Bern Convention

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

This complaint was submitted in 2016 by the Informal Citizens Group from Virpazar, Montenegro for the protection of the Skadar Lake National Park.

The park is a Ramsar site and Candidate Emerald Network site and is, according to the complainant, negatively affected by the development of a commercial and tourism project. Lake Skadar (Skadarsko Jezero) is a transboundary lake between Montenegro and Albania as well as the largest freshwater lake in the Balkans and characterised by floating vegetation, sublacustrine springs, and islands.

According to the on-the-spot appraisal carried out in 2018 which resulted in Recommendation No. 201 (2018), this region serves as a habitat for various species strictly protected according to Appendices I and II of the Bern Convention. The Standing Committee in 2018 recommended several conservation and management measures such as the establishment of a monitoring system on strictly protected species in particular for the otter (Lutra lutra) as well as the restriction of speedboats and personal watercraft on the lake to conserve the habitats of wild fauna species.

 Key Timeline

• 2016 - Case registration
• 2018 - OSA and Recommendation No. 201
• 2019 - Opening of Case

 Other countries possibly concerned

• Albania

 Other international organisations involved

• Ramsar Convention

 Documents

Complaint form

OSA report and recommendation

Regular reports to the Bureau and/or Standing Committee

Please note that all reports received by a Party during one calendar year are included in one single report for that year. Some older reports are not available in digital form.

Other information / documents