Republic of Serbia among the most successful countries in Europe in reporting on

protected areas
26 December 2016

European Environment Agency has announced the first report on priority environment data
streams according to the new rating system in 2016 within which 39 EEA member and partner
states are assessed.

According to this report, the Republic of Serbia is among six top-rated countries with four points
for the indicator Protected areas /Zatiena podruja/. Pursuant to the indicator Protected
areas, the national Environmental Protection Agency has compiled a report on the basis of data
of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia.

Reporting according to the indicator European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-
PRTR), shows that 31 out of 33 countries have been rated with four points, including the
Republic of Serbia.

On the basis of published results, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection has
announced that according to the EEA report, the Environmental Protection Agency of Serbia is
among the top-rated Agencies in Europe.

The representatives of the Green Zhejiang, the largest NGO in Zhejiang

Province of China, paid a visit to the Institute
19 July 2017

Members of the Green Zhejiang, the largest NGO in Zhejiang Province of China and one of
the leading Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGO) in China, along with their
children paid a visit to the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia.

Guests from China visited the Institute in order to gain information about the natural values,
system and methods of conservation of Serbias natural heritage.

On this occasion, the Head of the Institute, MA Aleksandar Dragii, wished all the guests a
warm welcome to Serbia and the Institute, and spoke with Mr. Hao Xin, the Executive Director
of the NGO Green Zhejiang, about the possibilities of further cooperation in the field of
environmental protection.

In order to present the natural values and nature conservation of Serbia, the Institutes expert
associates organized an educational program within which Dr. Nenad Sekuli, the Head of the
Department of Biodiversity, Ecological Networks and Sustainable Development, spoke about the
concept and methods of nature conservation, Dr. Rastko Anti discussed the natural values of
National Parks, Milo Radikovi spoke about bird conservation, while Dr. Ivana Jeli gave a
lecture on plant species. Guests from China had the opportunity to attend the permanent
exhibition Nature Conservation in Serbia with expert guidance of the representatives of the
Institute and watched a promo movie about the Danube River produced by the National Tourism
Organisation of Serbia.

As an incentive to explore the natural beauties of Serbia further, the guests received various
publications of the Institute such as the book National Parks of Serbia /Nacionalni parkovi
Srbije/ and the CD Conserved Natural Resources along the Danube River, promotional
materials and posters depicting species of amphibians, dragonflies, snakes and trees that inhabit
Serbia.

As a sign of gratitude for the organization of the visit, Mr. Hao Xin gave the Institute a couple of
bottles with spring water from the Zhejiang Province with the list of all endangered species in
that area and the image of one of them, as an example of promoting the significance of their
protection.

After visiting the Institute, the representatives of the NGO Green Zhejiang went on a tour of
the natural and cultural heritage of Serbia.

International Danube Day

30 June 2017

International Danube Day has been celebrated in 14 countries of the Danube River Valley,
signatories of the Danube River Protection Convention which is the basis of cooperation of
European countries with the aim of protecting the Danube River whose basin is home to more
than 80 million people.

The Danube River Protection Convention was signed on 29 June 1994 in Sofia. The Convention
has been signed by all countries of the Danube River Valley and members of the European
Union. Exchange rate list which is updated on a daily basis is available.

Regarding this years celebration of the Danube Day, the Institute for Nature Conservation of
Serbia participated in the workshop with the aim of pointing to the importance of conservation of
sturgeon one of the oldest and most endangered species of fish in the world which originates
from the Age of Dinosaurs. For that purpose, the World Wildlife Fund project Life for the
Danube sturgeon /ivot za dunavske jesetre/ was presented and and movies Saving the Lords
of the Danube /Spasavanje gospodara Dunava/ and The Mysterious Giants of the Danube
/Tajanstveni dinovi Dunava/ were shown in the schoolyard of primary school Pavle Ili
Veljko in Pahovo on 29 June 2017. The youngest participants of the workshop had the
opportunity to test their skills in educational games Save the sturgeon /Spasi jesetru/ and a
game with a life-size sturgeon replica through which they learned about these fish, the
significance of rivers and their long-term conservation methods. Educational games were carried
out and prepared by WWF representatives.

On this occasion, a discussion with representatives of local communities about the importance of
preserving the river and protecting these highly valuable fish was organized.

Dr. Nenad Sekuli, Head of the Department of Biodiversity and Ecological Networks,
participated in carrying out the workshop regarding the start of the WWF project Life for the
Danube sturgeon as a representative of the Institute.

On endangered species of fish in the Danube River

Migratory fish species such as sturgeon, eel, herring and salmon are those who travel up to
several thousand kilometers in order to complete their life cycle. If that journey is hindered, they
die out, a faith that befell a large number of species around the world. Unhindered mobility
(migration) of these species is essential to the survival of fish population.

In many parts of the world, millions of people depend on migratory fish as a food source,
therefore a depletion of fish stocks has a devastating impact on the lives of the local population.
Some species of migratory fish are especially endangered due to excessive harvesting of roe
from which caviar is made. Other problems include the impoundment of rivers which destroys
river flow, the loss of natural habitat and water pollution which has a negative impact on
migration and feeding and spawning areas.

In the Danube River, the migratory species include some of the worlds largest fish, such as the
European sturgeon and other species of sturgeon. Some unusual species, such as eel and herring,
can also be found in this area.

European sturgeon Huso Huso

Status: Critically Endangered

European sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in the world. The largest European sturgeon
caught had a mass of 1,571 kg and a diameter of 7.2 m. European sturgeon population in the
Middle Section of the Danube River has reduced by 67% during the last 12 years.

Of all sturgeon, the European sturgeon migrates the farthest upstream to spawn. This migration,
both for the European sturgeon, and for other sturgeon species, was interrupted by the
construction of the erdap dam.
European sturgeon is long-lived. Some individuals may live to be more than 100 years old.
Historically, this species was widespread in the basins of the Caspian, Black, Adriatic and Sea of
Azov. Due to overfishing and impoundment of rivers, the European sturgeon has almost
completely been exterminated from the Adriatic Sea and Sea of Azov.

Young European sturgeons feed on crustaceans and molluscs, while adult European sturgeons
mostly feed on fish. European sturgeons are the only true predators among sturgeons.

Black Sea shad Alosa Immaculata

Status: Vulnerable (total population in decline)

The construction of the erdap I and erdap II dams reduced the migratory route of the Black
Sea shad by a full 800 river kilometers. In the past, the shoals of Black Sea shad migrated all the
way to Budapest which is located at the 1650th river kilometer. Today, those migrations have
been limited to 863 river kilometers of the Danube River in Serbia.

Black Sea shad lives in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov and Marmara Sea, and migrates to the
Danube River, Don River, Dnieper River and Dniester River to spawn.

This species of fish can grow up to 30 cm, it has a pelagic life and lives in shoals, and feeds on
small fishes and crustaceans. Black Sea shad is highly valued commercially in Romania, Ukraine
and Bulgaria, while in Serbia, commercial Black Sea shad fishing is forbidden.

The total Black Sea shad harvest is around 1,000 tons per year, with 70% of harvest brought in
by Romanian fishers.

Data on the size and status of Black Sea shad population in Serbia are not available.

European eel Anguilla Anguilla

Status: Critically Endangered

European eel is known for its very long, and in some aspects still mysterious, spawning
migration. These journeys are thousands of kilometers long, stretching from European rivers and
riversides to the Sargasso Sea and back, and last several years.

European eel inhabits European rivers draining into the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea, the
North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
European eel feeds on aquatic invertebrates and fish, but also dead animals. It lives for 10 to 16
years in freshwater and brackish water across Europe, then migrates to the Sargasso Sea to
spawn.

Incomplete data on the European eel catch in Serbia exist for the period from 1954 to 1968,
ranging between 24 and 970 kg annually. The European eel catch data post 1968 are missing,
while individual catches of recreational and commercial fishers in the Danube River, Sava River,
Tisa River, Drina River and Velika Morava River have been recorded in the last couple of years.

Winners of the Wiki Loves Earth 2017 /Viki voli zemlju 2017/ photo
competition announced
27 June 2016

Winners of the fourth annual Wiki Loves Earth /Viki voli zemlju/ photo competition were
announced at the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia on 15 June 2017.

Photo by Maja Stoi which depicts Grza Spring in the Nature Park Kuaj-Beljanica, was
selected as the most beautiful photograph of a protected natural heritage in Serbia for 2017. The
winner received a GoPro camera.

Author under the username Bancika who recorded the scenes from the Nature Park Stara
planina won the second and third prize in the contest. This author received a voucher with the
total purchase amount of RSD 20,000 (2nd prize), as well as an external hard drive (3rd prize).

This years juror pool which was larger than usual, therefore, in addition to experts from the
Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, the photographs were assessed by Mr. Zoran
Jovanovi Maak, photojournalist at Novosti, as well as Mr. Vladislav Miti, photo editor at
Ringier Axel Springer, reached a decision to commend the authors of three other photographs:
Vladimir Mijailovi for the photo of the Tupavica Waterfall located in Nature Park Stara
planina, Olja Simovi (username: O) for the photo of the Nature Park Golija and Gojko
Gali (username: ) for the photo taken at the National Park Fruka Gora.

The announcement of winners was preceded by speeches of the Heads of the Wikimedia Serbia,
the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia and the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia.

In addition to the winning and commended photographs, the Wikimedia Serbia handed over
Letters of Appreciation to participants who made a special contribution to the contribution.
The participation of the Republic of Serbia at the global photo competition Wiki Loves Earth
has been organized by the Wikimedia Serbia with the support of the Institute for Nature
Conservation of Serbia and the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia.

Bako Podunavlje becomes the second Biosphere Reserve in Serbia

27 June 2017

The International coordination council of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program reached a
decision to include the Bako Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve into their World List of
Biosphere Reserves, at their Paris session held on 14 June 2017. With this Decision, after 16
years, ie. 2001 when the Golija-Studenica region was accepted on the Biosphere Reserve list,
Serbia now has two areas on the UNESCO World List of Biosphere Reserves.

Bako Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve has joined a global network of 669 reserves
acknowledged by UNESCO, designed with the goal of protecting natural resources of
outstanding value and promoting local sustainable development.

Bako Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve is at the north-west of Vojvodina region, and is part of
the Amazon of Europe, one of the most undisturbed river and wetland regions in the whole
Danube river basin. This unique landscape is of precious biological diversity and is home to rare
natural habitats such as flood-meadows, river islands, side-arms and sandy river shores.

Within the Bako Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve, which spreads on 176,635 ha in

municipalities of Sombor, Apatin, Odaci, Ba and Baka Palanka, there are four protected
areas, including the Special nature reserves Gornje Podunavlje and Karaorevo.

Bako Podunavlje also boasts a great cultural heritage, a proof of its living past as the meeting-
point of many nations and cultures in this region.

This acceptance of Bako Podunavlje into UNESCO World List of Biosphere Reserves is a
significant step in forming the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve "Mura-Drava-Danube", the
first of its kind, spreading across five countries: Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia and Austria.
First to be accepted on the Biosphere Reserve list in 2012 was a region located in Hungary and
Croatia. Slovenia submitted its nomination earlier this year, while Austria has announced that its
nomination is soon to follow.
Agreement on Cooperation signed between National Parks Black Canyon of the
Gunnison in the USA and Tara in Serbia
27 June 2017

National Park Tara and the United States National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison
located in Colorado, signed an Agreement on Cooperation on 12 June 2017 in the Botanical
Garden Jevremovac in Belgrade which envisages the exchange of knowledge, experience and
personnel in the mutual interest of the two Parks.

US Ambassador Kyle Scott and the State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and
Environmental Protection Stana Boovi attended the signing. The Agreement was signed by the
Acting Director of the Public Enterprise National Park Tara Dragi Karakli and the Head of
the National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, Bruce Noble.

On this occasion, US Ambassador Kyle Scott said that by signing that Agreement the two
National Parks committed to a five-year cooperation and mutual assistance in order to preserve
those natural monuments, pointing out that the Agreement encompasses the cooperation in
various areas, from natural resource management, habitat restoration, monitoring endangered
species, water and air quality monitoring, as well as the plans and projects for the development
of educational programs.

On this occasion, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental
Protection Stana Boovi said that the NP Tara is of enormous strategic importance for the
Republic of Serbia, adding that it encompasses an area of over 25,000 ha and that it has a huge
tourism potential and an archeological dimension. Serbia and the United States have already
agreed on a strategic cooperation in the field of political and economic relations, and this
Agreement opens a new dimension for cooperation with the aim of nature conservation. NP
Tara would now have the opportunity to use the knowledge and experience of the United
States National Park, said S. Boovi, adding that the said experience would be of immense
importance for the local governments.

On behalf of the National Park Tara, Mr. Dragi Karakli pointed out all the benefits that NP
Tara would gain by implementing the signed Agreement, expressing gratitude to the American
representatives for recognizing the potential of this cooperation.

