Protecting Lake Ohrid, Albania and Macedonia

Balkan lynx listed in the Appendix II of the Bern Convention in the 37th annual meeting of its Standing Committee, held on 5-8 December 2017 Delegates, experts and NGO representatives in the meeting Bern Convention discussed about the outcomes of activities implemented throughout 2017, in particular on the control of invasive alien species, the eradication of illegal killing of birds, the relation between biodiversity and climate change, the conservation of amphibian and reptile species and the management of protected areas. During the meeting, it was discuss also the Balkan lynx issue to be part in the Appendix II of the Bern Convention. After a unanimously voting, the Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus) was listed in the Appendix II of the Bern Convention on the proposed pushed forward by Albania.The list of Balkan Lynx in Appendix II of Bern Conventions means that this subspecies has now a stricter protection and requires a high commitment by responsible institutions for

The United Nations on Sunday, 10th of December 2017 kicked off in Paris, France, a year-long campaign to honor the foundational human rights document, which next year marks its 70th anniversary. On this day the General Director of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay launched a declaration as following: "In the wake of the Second World War, humanity, together, resolved to uphold human dignity everywhere and always. In this spirit, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.” The Universal Declaration embodies common human aspirations, rooted in different cultures, put clearly in its first words: “the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” Today, the Universal Declaration enters its 70th year of existence at a time of rising challenge. Hatred, discrimination and violence remain

The Koran fish has a wonderful taste, but there is a story after it. It is the King of Lake Ohrid, Albanian side and is unique not only in Albania but in the world too. There are some articles saying that it is the favorite food of Queen Elizabeth. The story says that when the queen Elizabeth of United Kingdom came to visit Lake Ohrid, she said: “The Queen of England meets the Queen of the Lake” (source:www.albania.al). She tasted the fish and liked it a lot. The story says that since that day, the Royal Palace still order Koran from Pogradec, and is always part of Queen Elizabeth's menu. That is because Koran is not only very delicious but has healthy for the organism.   The women of Pogradec have a very special way to cook Koran, which is unique too. They cook it  with onions, vegetables, nuts etc. Koran is considered the most antique fish of Lake Ohrid and should be protected. The illegal fishing is reducing the quantity of Koran in the lake. So strong measures should be ta

Sunken ships discovered underwater Lake Ohrid, close to Struga Divers from the Aquatec Diving Club explored the sunken ships in Ohrid Lake. The ships date from the First World War, and are presumed to have been sunk that time. The number of ships has not been accurately determined and has not yet been sufficiently documented, leaving room for further research. The information shows that these ships were used for transport large loads. The ships are located on the shore beside the city of Struga and are at a depth of between 6 and 7 meters, more than 1000 meters from the coast. The team of Aquatec together with the underwater archaeologist Nikola Paskali will continue to research, document and promote this site. Shqip Zbulohen anije të shumta të mbytura afër Strugës Zhytës nga klubi Aquatec po eksplorojnë dhe dokumentojnë anijet e fundosura në liqenin e Ohrit. Anijet datojnë nga Lufta e Parë Botërore dhe supozohet se janë zhytur qëllimisht. Numri i anijeve nuk është

Ajo është një vajzë shumë e re, por tashmë është bërë e njohur në Shqipëri. Media ka publikuar disa artikuj për të dhe punën e saj, madhe dhe revista UN Women i ka kushtuar një artikull në kopertinë. Emri i saj është Genta Ahmeti, dhe ajo është e vetmja grua sipërmarrëse në Shqipëri që krijon barka druri, një traditë që po zhduket. Por Genta po punon shumë që ta ringjallë këtë traditë. Genta drejton një fabrikë që quhet “Artisanal”. Ajo është gjithashtu drejtore dhe themeluese e projektit “Jeta në varkë” që ka qëllim të ndërtojë barka artizanale dhe t’i japë jetë një muzeumi detar në Shqipëri. Ne u impresionuam shumë me punën e saj, dhe e pyetëm si çdokush tjetër: Përse vendosi të ndërtojë barka, një profesion i pazakontë për një grua. Ajo përgjigjet se e gjitha është pasion. Ky profesion është ngulur tek ajo që kur ishte vajzë e vogël. I ati ishte një inxhiner druri, dhe ajo u rrit në një familje ku druri ishte pjesë thelbësore e jetës së saj. Edhe dhuratat e saj të para ishi

The Hydrobiological Institute is a national public institution founded in 1935. It has two primary goals: to monitor the physical chemical conditions and the biological components of the Macedonian natural lakes and to conserve the fish of Lake Ohrid, with special focus on the famous Ohrid trout (Salmo trutta letnica) by taking measures for artificial spawning in these facilities.. We interviewed Mrs Elizabeta Veljanoska Sarafiloska, Director of PSI Hydrobiological Institute, Ohrid. Please can you tell us generally about the main objective and mission of the Hydrobiological Institute? The Hydrobiological Institute is a national public institution founded in 1935. It has two primary goals: to monitor the physical chemical conditions and the biological components of the Macedonian natural lakes and to conserve the fish of Lake Ohrid, with special focus on the famous Ohrid trout (Salmo trutta letnica) by taking measures for artificial spawning in our own facilities. What are you

