Surface area:
150 ha
Key features
- One of the last coastal wetlands in Montenegro and the largest in terms of surface area.
- Major resting and feeding area on the Adriatic Flyway.
- Presence of protected habitats (Habitats Directive) and Montenegro’s most important site for halophytic vegetation.
- Historical and cultural heritage value (former saltworks).
- A site with recreational value (frequented by residents of nearby villages), tourist appeal (welcoming national and international visitors), and educational purpose (through awareness-raising and educational activities for school pupils and students).
Main threats and pressures
- Poor circulation of incoming and outgoing water flows within the saltworks.
- Pollution: wastewater and solid waste originating from surrounding areas.
- Urban development and infrastructure construction on the outskirts of the site.
- Invasive species (e.g. blue crab).
- Illegal fishing and hunting (occasional).
- Odour nuisance caused by wastewater pipes running through the embankment of the main pathway.
About the project
Objectives
Priority areas
Multi-ecosystem approach
Expected impacts
Objectives
The RESCOM project provides site managers with technical, financial, and expert support, particularly regarding the regulation of incoming and outgoing water flows, as well as the restoration of wetland-type habitats. It also aims to develop recommendations to reconcile biodiversity conservation objectives with the challenges related to public access.
Priority areas
- Improve knowledge of the site’s hydrological functioning, with the aim of enhancing the wetland’s water retention capacity during flood periods and increasing the reserve’s ability to support waterbirds.
- Maintain open habitats by limiting the expansion of shrubs and trees in certain areas of the site.
- Improve accessibility to the different areas of the site for managers by creating a “management trail”.
- Improve visitor reception conditions.
- Limit the impact of visitor numbers on the site’s biodiversity.
Multi-ecosystem approach
“The joint expertise of specialists from the Conservatoire du littoral and the Tour du Valat has made it possible to leverage our respective skills and experience, and to provide, drawing on existing documentation and a field assessment carried out in May 2024, initial recommendations regarding the overall management of the site, additional studies to be conducted, and potential future works. A complementary mission scheduled for May 2025 will help refine these initial reflections and define the priority studies and first concrete actions to be implemented in the coming months.”
Céline Damery, Conservatoire du littoral
Expected impacts
- Preservation of functional ecosystems in good ecological condition.
- Restoration of degraded ecosystems.
- Improved management enabling visitor access and the continuation of uses compatible with the site’s conservation objectives, while integrating climate change and natural risk considerations.
News
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Biologist Aleksandra Ivanovic, from the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management in Montenegro, a partner organisation in the RESCOM project, explains how the actions to protect and restore this natural area, supported by RESCOM, aim to improve habitats for #biodiversity, mitigate the risk of flooding in the surrounding area, and promote collaboration with local populations.
Aleksandra Ivanovic
Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management in Montenegro