Neretva
Encyclopedia
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants
with large dams
(higher than 15 meters) and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual attractiveness.
Freshwater
ecosystems have suffered a lot from an increasing population and the associated development pressures. One of the most valuable natural resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia
is its freshwater
richness contained by an abundant wellspring
and clear rivers, indeed, a natural treasure of great importance yet to be evaluated, acknowledge and appreciated. Situated between the major regional rivers (Drina
river on the east, Una river on the west and the Sava river) the Neretva basin contains the most significant portion of fresh drinking water
.
In that dense water system network the Neretva river also holds a significant position among rivers of the Dinaric Alps
region, especially regarding its diverse ecosystems and habitats, flora
and fauna
, cultural and historic heritage, but also as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
and Croatia
and it is the largest karst
river in the Dinaric Alps
in the entire eastern part of the Adriatic basin, which belongs to the Adriatic river watershed. The total length is 230 km, of which 208 km are in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, while the final 22 km are in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County
of Croatia
.
The size of the Neretva watershed is 10,380 km2 in total; in Bosnia and Herzegovina
10,110 km2 with the addition of the Trebišnjica river watershed and in Croatia
280 km2. The average discharge at profile Žitomislići in Bosnia and Herzegovina
is 233 m3/s and at the mouth in Croatia is 341 m3/s in addition to the Trebišnjica River's 402 m3/s. The Trebišnjica River basin is included in the Neretva watershed due to a physical link of the two basins by the porous karst
terrain.
The hydrological parameters of Neretva are regularly monitored in Croatia at Metković
.
Its source and headwaters gorge are situated deep in the Dinaric Alps
at the base of the Zelengora
and Lebršnik
mountains, under the Gredelj saddle. The river source is at 1,227 m.a.s.l. The first section of the Neretva courses from its source all the way to the town of Konjic
; the Upper Neretva
, flows from south to north - north-west as do most Bosnia and Herzegovina rivers belonging to the Danube
watershed, and covers some 1,390 km2 with an average elevation of 1.2%. Right below Konjic
, the Neretva briefly expands into a wide valley which provides fertile agricultural land. The large Jablaničko Lake was artificially formed after construction of a dam near Jablanica
.
The second section begins from the confluence of the Neretva and the Rama River between Konjic
and Jablanica
where the Neretva suddenly takes a southern course. From Jablanica
, the Neretva enters the largest canyons of its course, running through steep slopes of magnificent mountains of Prenj
, Čvrsnica
and Čabulja
reaching 800–1200 meters in depth. Here man once again turned to the river for energy and created three more hydroelectric dams between Jablanica
and Mostar
. When the Neretva expands for the second and final time, it reaches the third section of its course. Often called the Bosnian and Herzegovinian California, the valley of the downstream Neretva indeed is a true “Golden State
” of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The last 30 km of the Neretva's stream form an alluvial delta, before the river empties into the Adriatic Sea
.
Rivers of the Jezernica (also known as the Tatinac), the Gornji and Donji Krupac, the Ljuta (also known as the Dindolka), the Jesenica, the Bjelimićka Rijeka, the Slatinica, the Račica, the Rakitnica
, the Konjička Ljuta, the Trešanica, the Neretvica, the Rama
, the Doljanka, the Drežanka, the Grabovica, the Radobolja, and the Trebižat flow into the Neretva from the right, while the Jezernica, the Živašnica (also known as the Živanjski Potok), the Ladjanica, the Župski Krupac, the Bukovica
, the Šištica, the Konjička Bijela, the Idbar, the Glogošnica, the Mostarska Bijela
, the Buna
, the Bregava
, and the Krupa
flow into it from the left.
, Glavatičevo
, Konjic
, Čelebići, Ostrožac, Jablanica
, Grabovica, Drežnica, Bijelo Polje
, Vrapčići, Mostar
, Buna village
, the historical town of Blagaj
, Žitomislići, the historical village of Počitelj
, Tasovčići
, Čapljina
, and Gabela
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
; and Metković
, Opuzen
, Komin
, Rogotin
, and Ploče
in Croatia
. The biggest town on the Neretva River is Mostar
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
, and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the river and more lakes scattered across the mountains of Treskavica
and Zelengora
in the wider area of the Upper Neretva
, mountains, peaks and forests, flora and fauna of the area. All this natural heritage together with the cultural heritage of the Upper Neretva
, represents rich and valuable resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina
as well as Europe
.
The upper course of the Neretva, Upper Neretva
has water of Class I purity and is almost certainly the coldest river water in the world, often as low as 7–8 degrees Celsius in the summer months.
Rising from the base of the Zelengora
and Lebršnik
Mountain, Neretva headwaters run in undisturbed rapids and waterfalls, carving steep gorges reaching 600–800 meters in depth through this remote and rugged limestone terrain.
is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva River known as the Upper Neretva
. The Rakitnica
River forms a 26 km long canyon, out of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica
and Visočica
to the southeast from Sarajevo
.
