Competent inspectors must do their job because there are more than enough reasons, evidence and space to temporarily suspend works on the highway and to make economic compensation at the expense of ecological assets provided by the River Tara," stated the gathering of citizens "Do not kill Tara", which was organized at the mouth of Kolasin.
The reason for the citizens' gathering is the fact that the river has been completely blurred for seven days, as well as photographs and videos from the road construction site, "which testify to the devastation of the river". All this, organizers of protests say, requires urgent intervention by the competent institutions.
From today’s gathering in Kolasin (Photo: Dragana Ščepanović)
"No one of us is against the construction of roads and development, but these roads must be made so that in the long run, they do not threaten nature and our lives. Tara is not only a Montenegrin but also a European brand and, instead of developing thanks to it, we are destroying it. Also, its tributaries are endangered, they are suffering damage that is irreversible in an ecological sense," said Vuk Ikovic, a biologist from the Organization KOD.
According to him, the damage was done when the permits were issued and when the institutions did not listen to their professional engagement. Then, recalls Ikovic, was said and proven, but also the mentioned the practice from more developed countries, according to which a road must not pass near a river flow.
From today’s gathering in Kolasin (Photo: Dragana Ščepanović)
"If it has to, then the road was supposed to cut the river in one place. We did the opposite, we introduced the road to the trough and even made a loop in the river Tara, "Ikovic said. Today's protest is the first on which it has been asked to protect Tara from the devastation
SRK "Tara and Moraca" - "Although we are present at the gathering, we are not participants of the same."
Although it has been announced that the protest is civil, with the support of the organization KOD, members of the Managing Board and the fishermen's service of SRK "Tara and Moraca", who manage the waters in Kolasin, have distanced themselves from participating. Some of the members of the club were at a gathering, but they asked the journalists "not to count them as participants”.
"We do not want to participate, because no one has called us, we are not organizers, we are the most damaged because it is our fish fund that is endangered. However, we believe that the problem can be resolved through institutions, for example, the Fisheries Directorate supports us and we have excellent cooperation with them," said Radosav Puletic from the management board of that club. SRK explained that their statements to the media last week were misinterpreted.
As they say, their statement "that there is no purpose anymore for recreational fishing or that fishermen protect Tara" meant that nobody was interested in fish in the foggy waters. As Puletic says, fishermen's service will continue to protect the river as much as it is in their power. He recalled that the club also runs a court dispute against CRBC, which carries out the works on the highway.
Text by Dragana Scepanovic, on July 21st, 2019, read more at Vijesti
