© CZIP.

CZIP has spent the last decade fighting tirelessly to block  resort development and see the resumption of salt production, without which they were warned that “this place will die”. Despite public support, the road to victory seemed additionally blocked by insurmountable odds – from acts of vandalism and allegations of business corruption, to the raiding of flamingo nests.

But last year, the fight started to gain international attention when BirdLife joined CZIP and the German environmental NGO EuroNatur to launch the #SaveSalina campaign. The online petition succeeded in gathering more than 100,000 signatures, making it one of the biggest petitions of its kind in Montenegro. Its presentation to the Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković in April was a watershed moment, with the head of government pledging his commitment to saving the salina. 

Finally, on 25 June, the local parliament of the Ulcinj municipality voted to declare the salt pans as a national protected area in recognition of their distinct ecological and cultural value. “This is the great victory for nature in recent Montenegrin history” says CZIP’s Executive Director, Jovana Janjušević. Crediting the support of the 100,000 Europeans who signed the #SaveSalina petition she adds “All these people showed that in today’s world, there is no greater luxury than protecting nature.”

And of course, it is also a victory for the birds of Ulcinj, such as the Little tern, Kentish plover, Black-winged stilt or Common shelduck. CZIP ornithologist Bojan Zeković notes optimistically that “there is hope for species that have nested in the past or have had failed attempts in recent years, such as the Pied avocet, Oystercatcher, Greater flamingo”. 

This protection of Ulcinj – a critical site within a wider Mediterranean network of coastal wetlands – is also “an important piece of a bigger puzzle” remarks Sofia Capellan, IBA Conservation Officer at BirdLife Europe. Coastal wetlands act as buffer areas when extreme events such as storms and floods happen. They have an important role to play as nature-based solutions to tackle big societal challenges such as climate change, but also water pollution, human health and natural disaster.  

Conservationists will continue to keep a close eye on Ulcinj. Its newly awarded protected status must “not become a fig leaf for the government” warns EuroNatur Director, Gabriel Schwaderer. Now is the time, he adds, to “revitalize the salt works”. This site, once protected and well managed, could support a vibrant economy of salt production and sustainable tourism in which people and nature truly benefit from each other.

Greater Flamingo K3 (Ronnie Martin).

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