The Environmental Inspection has not yet made a decision on whether one of the organizers of the sporting event - an obstacle course race, which partly passes through the protected area of Durmitor National Park, violated the Nature Protection Law.
This was told to "Vijesti" by the Department for Environmental Inspection of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development.
The initiative for inspection supervision was submitted by the Public Company for National Parks of Montenegro (JPNPCG).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a permit to the organizer of the sporting event, but, as stated in the NPCG initiative, the organizer did not fully comply with the obligations prescribed by the permit.
"According to the allegations in the initiative in question from the Durmitor National Park, the obligations prescribed by the Agency's permit relating to the obstacles set up for the race have not been complied with. The initiative in question is being processed by the environmental inspection, and the procedure for establishing the factual situation is underway. After the factual situation has been fully established, a decision will be made on further administrative measures and actions to be taken," the response signed by Vesna Bigović, coordinator of the ecological inspection.
The Environmental Inspection said that those to whom the Environmental Protection Agency grants a permit for activities and operations in protected areas are obliged to act in accordance with those permits.
"As well as that any contrary action is subject to misdemeanor liability. We also remind you that all users of protected areas, especially national parks, are obliged to coordinate and carry out their actions, activities and activities in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection, the Law on National Parks, and that they are obliged to comply with the instructions received from the manager, JPNPCG," the inspection said.
There are five protected areas with national park status in Montenegro: Skadar Lake, Lovćen, Biogradska gora, Durmitor and Prokletije. In recent years, including this one, sports events have been organized in the parks, including mountain and cycling races, fishing competitions, and marathons.
The NPCG recently told "Vijesti" that these are mainly various races, triathlons, obstacle races and the like, and that there is the most interest in organizing these races in the Durmitor National Park.
Over the past five years, as they said, various sporting events have been organized in the park area: Bjelasica Trail, Durmitor Trail Run, Blacklake Xtreme Triathlon Montenegro, Highlander Montenegro, Durmitor and Prokletije Sky Running, Durrador, Sinjajevinski Marathon, Lovćen Cycling Race, BootCamp Challenge Montenegro, Grand Prix Tri Pazara, Sports Summer, Skadar Lake Trophy Sports Fishing Competition...
Since the beginning of this year, about 10 sporting events have been organized in national parks.
Organizers are required to request approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, and then register the event with the NPCG. In addition to the obligation of both organizers and participants to respect the rules of conduct in protected nature, organizers are required to register the number of participants, accurately indicate the time and date of the event, and respect the internal order and rules of conduct in the park.
Due to behavior that contradicts this, as stated by the NPCG, their protection service has recorded cases of irresponsible behavior in previous years, such as leaving waste, disturbing animals, placing obstacles that disrupt the landscape values of parks...
At the time, they said that they had filed an initiative for inspection supervision against the organizer, who had not removed the obstacles and markings, but had also not reported the exact number of participants. They also said that the Environmental Protection Agency had been informed about this. However, the Agency told "Vijesti" that the environmental inspection is responsible for compliance with the law.
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