Source: PP Telašćica
Funding for the project “Ecological anchorage system for the preservation of marine habitats” in the Telašćica Nature Park has been approved.
The total value of this strategically important project is a little over 2.5 million euros. Of this, almost 2 million euros in grants were approved from the European Regional Development Fund. This represents a co-financing rate of 78.7%.
Why is this project crucial for Telašćica?
Telašćica Bay is known as one of the most attractive natural harbors on the Adriatic. However, the great pressure of nautical tourism and unregulated anchoring have had serious consequences for the seabed for years. Heavy anchors and chains mechanically destroy the seabed and important marine habitats of posidonia and reefs, the recovery of which takes decades.
In order to stop this degradation and allow the sea to recover, this project will carry out a green transition of the water area.
What will be done?
⚓ Remove old blocks and install ecological anchors. The seabed will be cleaned of old concrete blocks and an ecologically acceptable anchor system will be installed at 10 locations. These systems are designed to minimally intrude on the seabed and not destroy habitats, and are not based on concrete blocks but on a system of geotechnical anchors.
🌊 Introduce smart surveillance to protect against pollution. Modern technology for monitoring marine environmental parameters is also being introduced! Sensors will be installed to detect illegal discharges of wastewater from vessels and satellite tracking of vessels will be implemented to optimize maritime traffic.
🔬 Research and monitoring will also be carried out. The state of the sea (temperature, transparency, quality) and marine habitats will be monitored regularly. In addition, the “historical picture” of the presence of heavy metals in the sediment will be investigated in order to return to the past, to a time before such nautical pressure. This will allow us to clearly see the consequences of tourism, and the possible appearance of pathogenic microorganisms will also be monitored.
📢 Conduct education for the youngest and introduce the “Eco Pledge”. A large communication campaign is being launched to educate boaters. Through a special “Eco Pledge”, each boater will commit to responsible behavior. Educational workshops are also being prepared for kindergarten and school-age children.
What’s next?
The official signing of the Grant Agreement with the Ministry and CFCA is expected in the next 45 days, after which field work will begin.