From the canyon, there is a hiking trail along the ridge of the Rakitnica canyon
which drops 800 m below, all the way to the famous village of Lukomir
. The village is the only remaining traditional semi-nomadic Bosniak mountain village in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
At almost 1,500 m, the village of Lukomir
, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated mountain village in the country. Indeed, access to the village is impossible from the first snows in December until late April and sometimes even later, except by skis or on foot. A newly constructed lodge is now complete to receive guests and hikers.
The Neretva and two main tributaries are already harnessed by four HE power-plants
with large dams
on the Neretva, one HE power-plant
with a major dam
on the Neretva tributary Rama
, and two HE power-plants
with one major dam
on the Trebišnjica River, which is part of the Neretva watershed.
In recent times the Republic of Srpska government finished the project named The Upper Horizons , a large Hydroelectrical system
project which converted underground waters that belonged directly in the Neretva watershed, to the Trebišnjica River's existing HE power-plants
as well as some recently erected in the Trebišnjica basin. This project was opposed by NGO's in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and the government of the Republic of Croatia. They argued that converting waters from the Neretva watershed to the Trebišnjica basin will affect, or even destroy (from increasing salinity levels of surface and underground waters), every fresh water spring on the right bank of the Neretva, internationally recognized Ramsar sites, a protected Nature Park Hutovo Blato
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Nature Park Neretva Delta in Croatia
, and important reservoirs of freshwater, plus vast agricultural lands in the lower Neretva valley which are in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia
. The full impact of this controversial project has not been fully measured.
The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
has unveiled plans to build three more hydroelectric power plants
with major dams
(over 150.5 meters in height) upstream from the existing plants, beginning with Glavaticevo Hydro Power Plant
in the nearby village of Glavatičevo
, then going even further upstream to Bjelimići Hydro Power Plant and Ljubuča Hydro Power Plant located near the villages of the same names; and in addition one more at the Neretva headwaters gorge, near the source of the river in the Republic of Srpska by its government. This, if realized, may harm this river's ecosystem. It is similarly opposed by environmentalist organizations and NGO's, domestic as well as international, who wish for the river and canyon regions to remain untouched and protected.
The Government of FBiH
is preparing a parallel plan to form a large national park which includes the entire region of Gornja Neretva (Upper Neretva), and have within the park the three hydroelectric power plants
. The latest idea is that the park should be divided in two, where the Neretva should be excluded from both and would become the boundary between parks. Those who oppose the plan wish to have the area turned into the National Park of Upper Neretva
and would leave the park without large development.
where the Neretva briefly expands into a wide valley. The river provided lot of fertile, agricultural land there, before the lake flooded most of it. The lake was created in 1953 after construction of a large gravitational hydroelectric
dam
near Jablanica
in central Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
The lake has an irregular elongated shape. Its width varies along its length. The lake is a popular vacation destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
and Bregava
Rivers, the valley spreads into an alluvial fan covering 20,000 hectares. The upper valley, the 7,411 hectares in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, is called Hutovo Blato
.
since 2001. Both areas form one integrated Ramsar site that is a natural entity divided by the state border.
The Important Bird Areas programme, conducted by Birdlife International
, covers protected areas in Croatia
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
has been protected as Hutovo Blato
Nature Park and managed by a public authority. The whole zone is well protected from human impact and functions as an important habitat for many plants and animals. The historical site Old Fortress Hutovo Blato is in the area of Nature Park.
Gornje Blato-Deransko Lake
is supplied by the karstic water sources of the Trebišnjica River, emerging from bordering hills. It is hydro-geologically connected to the Neretva River through its effluent, the Krupa River
, formed out of five lakes (Škrka, Deranja, Jelim, Orah, Drijen) and by large portions permanently flooded, also isolated by wide groves of reedbebds and trees. It represents a more interesting preserved area.
River is a Neretva left tributary and the main water current of Hutovo Blato
, which leads the waters from Gornje Blato and Svitavsko Lake into the Neretva River. The length of Krupa
is 9 km with an average depth of 5 meters. The Krupa
does not have an actual source, but is actually an arm of Deransko Lake
. Also, the Krupa
is a unique river in Europe
, because the river flows both ways. It flows ‘normally’ from the ‘source’ to the mouth and from the mouth to the ‘source’. This happens when, due to a high water level and a large quantity of water, the river Neretva pushes the Krupa River in the opposite direction.
, the Neretva spills out into the Adriatic Sea
, building a delta of wetlands so rich, it is listed under the Ramsar Convention
as internationally important.
