Adla Kahrić
Although the ecosystems provide a range of various services fundamental for human wellbeing, health, and livelihoods, our Earth is under threat from human activities, leading to habitat and biodiversity loss. Increased anthropogenic pressure on natural environment have negative impact on habitat and biodiversity, where protected areas are urgently needed in order to stop destroying habitat and loosing species. Therefore, this project is leading to first marine protected areas establishment in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to improve and manage important habitat for valuable and endangered species, but also for all marine biodiversity. Establishment of marine protected areas is a long-term process but provide positive effects on marine ecosystems.
Recorded juvenile individua of smooth hound shark. © Andrej Gajić
As a post-conflict country, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is facing with different challenges where nature protection is hard to achieve. BiH don't have well-regulated marine policy and still is a country without any marine protected area. Furthermore, the main problem of every marine protection initiative is lack of marine biodiversity data, which are important for every further step, and this project will help to improve national marine biodiversity data base. Because of the unregulated marine policy, the anthropogenic pressure has been increased on marine ecosystems, affecting valuable and endangered species and decreasing their population. Through different project activities, such as research studies, education, meetings, our project will lead to first marine protected area establishment, providing healthier and better environment for every living organism on the world.