MERS prepared the final list of protected species of animals, plants, and fungi

The Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Development (MERS) has prepared the List of protected species of plants, fungi, and animals, which protects, as Minister Ćulafić announced, 1181 species, including over 540 species of animals. "As we announced, by adopting the new Nature Protection Law, we created a legal basis to adopt the List of protected species of plants, fungi, and animals, which will protect over a thousand different species included in this cumulative list. The list, along with all remaining subordinate acts from other areas related to Chapter 27, such as waste management, must be adopted by tomorrow to meet deadlines that allow for the temporary closure of this chapter until the end of 2026. Minister Ćulafić explains that this list is a regulation that will fully protect Montenegro's biodiversity, alongside Natura 2000, and that it is necessary to harmonize some subordinate acts from other ministries' jurisdictions accordingly. "When we adopted the ecological network proposal Natura 2000, as well as the new Nature Protection Law, we were fully aware that these are historic decisions creating a full legal basis and space for the protection of Montenegro's nature and biodiversity. In this sense, it is now possible to adopt a new List of protected species, which will safeguard the most valuable species in our country, while also fulfilling European standards in this area," concluded the minister, emphasizing that adopting this list is also a significant contribution to maintaining the status of an ecological state.