The 6th meeting of organizations and institutions in the field of nature conservation "Partnership towards nature conservation" was held at the premises of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia on Thursday, December 26th 2019. The meeting brought together representatives of professional and state institutions, scientists, protected area managers and the representatives of civil sector environmental organizations, with the aim of presenting biodiversity and geo-diversity monitoring programs in protected areas and networking opportunities for professional institutions, protected areas and civil society organizations within European nature conservation programs, as well as opportunities for cooperation in promoting natural heritage.
The thematic presentation regarding the results of monitoring owls, bears and wolves in Kopaonik National Park and bears in the Golija and Zlatibor Nature Parks was held by the Institute's associates Vladan Bjedov and Miloš Radaković. The presentation emphasized that a stable bear population was noted during the project implementation period, which was in a slight increase in these protected areas, as well as that the number of damage complaints reported in the protected areas has decreased this year. The Institute's mammaliologist, Vladan Biedov, pointed out that "in the coming period, three to four wolf packs will be monitored in Kopaonik National Park".
Activities in the field of geo-diversity conservation were presented on the example of the project "Identification and recording of geo-heritage sites in the Golija Nature Park", which was discussed by the Institute's expert associate, Milorad Kličković.
The activities on the areas protection were presented by discussing a project implemented in cooperation with the Municipality of Surdulica, precisely on the example of protection of the Outstanding Natural Landscape "Strešer-Vardenik", which was discussed by Danko Jović, Head of the Institute’s office in Niš.
The Director of the Natural History Center in Svilajnac, Jasminka Luković Jagličić, held a presentation on the new possibilities of working together in the protection and presentation of our country's natural heritage, while the possibility of cooperation with the civil sector in research on nature was presented by Dimitrija Savić Zdravković, Marko Nikolić and Miloš Popović, the representatives of the Biological Society "Dr. Sava Petrović" of the Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics in Niš.
Regarding the engagement of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, it was also emphasized that in 2019 three new protected areas were designated: the Monument of Nature "Borački Krš", the Special Nature Reserve "Rtanj" in central Serbia, as well as the protected habitat "Pančevačke ade" (Pančevo river islands) in Vojvodina, whereas a protection procedure has been initiated for 25 areas, among which are Nature Parks "Mojstirsko-Draške planine", "Željin" and "Stolovi", as well as Outstanding Natural Landscapes "Cer", "Rajac" and "Strešer-Vardenik ". The revision of the already protected areas of the Special Nature Reserve "Uvac" and the Outstanding Natural Landscape "Ovčar-Kablar Gorge" and "Valley of the River Pčinja" has also been commenced. The final phase will be the drafting of a conservation study within the framework of the revision of the Golija Nature Park and a conservation study for Lake Ćelije.
At the end of 2020, upon completion of the field research, a conservation study is expected to be completed within the revision of the Stara Planina Nature Park, as well as a study of the protection of the Veliki Rzav valley canyon and the Gornjačka gorge.
The designation of areas in the procedure of obtaining the protection status will increase the current protected area, which amounts to 7.65% of the territory of our country.
In 2019, the second phase of the projects "Establishment of an ecological network in the territory of the Republic of Serbia" and "Development of a Red Book of flora, fauna and fungi in the Republic of Serbia" was continued, which was accompanied by the commencement of the project "Establishment of the ecological network of the European Union NATURA 2000, as part of the Ecological Network of the Republic of Serbia".
The project "Continued support for the implementation of Chapter 27 in the field of nature protection - NATURA 2000" was emphasized as the Institute’s priority in 2020. The project implementation period is from May 2019 to May 2021, and it is realized by the EPTISA consortium with the aim of preparing the areas of the NATURA 2000 ecological network in Serbia.
The improvement and implementation of major tendencies in nature conservation will be complemented by the Institute’s further engagement in the implementation of national legislation, internationally ratified conventions, as well as in issuing official decisions and opinions on the conditions to be met regarding nature conservation, in taking over and care of strictly protected and protected species of animals, and in educational and publishing activities.
