Adriatic Flyway – Closing the gap in bird Conservation adriatic flyway project results Transboundary Zonation concept for the Neretva Delta including Hutovo Blato Martin Schneider-Jacoby1 and Borut Stumberger2 1 EuroNatur, Konstanzer Str. 22, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany;
[email protected] 2 EuroNatur, Konstanzer Str. 22, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany;
[email protected] 1 Introduction • How to develop sustainable tourism using the MAB criteria for transboundary biosphere reserves For several years, a transboundary protected area has according to UNESCO to protect birds and nature been promoted in the Neretva Delta, as this important as a special asset. wetland is shared by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia (Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003, REC 2 Selected Results of the Bird Surveys 2001, 2002). Both countries have declared mayor parts of the wetland as Ramsar Sites, protecting large The value of the different habitats in the Neretva areas on both sides of the border at the national scale Delta can be described not only by habitats, but also (Tab. 1). The key question, i.e. do these protected by selected indicator species. We have chosen birds areas form a transboundary protected area, has never (Stumberger et al. 2009), as the area is well known been discussed. for their international value (Dalmatin 2009, Kitonic 2007 – 2010, Rucner 1954, 1959 and 1963), although Based on the vegetation map (Schwarz this pub.) and there are many other groups of fishes or reptiles that bird counts (e.g. Stumberger et al. 2009), we have can easily document the value of the Neretva Delta’s prepared a zonation concept for the Neretva Delta to different parts and habitats (compare Drzavni Zavod answer the following questions: 2007, Lijepa nasa 2009), including the rivers and channel system, as well as the cultural landscape.