The Head of the National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison Bruce Noble will visit the
National Park Tara in the days to come where he will have the opportunity to learn about the
management style and current activities, and also to share his multi-year experience in the
management of the National Park.
Partnership with Nature /Partnerstvo sa prirodom/ organized on the occasion of
the World Environment Day
09 June 2017

The Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia organized a photo exhibition on protected areas
of the Republic of Serbia at the Conference A day dedicated to informing people about the
Earth - From COP22 to COP23: Review and Prospects held on 07 June 2017 in the House of
the National Assembly in Belgrade to mark the World Environment Day.

The Conference was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection
with the Embassy of Morocco in Belgrade as the host.

The Conference on climate change was opened by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the
Republic of Serbia, Maja Gojkovi, who said that our relationship with nature must be much
more responsible because it is not enough only to be aware of the consequences of the modern
technological civilization, but it is also necessary to take concrete steps and measures in order to
live in harmony with nature and not go against it, and that the role of the National Assembly is of
utmost importance in that process because the Assembly brings into force laws in that field,
ensures the quality of those laws and supervises their implementation, and also ratifies
international agreements. The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Maja
Gojkovi, invited the participants to attend the exhibition on the natural heritage of Serbia which
was organized on that occasion.

The representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco, as the host of the Conference on climate change
COP22 last year in Marrakesh, presented their results, and guidelines that were adopted during
the COP22 and consolidated into the Marrakesh Declaration. The 23rd session of the Conference
of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be organized
by Fiji and hosted at the headquarters of the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany.

On this occasion, the Ambassador of Morocco, H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, said that Serbia
pays great attention to environmental protection. We celebrate the World Environment Day
with a theme of bringing people and nature together which requires humanitys undivided
attention and the focus on the environment, said Belhaj and added that Morocco has a great
cooperation with Serbia and he especially wants to expand the cooperation in the field of
ecology.

The State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Stana Boovi
pointed out at the Conference on the World Environment Day in the National Assembly that
climate change is one of the biggest global challenges of today, and that its solution requires the
involvement of all interested parties at the international, regional and local level. Boovi
emphasized that Serbia is a responsible partner of the international community and that it had
shown willingness to contribute by being the first country in its region and among the top ten in
the world to propose national greenhouse gas reduction goals, as well as the second country in its
region to ratify the Paris Agreement.

Oskar Benedikt, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia and the Ambassador of France to
the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Christine Moro, attended the Conference.

The representatives of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia: Vladan Bjedov, Nataa
Pani and Ivana Jovanovi attended the Conference as well.

Conference Education on Climate Change for Sustainable Development held as

part of the European Week of Sustainable Development initiative
09 June 2017

The Thirteenth Regional Conference Environment to Europe EnE17 /ivotna sredina ka Evropi
EnE17/ on Education on Climate Change for Sustainable Development /Obrazovanje o
klimatskim promenama za odrivi razvoj/ was held on the World Environment Day, June 5th
2017, in Belgrade, organized by the Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development.
This years organization of the Conference was supported by the Institute for Nature
Conservation of Serbia, as one of many partners.

The Conference Environment to Europe EnE17 is an official event marking the European
Sustainable Development Week in the Republic of Serbia as a Europe-wide initiative with the
aim of stimulating and raising the visibility of activities, projects and events that promote
sustainable development goals. The European Sustainable Development Week is organized
annually from May 30th to June 5th in order to raise public awareness of the Agenda 2030 for
Sustainable Development in Europe and the importance of participation of local interested
parties in achieving 17 goals of sustainable development and sustainability in general.

After the introductory speeches, the Conference organizers handed the charter Green Planet
/Zelena planeta/ to the company Tetrapak for many years of successful work in the field of
environmental protection and support to the implementation of the international project Eco
School /Eko kola/ in Serbia.

Seventeen thematic professional and scientific papers were presented at the Conference. In the
part of the event dedicated to the professional papers, the Institute for Nature Conservation of
Serbia was represented by its expert associates Mila Risti and Nataa Pani with the paper The
Impact of Climate Change on Nature and Education as Nature Conservation Measure. Mila
Risti, Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, presented the paper.
During the Conference, the Conference organizers, The Environmental Ambassadors for
Sustainable Development, presented the awards to Young Reporters for the Environment
/Mladim eko reporterima/ for 2017 in the following categories: newspaper article, photograph
and video by an author aged 11-14 and 15-18.

