Valley th Date of Report: 7 of August 2014 Report Author and Contact Damir Brljevic; Buna bb, 88202 Mostar, BiH; Information:
[email protected] CEPF Region: Mediterranean (Europe & Central Asia) Strategic Direction: Strategic Direction 3 - “Improve the conservation and protection status of 44 priority key biodiversity areas” Grant Amount: $18,750 Project Dates: 5th of August 2013 – 30th of July 2014 Implementation Partners for this Project (please explain the level of involvement for each partner): The project’s partners were local environmental non-governmental organizations: EkoMost, Anguilla, Viridis, Neretva Delta Forum, Dinarica, Neretva 1933, Mocvara. The NGOs signed the Declaration on the need to protect left Neretva tributaries of the negative impacts of Upper Horizons project. The NGOs also participated in the dissemination of the project’s promotional materials (leaflets and posters) as well as they have been promoting the project’s objectives in the local media. Conservation Impacts Please explain/describe how your project has contributed to the implementation of the CEPF ecosystem profile. The project has researched the status of endemic fish species in rivers of Buna, Bunica and Bregava in lower Neretva valley. In Buna and Bunica rivers salmonid species dominated, while in Bregava endemic cyprinids species are abundant. These rivers are important habitats for endemic salmonids, as they use rivers for spawning and juvenile feeding grounds. The dominant salmonid species is softmouth trout, Salmo obtusirostris.