Devil's Lake cannot wait any longer, urgent protection of valuable site on Durmitor needed

The Mayor of Žabljak also supported the initiative of the National Parks of Montenegro for the urgent protection of Devil's Lake. Radoš Žugić, saying that there is no more space for storage and that the next tourist season must not be welcomed with the current state of this valuable natural site.

"I support the initiative of the National Parks of Montenegro to take urgent measures to protect Vražje Lake," said Žugić.

He recalled that he had previously, through various initiatives and addresses, appealed to the competent institutions to find a sustainable model for protecting that area.

As one of the possible solutions, he proposed returning the Devil's Lake to the borders of the Durmitor National Park, stating that it was necessary to find a systemic solution that would ensure the preservation of the lake in the long term.

Žugić announced that he would initiate talks with the owners of the surrounding plots and all relevant institutions in order to jointly come up with a sustainable protection model. He said that he feels an additional obligation because he comes from that area and because Vražje Lake is part of his homeland.

"We must not allow ourselves to welcome the next tourist season with this situation," said Žugić.

The need for an urgent institutional response was previously warned by the Public Company for National Parks of Montenegro, which appealed to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Northern Development and the Municipality of Žabljak to take coordinated measures to protect Vražje Lake.

The National Parks reminded that the Devil's Lake is located outside the official borders of the Durmitor National Park, but they emphasize that administrative borders must not be a reason for the lack of protection of the site, which, they warn, is threatened by accelerated devastation.

They cite as particularly alarming the increasingly frequent activities in the field - the movement and parking of jeeps, cars, campers and ATVs right next to the lake shore, wild camping, barbecuing and leaving waste.