During the Science Week, which was organised on the upper reaches of the Neretva River in the period from June 26th to July 5th, 2022, a team of scientists identified many endangered or protected species. Evidence was found of the existence of specimens of widely known large carnivores (bear, wolf, wild cat and lynx), protected amphibians, endemic aquatic insects, invertebrates, a large number of diverse species of birds and bats, and potentially yet undescribed subterranean crustaceans, which indicates the intactness of the floodplain and coastal forests. The Neretva river is also the last stronghold of the endangered Adriatic trout.
These data are published in a preliminary report that presents the impressions and reviews of each of the teams of scientists on what was done during this impressive joint work. The collected data will be analysed in more detail during the next few months, and a more comprehensive and detailed final report is expected by the end of 2022.
Research in the field took place at a dozen sites located on the stretch from the source of the Neretva river to the town of Konjic, in which 48 scientists and 11 students from seven European countries participated. Research was organised by the Center for Environment in partnership with the international organisations Riverwatch and Euronatur as part of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign with the aim of collecting arguments for the protection of this pristine river ecosystem, which is threatened by plans for the construction of hydroelectric power plants.
It was concluded that the nature in all the locations where research was carried out is in an intact or almost intact state, and this also applies to the surrounding coastal and valley forest ecosystems. For the abundance of certain species or groups of species, many scientists said that they had never seen such a thing or at least rarely seen it on the European continent.
The team of scientists set two goals: to collect data on the aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity of the Neretva and its tributaries and to assess the potential impacts of the construction of hydroelectric power plants with an emphasis on the impact on endangered habitat types and protected species.
The researchers saw first-hand how intensively people use the natural beauty of this river and enjoy it on weekends, when hundreds of tourists, nature lovers, visit the canyon near Konjic by boat. According to the report, the Neretva river is indeed a habitat for diverse biodiversity, including humans. The fact that all the above located in one river valley emphasises its exceptional value and calls for the protection and preservation of this ecosystem as a whole. The complete report is available at this URL.