The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the company "National Parks of Montenegro" (NPCG) to remove all temporary structures on Lake Skadar because they disturb the landscape, vegetation and water, which is why they are not intended for this water, protected area.
They did this, they point out in their responses to "Vijesti", after the Agency conducted an audit and zoned the protected area of the "Skadar Lake" National Park (NP).
The NPCG claims that they are taking all measures ordered by the EPA, and that last week it was agreed to form an interdepartmental working group that will, among other things, visit all locations on Lake Skadar where illegal structures have been erected and provide proposals for their efficient and legally based processing. They also claim that there was no pollution of the lake water during the removal of illegal temporary structures, which was determined by the competent Environmental Inspection...
For almost 10 months, two illegal bungalows have been floating in the Karuka Bay, inside the national park. Spotted last October, the bungalows in question have been untied and floating freely several times, with locals and environmental activists calling for an urgent response from the relevant institutions.
The Protection Service of the National Park "Skadar Lake" then prepared a Record of the inspection of the area and photographs of the bungalows in question and forwarded the documentation to the competent state body - the Cetinje Municipal Police.
EPA: Illegal activities must be prevented
The Agency justifies its decision to remove all temporary facilities from the Karuka Gulf by referring to the Law on Liability for Environmental Damage.
"The company 'National Parks of Montenegro' has been ordered to remove temporary floating objects located at the Karuč location, on plot number 228/1 KO Karuč, within the territory of the Royal Capital of Cetinje. It has also been ordered to remove all other floating objects located on the territory of the 'Skadar Lake' National Park, and after the removal measures have been implemented, to prepare a report and submit it to the Agency no later than 30 days from the date of implementation of the measures," they said.
They also state that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Ministry of Ecology, in their opinion on the study, insist that "the open water of the lake be "protection zone II".
"... In order to prevent such activities. However, they would not be allowed in Protection Zone III due to the cumulative impact," the EPA explains.
As "Vijesti" previously wrote, the Environmental Inspection ordered the suspension of work on the bungalows in April, and previously the Cetinje Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) had opened a case on the matter.
On July 14, under cover of night, the owner of the bungalow pulled out one of the two structures, and a few days later the other one sank.
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NPCG: All illegal structures will be removed
From the National Council of Montenegro, headed by Marinela Đuretić, they said that the Protection Service of the National Park "Skadar Lake", by order of the Environmental Inspection, "temporarily seized an illegal floating object that was placed in the town of Karuč".
"Also, upon the order of the environmental inspector, the owners of other temporary floating objects in the Karuč region began removing them. The National Parks of Montenegro considered both the technical possibilities for removing the overturned object and those of a financial nature, and as soon as all the necessary conditions were created, they began solving this problem. Due to technical problems and weather conditions, activities to remove the object were carried out for several days. The object that was temporarily seized until the completion of the procedure initiated by the Environmental Inspection against the owner is located in Vranjina. The owner towed the other floating object to Dodoš and pulled it to land. This case was immediately reported to the municipal inspection and we expect their reaction," they said.
They pointed out that employees of that company "visited the location several times during the day and monitored the situation on the ground."
They also claim that no fuel or oil spills were recorded, and "a piece of glass wool that appeared in the water was removed the same day."
"No pollution occurred at the Karuč location during the removal of illegal temporary structures, as confirmed by the inspection conducted by the environmental inspector. We would like to point out that the Center for Ecotoxicological Testing (CETI) and the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology conduct regular water quality tests on the lake, and that the Protection Service of the Skadar Lake NP provides them with assistance with its vessels in carrying out these activities," they said.
They also say that they have "agreed to form a working group" in order to process and remove illegally floating objects on the Skadar Lake National Park.
"... Which will be composed of representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro. Members of this Working Group, among other things, will tour all locations on Lake Skadar where the illegally erected objects in question have been placed and propose measures for their efficient and legally based processing, as well as the implementation of activities to remove these objects from the protected zone of Lake Skadar," the NPCG pointed out.
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