Sava river and Europe’s largest alluvial forests at risk
One of the last natural rivers in Europe is to be downgraded to "an extensively modified body of water". At least this is how representatives of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Serbia rank the Sava in the latest draft of their management plan for the river. If this classification continues to be used, it would be a terrible step in the wrong direction, particularly with view to Croatia’s impending accession to the EU.
More ...Spain: Bear trapped in a snare
Sad news from Spain: On August 26th, 2012, a brown bear fell victim to a snare in Asturias and was injured so badly that it died the same day.
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Montenegro designates new conservation areas
The decision at the end of July to make the Saline Ulcinj salt flats a designated nature area was only the beginning. It has just been announced that the Montenegrin government has also decided to secure seven further areas as nature reserves in addition to Saline Ulcinj.
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EuroNatur mourns the loss of Dr. Martin Schneider-Jacoby
On 15th August 2012 Dr. Martin Schneider-Jacoby died after a brief, severe illness at the age of 56. Ever since the founding of EuroNatur 25 years ago - and so for virtually half his life - he threw himself into the task of preserving the natural heritage of Europe: his commitment never faltered. The death of Martin Schneider-Jacoby is a heavy loss.
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Bulgaria's conservationists prevent controversial Forestry Act
In the dispute about the revision of the Bulgarian Forestry Act conservation has achieved major success. Due to massive pressure from Bulgarian nature conservation organisations like EuroNatur-partner Green Balkans, parliament has withdrawn the most controversial passages from the final version of the amending law.
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Balkan lynx verified in Shebenik-Jablanica National Park
“We have great news”, Aleksandër Trajçe of Albanian conservation NGO PPNEA was happy to announce in an e-mail to EuroNatur on August, 10th. For the first time the conservationists were able to document a Balkan lynx in Shebenik-Jablanica National Park in Albania with a camera trap.
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Montenegro protects the most important resting place for migratory birds on the eastern Adriatic coast
Yesterday the Montenegrin parliament decidedto designate Ulcinj salt flats as a specialist nature area. "This is an important victory in our quest to preserve the Saline Ulcinj salt flats as the most important resting place for migratory birds on the eastern coast of the Adriatic," says Gabriel Schwaderer, head of EuroNatur.
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Hope for Mura, Drava and Danube
On July 11th, 2012, it was announced that UNESCO officially approved the Croato-Hungarian part of the planned five-country biosphere reserve along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers. These precious parts of the unique river and floodplain landscapes between Hungary and Croatia form the lion’s share of the projected transboundary biosphere reserve.
More ...Impetus for the European Green Belt initiative
The 6th Pan-European Conference on the European Green Belt in the Mavrovo National Park (FYR Macedonia) closed with an appeal for the conservation and protection of the natural treasures so far preserved in the shadow of the former Iron Curtain. The conference with its roughly 100 participants representing 21 countries along the European Green Belt focussed their particular criticism on the endangering of the Mavrovo National Park.
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Clear-cutting planned in Sumava National Park
Once again the Sumava administration plans to cut down thousands of trees right in the National Park’s core area because of bark beetles. This uncompromising approach is now also calling the European Commission into action.
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