author: Goran Lefkov
With the oldest and deepest lake in Europe, Ohrid is the most attractive destination for foreign tourists. With its natural beauty and cultural and historical monuments, Ohrid is known as the pearl of the Balkans. The nature has painstakingly been creating Ohrid’s beauty for millions of years. Dozens of endemic species that can be found only here and nowhere else in the world live in the lake. UNESCO protected the overall pearl for eyes and paradise for the soul in 1980, placing it on the list of World Heritage.
But will this generation destroy relict species living in the lake? Will this generation change the picture of Lake Ohrid? Experts are decisive – it is about to be like that. The pearl of Lake Ohrid, the endemic trout is about to become extinct.
Zdravko Krstanovski is a former director of Hydrobiological Institute in Ohrid. He is concerned about the institutions’ inadequate attitude towards this natural heritage.
“Specifically when it comes to the unique, endemic Ohrid trout, I can tell you it is to become extinct. This means that its population is reduced to a minimum”, Krstanovski said.
No better is the situation with Studencisko Blatko in Ohrid. It is destroyed. The municipality’s plans to allow construction of an elite settlement concern Aleksandra Bujarovska of NGO “Front 21/42” as a legal expert focused on the environment.
“With buildings and all supporting infrastructure that is required to make such housing. This proposal is contrary to the decision of the Municipality of Ohrid of 2012 and with the spatial plan of the Republic of Macedonia”, Bujarovska said.
For more watch the video.
(The story has been supported by the National Endowment for democracy project “Raising Awareness About Corruption through Investigative Reporting”)