The first Albanian natural World Heritage property was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session, which took place from 2 to 12 July this year in Kraków, Poland. Two of the country’s beech forests were inscribed as component parts of the transnational serial World Heritage property “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”. The inscribed components of the World Heritage property are the beech forests at Lumi i Gashit (north Kukes) located within Valbona Valley National Park, which a strict nature reserve (IUCN category 1a, the highest category of protected area recognised by the World Commission on Protected Areas, a body of IUCN), and Rrajca Forest, within the Shebenik–Jabllanicë National Park (east Elbasan), also a strict nature reserve, Rrajca The inscription marked wonderful news from the World Heritage Committee during its examination of nominations to the World Heritage List o

Që nga vjeshta e shkuar, një ekip arkitektësh shqiparë dhe ekspertë të drejtuar nga arkitekti i konservimit Kliti Kalamata, i asistuar nga arkitektja Amanda Cici dhe stafi i tyre i mobilizuar enkas nga Ministria e Kulturës, po përgatisin përmbajtjen e asaj që do të bëhet publikim reference për arkitekturën tradicionale në rajonin e Liqenit të Ohrit. Në fakt ky manual ka synim të bëhet një mjet i çmuar reference për të gjithë ata që janë të interesuar dhe përgjegjës për ruajtjen e trashëgimisë së ndërtimit në rajonin e Pogradecit, si psh: arkitektët lokale, inxhinierët dhe artizanët. Mund të quhet si “kushtetutta e mjeteve të dijes” për teknikat e ndërtimit, që kanë synim t’u ofrojnë personave të interesuar saktësime teknike të ndërtimit si dhe të sherbejë si një dokument i vlefshëm për komunitetin profesional në mënyrë që të promovojë: - Përdorimin e specifikimeve dhe metodave të përshtatshme për riparimet dhe restaurimet - Metodat e pranuara profesionale të rehab

The activity Waste Management Awareness Campaign as part of the Lake Ohrid region project identified tourism businesses in Lake Ohrid Region as one of the main target groups to reach out to. Tourism services, such as accommodation providers, bars and restaurants, have a key role to play in managing community waste, but also in communicating with the visitors to the area. With this in mind, two workshops were held as a means of introducing the issue of waste management and the promotion of successful practices from around the globe for tourism businesses in Pogradec. In a joint effort organised by the project partners and Pogradec Municipality a first workshop took place on 30 June, gathering hotel, bar and restaurant owners from the area around the lake. The workshop was prepared by Ms Deirdre Shurland, international expert on sustainable tourism, and Ms Matilda Andoni, Co-director of the Albanian Tourism Association. During the day, the participants were introduced to the issues an

The Lake Ohrid Region is of immense natural and cultural value. From the rugged mountains to the clear cool waters of the lake, the entire region offers an enchanting escape, and the potential for unforgettable adventures. This richness and diversity is best explored slowly and deeply.The Lake Ohrid region project is currently working with partners and local stakeholders with the aim of making the gems of the region better known and more easily accessible; they await exploration by many more people. Several hiking and biking trails and interest points have been identified and are currently being marked and signposted in the field.  Staff members of the Regional Agency for Protected Areas have been trained in the identification of potential locations and in the installation and maintenance of soft tourism infrastructure. In order to support sustainable tourism in the area, the project partners are preparing a dedicated website, brochure and information panels (each in three languag

The US weekly Magazine "The Week" dedicated  an article to Macedonia considering it a dream vacation, inviting its readers to visit this place.  The article was published on 21th of September with the title: Exploring forgotten Macedonia. "No crowds, no pressure to leave — Europe just doesn't get any better than this", writes the Week, describing Ohrid city and the quiet restaurant and bars around Lake Ohrid, a Unesco World Heritage.  Read the full article:  Macedonia is one of Europe's best-kept secrets, said Margo Pfeiff at the Los Angeles Times . Twenty-five years after it gained independence from Yugoslavia, the landlocked Balkan state remains a developing nation, its roads still plied by Soviet-era cars. But it's a safe, inexpensive place to visit, and "best of all," with tourism in its infancy, the country is still "charmingly unpretentious and warmly welcoming." Earlier this year, I spent a week in this Vermont-s

Lakes inspire photographers, and this includes our Lake Ohrid, one of the deepest lakes and the oldest lake in Europe, surrounded by majestic mountains and wonderful nature. To capture the beauty of this region, a second photography competition with hashtag #OurLakeOhrid ran for two months, from 25 July–25 September in the framework of the project Towards strengthened governance of the shared trans-boundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region, financed by the European Union and the government of Albania, and implemented by UNESCO. Followers of the project pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were invited to post their photos from the region to spread the word, inviting also their friends to share in order to help promote this extraordinary heritage. Hundreds of photographs were submitted before the deadline, and the top 50 will be published in an album of Lake Ohrid by the EU–UNESCO project. The album will be available in print and electronic version, giving th

Many activities were organized in Pogradec, #LakeOhridRegion, for the European Mobility Week 2017, from 16-22 September. The Municipality of Pogradec and the Women Association “Une Gruaja” worked together ahead to raise awareness for the importance of European Mobility Week, publishing posters, announcing calendar of activities and calling people to participate in these events. Students were the first to respond the calls and were the protagonists of these activities, painting banners and slogans for protection of environment and distributing them in the city. They gathered plastic bottles in the main promenade by the lake, which were used to create the a Plastic Swan.  Two-day workshop held in 18-19 September with the students of “Gjoke Pjeter Shqiptari”, and other schools of the city. The aim of workshop was to explain the students what is the Mobility Week and what kind of activities are organized all over the world.  One other interesting topic is a introduction