06/30/08 Protest to Support the Dolphin Reserve
Animal Friends Croatia, Croatia Greens, Dalmatia Greens, Terra, and Green Sun invite you to the protest to support the dolphin reserve
On the occasion of the World Whale and Dolphin Day which is being marked worldwide on June 30, Animal Friends, Croatia Greens, Dalmatia Greens, Terra, and Green Sun invite you to a protest for the dolphins of the Adriatic. The protest will take place on Monday, June 30, on Riva in front of Split Bank in Split at 12 noon.
The protesters will mark that day by supporting the Ministry of Culture, Nature Protection Directorate in order to retain the only dolphin reserve in the entire Mediterranean area.
As part of the campaign of maintaining the dolphin reserve of Mali Losinj, Animal Friends has sent a request to Mr. Zoran Sikic, the state secretary, to reconsider the announcement made by the Ministry of Culture about the possibility of lowering the degree of protection and possible decreasing of size of the Losinj Dolphin Reserve which is stretched along the east coasts of Cres and Losinj islands.
In our request we are asking the Ministry of Culture not to undertake any steps regarding the lowering of degree of protection or decreasing of total size of the Losinj Dolphin Reserve. We also ask the Nature Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Culture, the State Institution for nature protection and public institution "Nature" to conduct an open and structured public discussion in order to inform all concerned parties about the possibilities for conducting of protection measures, and after that to suggest addition to the rulebook regarding protection and exploit of the protected area.
In case of decreasing or recalling the status of the protection of the Losinj Dolphin Reserve, the Republic of Croatia would break several accepted international agreements (The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic area – ACCOBAMS, Appendix II of the Habitats Directive of EU, Bern Convention, Bonn Convention, Barcelona Convention, CITES).
Animal Friends suggested the Ministry of Culture to create a leaflet or brochure which could be handed out to locals so they can gain information concerning the dolphin reserve. This brochure would contain questions and answers necessary for getting the right information and to understand the purpose of the reserve.
The protest will be held as a symbol of public support to the Ministry of Culture which in July 2006 brought in a regulation for the preventive protection of the sea along the eastern coasts of Cres and Losinj as a category of a special reserve - sea reserve. The Government brought in a directive of proclaiming the ecological network and the Losinj Reserve being part of the National ecological network.
Animal Friends asks the responsible authorities to think in a long term and not to make moves and decisions today, which will be regretted in the future, as we could easily watch yet another dolphin species extinct. Lowering of the protection status could result in that very way.
Eko Kvarner and Sun associations also gave written support to this protest.
