Bio-diversity

The economically profitable activities in the Prespa National Park and in the surrounding areas have almost disappeared after the system change in Albania around 1991. Sustainable wood harvesting, tourism, fishing and other typical economical activities that one expects to find in these areas are not running at profit margin. The result of the above is a fragile economy based on subsistence agriculture and goat keeping. Goats are the poor s man preferred animal since they are hardy animals and generally tend for themselves but can be quite destructive if are allowed access into a young regenerating forest. This is the situation in Prespa Park. In order to allow the once clear cut forest to regenerate it is necessary to establish a socially acceptable scheme that redistributes the grazing pressure from the forest nearby villages into other areas within the park that can sustain harvesting while allowing for regeneration of the damaged areas and then after open the areas again for grazing by the goats. This project will apply in a plot of 10 ha standard sylvicultural techniques that are aimed at speeding up the regeneration while restricting access for a period of 2 years to the area. Some form of compensation is crucial for the effort done by the locals to comply with such elements of the management plan hence the project will provide fodder during 2 winters for 50 families that currently use the forest and will be affected by the project.

Albania