Metal nets, structures and baskets, which had been used for decades for fishing and had prevented water traffic from Lake Skadar to the Adriatic Sea, were removed from the Bojana River near Shkodra, Albania, in the middle of last week.
Former Prime Minister and leader of the URA, Dritan Abazović, confirmed that the barriers have been removed.
"The implementation of the signed agreements between Montenegro and Albania, which were agreed at a joint session of the two governments on 27 February 2, continues, according to which the Bojana River should be freed from physical barriers on its watercourse and become navigable. Yesterday, our neighbors did their part and removed the barriers that had been there for decades, preventing the traffic that had existed for centuries between Lake Skadar and the Adriatic Sea," Abazović announced, thanking the Mayor of Shkodra, Benet Beci, and all the institutions that brought the agreement to fruition.
Metal nets, baskets and structures, as "Vijesti" previously reported, intertwined with ordinary fishing nets, and placed across the entire width of the Bojana riverbed at that location, significantly prevented fish migration in both directions and the navigability of the river.
Ecologists warned that this could lead to an ecological disaster and the disappearance of certain species, most notably the grasshopper, a popular autumn fish that migrates from the lake to the sea during spawning. They also believed that the measures were in contradiction with all European charters that speak of unhindered fish migration.
The nets were set in a "V" shape, which limited the direction of movement of the schools of fish, forcing them straight into the trap, from where the fishermen fished them out with improvised calipers...
The Albanian government once told "Vijesti" that "dali" are a tradition of that country and that they are governed in accordance with legal regulations.
According to the Albanian Fisheries Law, the fishing grounds on the Bojana had to be open from March 15 to August 31, and closed in the second half of the year.
The concession was granted for two years, and the current concessionaire had to comply with the rules, which was taken care of by the Organization for the Management and Preservation of Lake Skadar.
These obstacles, as well as the four dams built on the Drim, as Ulcinj fishermen and environmentalists said, resulted in the disappearance of sturgeon and hake, as well as the unique szojza, while the survival of the yellowtail, eel, kubla... was also threatened.
Since the 1980s, there have been no Adriatic sturgeon in Lake Skadar.
CIN-CG/BIRN research several years ago showed that until the late 80s and mid-90s, Albanian authorities controlled the operation of the "gate" on the Bojana River, but after dramatic social and political events and changes in Albania, a period of completely closed passage followed, which was used by local families without institutional supervision.
The Albanian government once told "Vijesti" that "dali" are a tradition of that country and that they are governed in accordance with legal regulations...
Bonus video:
