Solila is an example of good practice of cooperation in the protection of a valuable natural habitat

The Director of the Public Enterprise for the Management of Marine Assets of Montenegro (JPMD) Predrag Jelušić with his colleagues and the President of the Municipality of Tivat Željko Komnenović visited the special Nature Reserve "Tivatska Solila" in Krtoli near Tivat yesterday. The purpose of the visit to Solil was to get acquainted with the undertaken and planned activities of the JPMD on the improvement of the reserve and the presentation of the international EU IPA INTERREG ePATH project "Endemic pathways", which will be partly implemented in this nature reserve.

Jelušić informed Mayor Komnenović that JPMD signed a partnership agreement with JP Nature Park Hutovo Blato from BiH and a partner from Croatia, "Makarski Komunalac" doo from Makarska, which takes care of the Biokovo Botanical Garden "Kotišina", which is part of the Biokovo Nature Park.

With the signing of that sports permit, the realization of the EU IPA INTERREG ePATH project "Endemic pathways - Endemske staze" began, through which the Public Enterprise for the Management of the Marine Assets of Montenegro received 358.979,90 euros from the EU fund for the construction of the Visitor Center, the education of employees and the procurement of birdwatching equipment in Special nature reserve "Tivatska solila". Jelušić and his colleagues also presented to Komnenović a project for the arrangement of the first phase of the pedestrian path from the entrance to the Solila reserve to the lookout point along the road to Krtoli, for which the JPMD allocated the amount of 2021 euros from the funds for 34.000.

As it was pointed out, the contractor has been selected and should soon be put into work, and the works are expected to be completed within two months. Jelušić said that in the new Visitor Center on Solili, which will be operational within two years, visitors, tourists and nature lovers who come to the reserve will receive a range of facilities that will complement their enjoyment of the wilderness in that unique protected wetland area in where a large number of different species of birds, animals and specific flora live. "I believe that in cooperation with the Municipality and the local community, we will continue to improve and protect the area of ​​Solil. We are especially grateful to the local population from Krtol, for their absolute support and understanding for all the activities that we have carried out here in the past period," said Jelušić, who also discussed with the mayor the regulation of the devastated flows of local streams and canals in Tivatsko polje, which bring sweet water. water into the Solila wetlands, i.e. the regulation of the water regime in the protected area, but also outside it, which, among other things, would also prevent occasional flooding of the local Tivat-Radovići road that runs along the border of the Solila nature reserve.

The President of the Municipality of Tivat Željko Komnenovič welcomed every investment and activity that contributes to the further development of Tivat's natural potential, especially when it comes to the encroachment of the protected natural asset Solila. Tivat, he emphasized, is in the process of obtaining the "Green Destination" certificate, which is why the mayor particularly pointed out the values ​​of Solil from the aspects of ecology, biology and eco-tourism. "Solila and everything that has been done here so far in the realization of the special Nature Reserve project are an example of good practice, and for that I am grateful to JPMD and its regional partners. Here, Tivat has not only a beautiful protected natural habitat, but also a new content for green tourism, bird watching and other similar sustainable tourist activities that today have more and more fans in Europe and the world. The future facility of the Visitor Center will especially contribute to this, and the local administration of Tivat will continue to support these activities," said Komnenović.