In this lower valley in Croatia
, the Neretva River splinters into multiple courses, creating a delta covering approximately 12,000 hectares. The delta in Croatia has been reduced by extensive land reclamation projects, and now the river flows in just three branches, a drop from the previous twelve. The marshes, lagoons and lakes that once dotted this plain have disappeared and only fragments of the old Mediterranean wetlands have survived. Hopefully the area of the Neretva Delta will become a Nature Park, as has been proposed. The area presents a variety of habitats which form a beautiful and remarkable landscape. Wetlands, marshes and lagoons, lakes, beaches, rivers, hummocks (limestone hills) and mountains combine into a mosaic of natural habitats of the Neretva Delta, although five protected localities with a total surface of 1,620 ha already exist. These are the ornithological, ichthyologic reserves and the protected landscapes.
water systems support 25% of the total of 546 fish
species in Europe. Watercourses of this area support a large number of endemic species of fish
.
The river Neretva and its tributaries represent the main drainage system in the east Adriatic watershed and the foremost ichthyofaunal habitat
of the region. According to Smith & Darwall (2006) the Neretva River, together with four other areas in the Mediterranean, has the largest number of threatened freshwater fish species.
The degree of endemism in the karst
ecoregion is greater than 10% of the total number of fish species. Numerous species of fish that inhabited this area live in very narrow and limited areas and are vulnerable
, so they are included on the Red List of endangered fish and the IUCN-2006. The Adriatic basin has 88 species of fish, of which 44 are Mediterranean endemic species, and 41 are Adriatic endemic species. More than half of the Adriatic river basin species of fish inhabit the Neretva, the Ombla, the Trebišnjica, the Morača
Rivers and their tributaries, and more than 30 are indigenous.
) population in the Neretva River watershed was observed in 1990 for the first time. It was the Rama River, a right tributary of the Neretva, and its Ramsko Lake that received an unknown quantity of this allochthonous species. Analyzing the results of the research, there are a tendency to increase the quantity of Pike Perch
in the Neretva accumulation lakes. This fact confirms previous scientific assumptions of Škrijelj (1991, 1995), who predicted the possibility of Pike Perch
displacement
(migration) from Ramsko Lake to the Rama River (a right tributary of the Neretva), and then further downstream to the river Neretva and lakes on the Neretva.
So, from 1.95% of the total fish quantity of Rama Lake in the year 1990, this allochthonous species of fish, in less than a decade that is present in Jablaničko Lake, rose to about 25.42% of all fish.
The fast pace of Pike Perch
population growth and displacements in the Neretva River basin, is expected to match the environmental conditions from the mid-ecological valence of this fish.
In this sense, it is the established continuous and accelerated growth of the population dynamics of Pike Perch
in Jablaničko Lake, a relatively good representation in artificial Salakovačko Lake
and the beginning of growth of population in the Grabovičko Lake
.
Parallel with the increase of population of allochthonous species Pike Perch
in the Neretva lakes, is the obvious decrease in the quantity of indigenous species like European chub
also White Chub (Squalius cephalus), and the disappearance of rare and endemic species like Adriatic Dace
also Balkan Dace (Squalius svallize
also Leuciscus svallize Heckel & Kner 1858), Neretvan Softmouth trout
(Salmothymus obtusirostris oxyrhinchus Steind.) and Marble trout ( also known as ) (Salmo marmoratus
Cuv.).
If this migration
and spreading continues, other endangered, endemic and rare species of the Neretva basin will be even more endangered.
On the basis of analysis of the obtained data, it can be concluded that the populations of the allochthonous species Pike Perch
causes clearly visible negative effects on the autochthonous ichthyofauna in Jablaničko Lake; on autochthonous ichthyofauna of artificial Salakovačko Lake these effects are in progress and less visible, while the population of Pike Perch
is in the initial phase of adaptation to existing conditions in Grabovičko Lake and currently not yet clearly visible.
Taking the fact that the introduction of Pike Perch
has a substantial impact on the diversity of autochthonal ichthyofauna as a starting point, the population of this species in the Neretva River reservoirs (Jablaničko Lake, Grabovičko Lake and Salakovačko Lake) was investigated. Based on the results of the investigation of the Pike Perch
population in the Neretva river “lakes”, it can also be concluded that it is growing with a tendency of spreading across the Neretva river basin of the Adriatic Sea in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
On the basis of all relevant indicators it is necessarily to take urgent measures, continuous and organized action, to dramatically reduce the quantity (if is not possible to exterminate) of this allochthonous type of fish, as well as to attempt to revitalize autochthonal fish populations, with fish stocking of local, especially salmonids species, all in order to prevent the same fatal experience with the water ecosystem
in the UK, and prevent, if possible, this type of allochtonous species colonization of the Neretva River basins with irreversible effects.
, ecology
and behaviour. The Neretva also has many other endemic and fragile life forms that are near extinction
.
