Project “Joint Actions for Sea Pollution Prevention” – JASPPer, financed by the European Union through the IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Montenegro – Croatia, was concluded in Tivat with the presentation of the results achieved and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in the Prevention of Sea Pollution in the Border Area of Montenegro and Croatia by the representatives of municipalities from Montenegro (Tivat, Kotor, Herceg Novi) and Croatia (Konavle).
Final conference of the project JASPPer opened with the welcoming speech given by Luka Mitrović, director of the Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro, who introduced the participating institutions and expressed a wish for cooperation in future similar projects.
Aleksandar Joksimović, the project coordinator from the Institute of Marine Biology, Kotor, emphasized that significant results had been achieved, being very important for further activities in the prevention of sea pollution in the border region. He brought to participants’ attention the fact that in particular man as a conscious being must take care of the environment.
Nenad Leder, director of the Hydrographic Institute of the Republic of Croatia, Split, and project manager for JASPPer, pointed out that the research had been carried out using modern equipment: multibeam echosounder, side scan sonars, automatic stations for measurement of oceanographic parameters, remotely operated vehicle (ROV), thermohaline probes, and bottom sediment grab samplers. He presented the condition of sewage outfalls at Cavtat and Trašte Bay, and reported on the results obtained from the two-year project. He also stressed the need for repair of the sewage infrastructure in the sea, and construction of an onshore waste water treatment plant to protect Trašte Bay.
Pavle Đurašković, the project coordinator from the Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro, thanked the project partners, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, and the Joint Technical Secretariat, for excellent cooperation. He also presented the results achieved, and emphasized the need for appropriate action to ensure the repair of the outfall.
Enis Hrustić, the project coordinator from the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research, Dubrovnik, reported on the results concerning eutrophication in the area of Cavtat outfall, and the results of analyses of heavy metals in sediments, fouling organisms and benthic communities in the area of final part of the sewage outfall Cavtat.
Representatives of the media interviewed the signatories of the Memorandum, Božo Lasić, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Konavle, Tamara Vujović, vice-president of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, Tatjana Jelić, secretary of the Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Environment of the Municipality of Tivat, and Nenad Vukadinović, secretary of the Secretariat for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Municipality of Kotor.
The links below are provided for further information about the conference and communications:
The following documents were distributed at the conference: "Cooperation programme in the prevention of sea pollution in the border area between Croatia (Konavle) and Montenegro (Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat)”, drawn up by Branka Todorović, expert in the local development; “Study on the impact of municipal waste water emission through Cavtat and Trašte outfalls on the quality of marine ecosystem“, drawn up by Milena Tadić, expert in the waste water analysis; JASPPer mini brochure, and JASPPer final study. All project partners and representatives of municipalities received these documents together with advertising material. Final project documents are available on http://www.hhi.hr/jaspper
For more information please visit:
http://www.hhi.hr/jaspper