Conserving Dalmatian Pelicans in Albania and Montenegro
This year has been remarkable for Vulnerable Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) in Lake Skadar, which borders Albania and Montenegro, with 39 breeding pairs and almost 50 chicks successfully bred this season alone.
With support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) through our investment in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot, Noe Conservation is improving the cross-border management of Lake Skadar through research into the breeding ecology of the Dalmatian pelican.
This involves training relevant national institutions in monitoring protocols and data management, raising awareness of the threats faced among all stakeholders and promoting "pelican-friendly" tourism activities that will mitigate disturbance to the colony while allowing visitors a better viewing experience.
Colonies of Dalmatian pelicans in recent years were often submerged after heavy rains, raising the lake water levels and preventing breeding. The joint action of the partners created floating rafts that offer the pelicans safety, effectively preventing the of flooding of eggs and chicks, and significantly increasing the breeding success of this endangered species.
Established in 2000, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a global leader in enabling civil society to participate in and influence the conservation of some of the world's most critical ecosystems. CEPF is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. CEPF is unique among funding mechanisms in that it focuses on high-priority biological areas rather than political boundaries and examines conservation threats on a landscape scale. From this perspective, CEPF seeks to identify and support a regional, rather than a national, approach to achieving conservation outcomes and engages a wide range of public and private institutions to address conservation needs through coordinated regional efforts.