Among most endangered are three endemic species of the Neretva trout
: Neretvan Softmouth trout
(Salmothymus obtusirostris oxyrhinchus Steind.), Toothtrout
( also ) (Salmo dentex
)
and Marble trout ( also known as ) (Salmo marmoratus
Cuv.).
All three endemic trout
species of the Neretva are endangered mostly due to the habitat destruction
or construction of large and major dams
(large is higher than 15–20 m; major is over 150–250 m) in particular and hybridization or genetic pollution
with introduced
, non-native trouts, also from illegal fishing as well as poor management of water and fisheries especially in form of introduction of invasive
allochthonous species (dams
, overfishing
, mismanagement, genetic pollution
, invasive species
).
Especially interesting are five Phoxinellus
(sub)species that inhabit isolated karstic plains (fields) of eastern as well as western Herzegovina
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, which eventually drain their waters to the Neretva watershed and/or coastal drainages of south-eastern Dalmatia
in Croatia
.
Karst Minnow (Phoxinellus metohiensis
). It is considered Vulnerable
(VU).
South Dalmatian Minnow (Phoxinellus pstrossii). It is threatened but with Data Deficient
(DD) fish vulnerability is not designated on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2009.1.
Dalmatian Minnow (Phoxinellus ghetaldii
). It is considered Vulnerable
(VU).
Adriatic Minnow ( also ) (Phoxinellus alepidotus
) endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia
, occurs in lowland water bodies, with little current. It is threatened due to pollution
and habitat destruction
. It is considered Endangered (EN).
Spotted Minnow (Phoxinellus adspersus
), endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia
. This species is present in the Tihaljina River, which is fed by
underground waters from Imotsko field and is connected to the Trebižat
River via
the Mlada River, and also occurs in Mostarsko Blato wetlands. Fish were found in the source of the Norin River, a right-hand tributary of the lower Neretva at Metković
, in Croatia
, at Kuti Lake, a left-hand tributary of the lower Neretva, at Imotsko field in Crveno Lake and the Vrljika River drainage and near Vrgorac
in the Matica River system. It is considered Vulnerable
(VU).
Minnow Nase (Chondrostoma phoxinus) It is considered Critically Endangered
(CR)
Neretvan Nase (also Dalmatian Nase and Dalmatian Soiffe) (Chondrostoma knerii) is a fish species endemic to the Neretva River. Neretvan Nase is mainly distributed in the lower parts and delta of the Neretva River shared between Croatia
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
, the Neretva left tributary Krupa River
, Nature Park Hutovo Blato
wetlands, and Neretva Delta wetlands. It occurs in water bodies with little current. It is threatened by habitat destruction
and pollution
. It is considered Vulnerable
(VU).
Adriatic Dace also Balkan Dace (Squalius svallize
also Leuciscus svallize Heckel & Kner 1858) endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia
, also to Montenegro
and Albania
. Adults inhabit water bodies on the low plains, with little current and in lakes. They feed on invertebrates. It is threatened due to pollution
, the habitat destruction
and especially due to introduction of other species. It is considered Vulnerable
(VU).
Illyrian Dace (Squalius illyricus
also Leuciscus illyricus Heckel & Kner 1858) inhabits karstic waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Croatia
and Albania
. It occurs in water courses on low plains, with little current. It feeds on invertebrates. It is threatened due to habitat destruction
, pollution
and the introduction of other species. It is considered Near Threatened
(NT).
Turskyi Dace (Leuciscus turskyi also Squalius turskyi turskyi and Telestes turskyi) inhabits karstic waters, Lake Buško Blato
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and the Krka
and Čikola
Rivers in Croatia
. It occurs in water courses on the low plains, with little current and in lakes. It feeds on invertebrates. It is threatened due to water abstraction and pollution
. It is considered Critically Endangered
(CR).
Dalmatian Barbelgudgeon
(Aulopyge hugeli
) inhabits karstic streams of Glamocko field, Livanjsko field and Duvanjsko field, lakes Buško Blato
, Blidinje
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Cetina
, Krka
and Zrmanja
river drainages in Croatia
. It occurs in lentic waters, and feeds on plants. The fish is threatened by water pollution
and habitat destruction
. It is migratory in Livanjsko field. It is considered Endangered (EN).
(Cobitis narentana
Karaman, 1928) is an Adriatic watershed endemic fish that inhabits a narrow area of the Neretva watershed in Croatia
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Mrakovčić et al., 2006).
In Bosnia and Herzegovina
it inhabits only downstream of the Neretva River and its smaller tributaries like the Matica River.
In Croatia
Neretvanski vijun is a strictly protected species and inhabits only the Neretva delta and its smaller tributaries, the (Norin
) and lake systems of the Neretva delta (Baćina lakes
, Kuti, Desne
, Modro oko
) (Mrakovčić et al., 2006). It is considered Vulnerable
(VU).