Public Consultation and Public Insight into the Proposal for a Regulation and
Conservation Study on the Declaration of Zlatibor Nature Park
09 June 2017

In accordance with Article 43 of the Law on Nature Protection (Official Gazette of RS, Nos.
36/2009, 88/2010, 91/2010 corr. and 14/2006), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental
Protection organized a Public Consultation and Public Insight into the Proposal for a Regulation
and Conservation Study on the Declaration of Zlatibor Nature Park.

Public Insight into the Proposal for a Regulation and Conservation Study on the Declaration of
Zlatibor Nature Park lasted for 20 days from May 10th to 29th 2017. The Proposal for a
Regulation on the Declaration of Zlatibor Nature Park and the Conservation Study with
cartographic documentation carried out by the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia in
Belgrade on the basis of the authorization referred to in Art. 102 and 103 of the Law on Nature
Protection were available for public insight every working day from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the
Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental
Protection. During the Public Insight, individuals and legal entities had the opportunity to submit
in writing their comments and suggestions, ended May 29th, 2017.

Public Consultation and Public Presentation of the Proposal for a Regulation and Conservation
Study on the Declaration of Zlatibor Nature Park were held on June 1st 2017, in the Municipal
Assembly of Uice, starting at 10:00 am.

Area of the Nature Park Zlatibor is located in South-western Serbia on the territory of The
Municipalities of ajetina, Uice, Nova Varo and Priboj. The total area of the Nature Park is
41,923.26 ha. I, II and III degrees of protection have been established in the Nature Park
Zlatibor. According to the Regulation on the categorization of protected natural areas, the
Nature Park Zlatibor has been classified in Category I natural resource of international,
national, ie. outstanding importance. Due to the presence of plant and animal species of national
and international importance, as a way of protecting priority habitats, with the Regulation on the
Proclamation of the Ecological Network the area of Zlatibor has been identified as an
ecologically important area of the Republic of Serbia under ordinal number 62 Zlatibor, and
as Emerald site (RS0000034), Important Plant Area (IPA) and Prime Butterfly Area (PBA 30).
Crows very protective of their young
01 June 2017

With the arrival of spring days, there has been a rise in the number of calls from citizens
frightened by crows, complaining about their unusual, disruptive behavior and unprovoked
aggressive attacks.

Crows have long established themselves as residents of urban gardens, city parks and green
spaces surrounded by concrete. In the early spring months, these birds, an integral part of the
urban milieu which is why people do not notice them in their surroundings, have suddenly
attracted attention with the type of behavior that causes anxiety and fear of potential attacks
among many. Caution is advised, as well as a warning to people no to approach crow chicks at a
time when they are clumsily taking-off from their nest.

Crows attack people near their nest because they are protective of their young. This is normal
behavior for this species and does not have serious consequences, or can very rarely lead to
minor injuries, therefore caution is advised. The best way for people to protect themselves is to
stay clear of crow nests or, if they happen to find themselves in its vicinity, to immediately move
away from the nest.

Crows nest mainly in trees, and increasingly on power transmission poles or similar objects.
During the month of May, young crows are fully feathered and take-off from the nest. The period
when young crows learn to fly is particularly critical because they can fall out of the nest before
they can fly. In such cases, adult individuals protect their territory and young which is why an
attack can occur if a passer-by gets too close to a crow chick. First, adult birds send warning
signs by cawing loudly, after which they might head towards the potential intruder with the
aim of a false or real attack in order to protect their offspring. This period lasts around ten days,
after which crow chicks are perfectly able to fly and there are no risks of crow attacks.

Hooded crow

The length of the Hooded crow varies from 44 to 51 cm. Hooded crow is present in various open
habitats, from plains to high mountains. It can usually be found in many numbers in agricultural
areas, cities and villages.

Hooded crow feeds on a variety of foods of plant and animal origin, it is very adaptable and is a
constant scavenger. In the Republic of Serbia, the Hooded crow is protected according to the
Ordinance to designate and protect strictly protected and protected wild species of plants,
animals and fungi, and is designated a game bird.
The reason for the mass appearance and nesting of crows in urban centers and urban areas is
quite complex and is primarily a result of the increase in the amount of waste, especially organic
waste, and the growth of urban population and urban expansion. Consequently, crows have an
easy access to food which is when they come into conflict with people, especially during
nesting and when crow chicks start leaving the nest.