NGO: Forests are being cut down on the coast of Hladna Uvala, waste is being dumped into the sea, and devastation of the area is a daily occurrence

The newly established non-governmental association (NGO) "Hladna Uvala" claims that despite the fact that the competent institutions and services have been informed about illegal and continuous construction works on the coast of Hladna Uvala near Stari Ulcinj, the cutting down of the forest belt and the dumping of waste directly into the sea, the devastation of the area continues daily.

"We believe that this is an issue of great public interest and I believe that it is necessary for the public to be informed of the fact that, despite reports and monitoring, works are being carried out in the protected zone of the Stari Ulcinj Nature Park that seriously endanger the natural heritage of Montenegro, while institutions remain without a concrete reaction and responsibility," the NGO wrote in a letter to "Vijesti".

The devastation was reported to the Environmental and Construction Inspections, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forestry Administration, and the Public Enterprise (PE) Morsko dobro.

"The police and the inspection team went to the scene, but the work was not stopped. On the contrary, it continued at full intensity even after, according to information from the field, a ban on the work was imposed," the letter says.

It is noted that at least ten trucks transporting cement passed through the location in question yesterday morning at around five o'clock in the morning.

"This indicates that the concreting and devastation of the coast is continuing unhindered. Of particular concern is the fact that the holidays are coming, during which the competent inspections will not work, while the contractors will, by all accounts, continue work without control. We fear that by Monday the damage will be incalculable and irreversible," said the NGO "Hladna uvala".

They claim that the works are being carried out at a location near the island of Stari Ulcinj, at the end of Sulja Kalezića Street, on cadastral plots 1096/34, 1096/72, 1096/77, 1096/78, 1096/80, 1096/81, 1096/82 and 1095/1.

"The works include clearing and removing the forest belt, concreting and devastation of the natural coast and rocks to form access to the sea, and dumping construction waste and rubble directly into the sea. In addition to being carried out in the immediate vicinity of the coast and within a protected natural area, the works destroy the rocks along the seashore along the entire stretch of plot 1095/1," the letter states.

It is added that it is particularly alarming that institutions are shifting responsibility among themselves.

"JP 'Morsko dobro' states that the matter is not within their jurisdiction, and the Forestry Administration claims that it is not an area under their jurisdiction. All institutions refer to the construction inspection, while the Municipality of Ulcinj currently does not have a construction inspector," said the NGO "Hladna uvala".

The Environmental Inspection conducted a field inspection on May 13, but as it says in its response to the locals, no people were found on site, no work was being carried out, and no machinery was present. It notes that since this is a protected area, the Stari Ulcinj Nature Park, a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency is required for all activities.

Regarding the report, the Environmental Protection Agency informed the locals that for further action it is necessary to specify the exact cadastral plot on which the works are being carried out.

The letter from the NGO "Hladna Uvala" states that, although this is a protected area and there is obvious devastation of the coast and marine ecosystem, in practice there is currently no institution that can effectively react and stop the works.

"The fact that this particular part of the coast, from the island of Stari Ulcinj to Valdanos, has been declared a Nature Park due to the presence of the Posidonia seagrass, one of the most important and sensitive plant species in the Mediterranean, is particularly worrying. Posidonia plays an invaluable role in preserving the marine ecosystem because it purifies the sea, produces large amounts of oxygen, is a habitat for numerous marine species and protects the coast from erosion. It is precisely because of its importance that this area has been granted protection status," the letter states, adding that the huge amounts of rubble and construction waste that have been thrown into the sea, as well as the turbidity of the sea and mud created as a result of the work in recent days, directly threaten the survival of the Posidonia.

"Sediment and turbidity prevent sunlight from reaching the seabed, which this plant needs for photosynthesis and survival. Experts have been warning for years that the destruction of posidonia is practically irreversible and that the consequences for the marine ecosystem can last for decades," claim the NGO "Hladna Uvala".