. Nearly half (45%) of the total number of species that inhabit this area are included in one of the categories of threat, and are mainly endemic species.
and Naro(n),
and was the inland home to the ancient Illyrian
tribe of Ardiaei. The Neretva provided them life, and turned them into ship makers, seafarers and fishermen that were respected in ancient times. There have been numerous archaeological discoveries of Illyrian culture that dealt both with daily and religious life such as the discovery of ancient Illyrian shipwrecks found in Hutovo Blato
, in the vicinity of the Neretva River.
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited the Western Balkans
during classical antiquity
. The territory the tribes covered came to be known as Illyria
to Greek
and Roman
authors, corresponding roughly to the area of the former Yugoslavia and Albania, between the Adriatic sea in the west, the Drava
river in the north, the Morava
river in the east and the mouth of Vjosë
river in the south. The first account of Illyrian peoples comes from Periplus or Coastal passage an ancient Greek text of the middle of the 4th century BC.
in the autumn of 2008, archaeologists from Bosnia and Herzegovina
University of Mostar
and Norway
University of Lund found the very first traces of an Illyrian trading post
that is more than two thousand years old.
The find is unique in a Europe
an perspective and archaeologists have concluded that Desilo
, as the location is called, was an important trading post
of great significance for contact between the Illyrians and the Romans
.
Surprisingly large finds have been made in a short period of time. The archaeologists have discovered the ruins
of a settlement, the remains
of a harbour that probably functioned as a trading post
, as well as many sunken boats, fully laden with wine
pitchers – so-called amphorae – from the 1st century BC.
The archaeologist Adam Lindhagen, who has a PhD from the University of Lund and has specialised in Roman
wine
amphorae, says that this is the most important find of all time from the Illyrian areas.
: Stari most
) was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent
in 1557 to replace an older wooden suspension bridge of dubious stability. Construction began in 1557 and took nine years: according to the inscription the bridge was completed in 974 AH (Islamic calendar
), corresponding to the period between 19 July 1566, and 7 July 1567. Little is known of the building of the bridge, and all that has been preserved in writing are memories and legends and the name of the builder, Mimar Hayruddin (student of the Old/Great Sinan (Mimar Sinan / Koca Sinan), the Ottoman architect). Charged under pain of death to construct a bridge of such unprecedented dimensions, the architect reportedly prepared for his own funeral on the day the scaffolding was finally removed from the completed structure. Upon its completion it was the widest man-made arch in the world. Certain associated technical issues remain a mystery: how the scaffolding was erected, how the stone was transported from one bank to the other, and how the scaffolding remained sound during the long building period. As a result, this bridge can be classed among the greatest architectural works of its time. On 9 November 1993, during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina
it was destroyed by Croatian
HVO
sustained artillery shelling, in attempt to erase any sign of Ottoman
architecture in Bosnia. After the war, immediate plans were raised to reconstruct the bridge as a symbol of peace and ethnic harmony, literally bridging the two sides of the conflict. It was important to use as much of the original material as possible. Salvage operations, funded by the international community, raised the stones and the remains of the bridge from the river bed. Missing elements or parts that were not usable, were cut from the same quarry where the original stones came from.
Now listed as a World Heritage Site
, the bridge was rebuilt under the aegis of UNESCO
. Its 1,088 stones were shaped according to the original techniques, and the reconstruction cost about €12 million. The grand opening was held on 23 July 2004.
is situated on a hill near Mostar and is easily accessible by bus. As many other Bosnian sites, this town is Ottoman in its nature. It is a historic fortified town with a hostel (caravanserai
) and a hamam underneath it. There is also a traditional mosque which can be visited. During the Bosnian War
Pocitelj was badly damaged and most of its residents fled away and never returned. Nonetheless, some Bosniaks
still reside in this beautiful town and still enjoy the unique atmosphere of their traditional houses and food.
times in Bosnia and Herzegovina
is certainly Mogorjelo
. Located 1 kilometer south of the town of Čapljina
, Mogorjelo
remnants of the old Roman suburban Villa
Rustica from the 4th century represents ancient Roman agricultural production and estate, mills, bakeries, olive oil refinery and forges.
The destruction of the Villa
came in the middle of the 4th century, during the invasion of western Goths
. Residents who survived invasion and destruction did not have any further opportunities to renew it to its original splendor.
There are two theories about the name of Mogorjelo
.
The first assumes that the place had burnt several times, so the root of the name was derived from a word “burn” (Slavic – goriti). Another theory is that at the end of the 5th century the church was built on the ruins of Villa
, and it was dedicated to St. Hermagor – Mogoru, for whom the site was named.
is a rich archeological site on the Neretva bank, situated 5 kilometres south of the town of Čapljina
.
Among a great number of notable medieval buildings, there are still remains of Old City walls, as well as a sculpture of a stone lion – a symbol of Venetian
culture.
For its remarkable geostrategic position, Gabela
was linked to Homer
's most famous work – the Iliad
. Mexican Homeric scholar and amateur archeologist Roberto Salinas Price has claimed that Gabela
was actually ancient Homer
's Troy
.
during the Second World War. The offensive took place between January and April 1943. The operation used to be known, in socialist Yugoslav times, as the Fourth Anti-Partisan Offensive, while it is also known as the Fourth Enemy Offensive (Četvrta neprijateljska ofenziva/ofanziva) or the Battle for the Wounded (Bitka za ranjenike).
At some point during the battle, the Partisans were caught in a pocket with their back to the Neretva River. The movie depicts events that happened on the banks of the river Neretva near Jablanica
while 20,000 Partisans under command of Marshal Josip Broz Tito
struggled to save some 4500 wounded comrades and typhus
patients together with the Supreme Headquarters and Main Hospital, against some 150,000 Axis combatants.
Cultural treasures
Protected environment and relating issues
Settlements
Flora and fauna
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
with large dams
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
(higher than 15 meters) and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual attractiveness.
Freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
ecosystems have suffered a lot from an increasing population and the associated development pressures. One of the most valuable natural resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
is its freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
richness contained by an abundant wellspring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and clear rivers, indeed, a natural treasure of great importance yet to be evaluated, acknowledge and appreciated. Situated between the major regional rivers (Drina
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
river on the east, Una river on the west and the Sava river) the Neretva basin contains the most significant portion of fresh drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
.
In that dense water system network the Neretva river also holds a significant position among rivers of the Dinaric Alps
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
region, especially regarding its diverse ecosystems and habitats, flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, cultural and historic heritage, but also as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
Geography and hydrology
The Neretva flows through Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and it is the largest karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
river in the Dinaric Alps
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
in the entire eastern part of the Adriatic basin, which belongs to the Adriatic river watershed. The total length is 230 km, of which 208 km are in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, while the final 22 km are in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Dubrovnik-Neretva County
The Dubrovnik–Neretva County is the southernmost Croatian county located in south Dalmatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče...
of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
The size of the Neretva watershed is 10,380 km2 in total; in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
10,110 km2 with the addition of the Trebišnjica river watershed and in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
280 km2. The average discharge at profile Žitomislići in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
is 233 m3/s and at the mouth in Croatia is 341 m3/s in addition to the Trebišnjica River's 402 m3/s. The Trebišnjica River basin is included in the Neretva watershed due to a physical link of the two basins by the porous karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
terrain.
The hydrological parameters of Neretva are regularly monitored in Croatia at Metković
Metkovic
Metković is a city in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Herzegovina.-Demographics:...
.
Sections
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided into three sections.Its source and headwaters gorge are situated deep in the Dinaric Alps
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
at the base of the Zelengora
Zelengora
Zelengora is a mountain within the Sutjeska National Park in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of 2,014 metres ....
and Lebršnik
Lebršnik
Lebršnik is a mountain in the municipality of Gacko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of ....
mountains, under the Gredelj saddle. The river source is at 1,227 m.a.s.l. The first section of the Neretva courses from its source all the way to the town of Konjic
Konjic
Konjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Sarajevo. It is a mountainous, heavily wooded area, and is above sea level. The municipality extends on both sides of the Neretva River. The town of Konjic, housed about a third...
; the Upper Neretva
Upper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
, flows from south to north - north-west as do most Bosnia and Herzegovina rivers belonging to the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
watershed, and covers some 1,390 km2 with an average elevation of 1.2%. Right below Konjic
Konjic
Konjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Sarajevo. It is a mountainous, heavily wooded area, and is above sea level. The municipality extends on both sides of the Neretva River. The town of Konjic, housed about a third...
, the Neretva briefly expands into a wide valley which provides fertile agricultural land. The large Jablaničko Lake was artificially formed after construction of a dam near Jablanica
Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jablanica is a town and municipality of the same name in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is situated on the Neretva river and Jablanica lake. Jablanica is a part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.-Geography:...
.
The second section begins from the confluence of the Neretva and the Rama River between Konjic
Konjic
Konjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Sarajevo. It is a mountainous, heavily wooded area, and is above sea level. The municipality extends on both sides of the Neretva River. The town of Konjic, housed about a third...
and Jablanica
Jablanica
Jablanica or Yablanitsa may refer to:* Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town in Herzegovina* Yablanitsa, a town in Lovech Province, Bulgaria* Yablanitsa, Sofia Province, village in Sofia Province, Bulgaria* Jablanica, Zlatibor, village in Serbia...
where the Neretva suddenly takes a southern course. From Jablanica
Jablanica
Jablanica or Yablanitsa may refer to:* Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town in Herzegovina* Yablanitsa, a town in Lovech Province, Bulgaria* Yablanitsa, Sofia Province, village in Sofia Province, Bulgaria* Jablanica, Zlatibor, village in Serbia...
, the Neretva enters the largest canyons of its course, running through steep slopes of magnificent mountains of Prenj
Prenj
Prenj is a mountain in the Dinaric Alps of southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in eastern Herzegovina near Mostar, Jablanica and Konjic. The highest peak is the Zelena glava at , and there are several other peaks of similar height....
, Čvrsnica
Cvrsnica
Čvrsnica is a mountain in the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Herzegovina, most of the mountain is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton municipalities of Mostar and Jablanica while the smaller part of the mountain, around 10 % is located in the municipality of Posušje...
and Čabulja
Čabulja
Čabulja is a mountain in the municipality of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of .-References:...
reaching 800–1200 meters in depth. Here man once again turned to the river for energy and created three more hydroelectric dams between Jablanica
Jablanica
Jablanica or Yablanitsa may refer to:* Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town in Herzegovina* Yablanitsa, a town in Lovech Province, Bulgaria* Yablanitsa, Sofia Province, village in Sofia Province, Bulgaria* Jablanica, Zlatibor, village in Serbia...
and Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
. When the Neretva expands for the second and final time, it reaches the third section of its course. Often called the Bosnian and Herzegovinian California, the valley of the downstream Neretva indeed is a true “Golden State
Golden State
Golden State may refer to:* California, a U.S. state known as "The Golden State"* Golden State , by Bush* Golden State , an indie rock band* Golden State Baptist College, in Santa Clara, California...
” of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The last 30 km of the Neretva's stream form an alluvial delta, before the river empties into the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
.
Tributaries
Rakitnica
Rakitnica is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river known as Upper Neretva . The Rakitnica river formed a 26 km long canyon , of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica and Visočica to southeast from Sarajevo....
, the Konjička Ljuta, the Trešanica, the Neretvica, the Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, the Doljanka, the Drežanka, the Grabovica, the Radobolja, and the Trebižat flow into the Neretva from the right, while the Jezernica, the Živašnica (also known as the Živanjski Potok), the Ladjanica, the Župski Krupac, the Bukovica
Bukovica River
Bukovica river is the longest river in the municipality of Šavnik. It originates under the Ranisava mountain, and flows into Komarnica River. It is 42 km long. Its main tributaries are Šavnik River and Bijela River....
, the Šištica, the Konjička Bijela, the Idbar, the Glogošnica, the Mostarska Bijela
Mostarska Bijela
Mostarska Bijela is a mountain creek in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite its small and short flow, this river takes a significant place in Bosnia and Herzegovina geology and hydrology.-Rare geology:...
, the Buna
Buna River
Buna River may refer to:* Buna River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, left tributary of the Neretva* Bojana River in Albania and Montenegro, Buna in Albanian, which flows from Lake Shkodra into the Adriatic....
, the Bregava
Bregava
The Bregava is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through the town of Stolac. It is a left tributary of the Neretva river.- See also :* Neretva* Stolac* Buna* Trebižat* Krupa* Hutovo Blato* Daorson* List of Illyrian cities...
, and the Krupa
Krupá River
The Krupá River is a tributary of the Blava River in Trnava District, Western Slovakia. Its source is located near Okrúhla in the Little Carpathians Mountains....
flow into it from the left.
Towns and villages
Towns and villages on the Neretva include UlogUlog
Ulog is a village in the municipality of Kalinovik, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, Glavatičevo
Glavatičevo
Glavatičevo is a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Village is located 30 kilometers away of Konjic in southeast direction, within a wide Župa vally on the both banks of the Neretva river, in Konjic Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Geography and climate :One theory say that...
, Konjic
Konjic
Konjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Sarajevo. It is a mountainous, heavily wooded area, and is above sea level. The municipality extends on both sides of the Neretva River. The town of Konjic, housed about a third...
, Čelebići, Ostrožac, Jablanica
Jablanica
Jablanica or Yablanitsa may refer to:* Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town in Herzegovina* Yablanitsa, a town in Lovech Province, Bulgaria* Yablanitsa, Sofia Province, village in Sofia Province, Bulgaria* Jablanica, Zlatibor, village in Serbia...
, Grabovica, Drežnica, Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 .Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality . It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro...
, Vrapčići, Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Buna village
Buna village
Buna village is a small village at the confluence of the Buna river and Neretva river some 10 km downstream the Neretva and south of Mostar, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, the historical town of Blagaj
Blagaj
Blagaj is a village-town in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands at the edge of Bišće plain and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, distinguished from other similar...
, Žitomislići, the historical village of Počitelj
Počitelj
Počitelj may refer to:*Počitelj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a village near Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina*Počitelj, Croatia, a hamlet near Gospić, Croatia...
, Tasovčići
Tasovcici
Tasovčići is a town in the municipality of Čapljina, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Čapljina
Capljina
Čapljina is a town and municipality of the same name in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čapljina is located on the border with Croatia a mere from the Adriatic Sea....
