15.07.2021, 07:10h
Second workshop held for stakeholders in developing the Krka NP Management Plan
The Protected area and ecological network areas management plan is a strategic document of the Public Institute of Krka National Park
which establishes the state of the area, determines the management aims and activities to achieve those aims, and enables active and adaptable management of the area over the next 10-year period.
The drafting of the Management Plan is a complex and comprehensive procedure that includes activities with numerous interested stakeholders. The Public Institute of Krka National Park is simultaneously working to develop two management plans: PU 6005 – Krka National Park, Bunari (HR2001492) and the broader area of Krka National Park (HR2000918) and PU 7006 – Krka and the surrounding plateau (HR1000026), significant landscape Krka – upper course and significant landscape Čikola. The organisation of workshops in the project “Development of the management framework for management of the Natura 2000 ecological network” is financed from the European Cohesion Fund through the Operational programme Competitiveness and Cohesion.
The Management Plan is a strategic document prescribed under the Nature Conservation Act. With the approval of the Ministry and public insight procedure, it is adopted by the Executive council of the public institution for a 10-year period. The plan must be aligned with the authorities of the institution adopting it, and with other regulatory, planning and strategic documents. The deadline for the drafting of the new Management Plan is 31 October 2022.
“The activities defined under the new Management Plan are aligned with the zoning system as defined in the Ordinance on the protection and conservation of Krka National Park, that was developed with respect to the state and pressures on species and habitats, and on the ecosystem as a whole, and this knowledge is the result of ongoing research, monitoring and analysis. The park area is also a Natura 2000 ecological network area, and it is necessary to consider the state and measures necessary to conserve a number of target species and habitat types. One of the target habitat types for conservation is this area are the Travertine barriers of the Dalmatian karst rivers. Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes National Park are the most important areas for the conservation of this habitat type in the Republic of Croatia and in the EU,” was the statement given by the Directorate for Nature Conservation, Ministry of the Economy and Sustainable Development.
The Management Plan PU 7006 – Krka and the surrounding plateau (HR1000026), significant landscape Krka – upper course and significant landscape Čikola is being developed in cooperation with the Nature of Šibenik-Knin County Public Institution. In April 2021, the first activities with stakeholders began. Today, representatives of the line ministry and local self-government units, economic entities operating in the park area, county offices and institutions involved in nature conservation, and eminent experts and scientists shared their experiences, expectations and aims. The local community participates in the adoption of the new Management Plan in the Public Institute of Krka National Park via their legally elected representatives. Due to the exceptionally important topic of the workshop, which includes aquatic habitats, birds and other species associated with aquatic ecosystems and intersectoral cooperation, stakeholders involved in both management plans were in attendance.
“The Management Plan defines the manner of achieving the conservation goals for each area of the ecological network and the conservation measures and activities that must be implemented to achieve those goals, and therefore bringing together all stakeholders for the purpose of mutual dialogue is of exceptional importance,” stressed Gordana Goreta, scientific associate of the Public Institute of Krka National Park. She added, “The Krka National Park area stands out for its high biodiversity of flora and fauna, and conserving species and habitats is a prerequisite for the future, not only in this region, but at the global level.”
Krka National Park was proclaimed a national park due to the exceptional geomorphological, hydrological and landscape values, with travertine (tufa) as the fundamental phenomenon. The plant and animal life of Krka National Park includes numerous endemic, rare and threatened taxa (44 habitat types and their combinations, 1022 plant taxa, 405 species of limnofauna, 38 species of dragonflies and damselflies, over 200 species of butterflies and moths, 29 species of fish of which 14 are endemic, 9 species of amphibians, 22 species of reptiles, 235 species of birds, 45 species of mammals of which 17 are bat species, and 81 species of subterranean invertebrates.
Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. It was proclaimed with the aim of ensuring the long-term conservation of the most valuable and most threatened species and habitats in Europe. Nearly 50% of the territory of Šibenik-Knin County falls within a Natura 2000 areas, and this includes the complete area of Krka National Park. In order works, the ecological network encompasses areas where wild species and habitat types are found that are important for conservation at the EU level. The biological value is seen, above all, the great abundance and diversity of birds inhabiting Krka National Park. Numerous forests and open water surfaces rich in fish, insects and aquatic vegetation are ideal feeding grounds, resting areas and nesting grounds for birds. The species and habitats are directly threatened by climate change, negative hydrological trends, fish and plant invasive species and the use of space that is not in accordance with the values of the area.