, and Gabela
Gabela
Gabela is a town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 kilometres south of Čapljina and 4 kilometers from Metković, in Croatia. It is situated in the navigable lower course of the Neretva, off the major road linking the coast with the mountainous hinterland...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
; and Metković
Metkovic
Metković is a city in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Herzegovina.-Demographics:...
, Opuzen
Opuzen
Opuzen is a small town in Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The town is located upstream from the mouth of the river Neretva, in southern Dalmatia...
, Komin
Komin
Komin is a small town in Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia on the river Neretva. It has a population of about 1300 people.At one time a hoard of 300,000 ancient coins was found here....
, Rogotin
Rogotin
Rogotin is a village in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, located between Ploče and Metković.This might not be a municipality. According to the 2001 census, there is no such municipality.-External links:* *...
, and Ploče
Ploce
Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The biggest town on the Neretva River is Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
Upper Neretva
The upper course of the Neretva river is simply called the Upper NeretvaUpper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
, and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the river and more lakes scattered across the mountains of Treskavica
Treskavica
Treskavica is a mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in Trnovo municipality just south of city of Sarajevo.Mala Ćaba peak at 2088 meters , makes Treskavica the tallest of all the mountains circling Sarajevo, and only some 300 meters shorter than the tallest mountain in the country...
and Zelengora
Zelengora
Zelengora is a mountain within the Sutjeska National Park in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of 2,014 metres ....
in the wider area of the Upper Neretva
Upper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
, mountains, peaks and forests, flora and fauna of the area. All this natural heritage together with the cultural heritage of the Upper Neretva
Upper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
, represents rich and valuable resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
as well as Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The upper course of the Neretva, Upper Neretva
Upper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
has water of Class I purity and is almost certainly the coldest river water in the world, often as low as 7–8 degrees Celsius in the summer months.
Rising from the base of the Zelengora
Zelengora
Zelengora is a mountain within the Sutjeska National Park in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of 2,014 metres ....
and Lebršnik
Lebršnik
Lebršnik is a mountain in the municipality of Gacko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of ....
Mountain, Neretva headwaters run in undisturbed rapids and waterfalls, carving steep gorges reaching 600–800 meters in depth through this remote and rugged limestone terrain.
Rakitnica River
The RakitnicaRakitnica
Rakitnica is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river known as Upper Neretva . The Rakitnica river formed a 26 km long canyon , of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica and Visočica to southeast from Sarajevo....
is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva River known as the Upper Neretva
Upper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
. The Rakitnica
Rakitnica
Rakitnica is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river known as Upper Neretva . The Rakitnica river formed a 26 km long canyon , of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica and Visočica to southeast from Sarajevo....
River forms a 26 km long canyon, out of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica
Bjelašnica
Bjelašnica is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is found directly to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mt. Igman. Bjelašnica's tallest peak rises to an elevation of 2067 meters ....
and Visočica
Visocica
Visočica Visočica Visočica (also known as Brdo Grad (Bosnian: Hill Town) is a hill in Bosnia and Herzegovina famous as the site of the Old town of Visoki as well the recent claim that it is one of the Bosnian pyramids....
to the southeast from Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
From the canyon, there is a hiking trail along the ridge of the Rakitnica canyon
Rakitnica
Rakitnica is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river known as Upper Neretva . The Rakitnica river formed a 26 km long canyon , of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica and Visočica to southeast from Sarajevo....
which drops 800 m below, all the way to the famous village of Lukomir
Lukomir
Lukomir is the only remaining traditional semi-nomadic Bosniak mountain village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.At almost 1,500m, the village of Lukomir, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated mountain village in the country...
. The village is the only remaining traditional semi-nomadic Bosniak mountain village in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
At almost 1,500 m, the village of Lukomir
Lukomir
Lukomir is the only remaining traditional semi-nomadic Bosniak mountain village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.At almost 1,500m, the village of Lukomir, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated mountain village in the country...
, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated mountain village in the country. Indeed, access to the village is impossible from the first snows in December until late April and sometimes even later, except by skis or on foot. A newly constructed lodge is now complete to receive guests and hikers.
Dam problems
The benefits brought by hydroelectric dams have come at an environmental and social cost.The Neretva and two main tributaries are already harnessed by four HE power-plants
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
with large dams
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Neretva, one HE power-plant
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
with a major dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Neretva tributary Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, and two HE power-plants
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
with one major dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Trebišnjica River, which is part of the Neretva watershed.
In recent times the Republic of Srpska government finished the project named The Upper Horizons , a large Hydroelectrical system
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
project which converted underground waters that belonged directly in the Neretva watershed, to the Trebišnjica River's existing HE power-plants
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
as well as some recently erected in the Trebišnjica basin. This project was opposed by NGO's in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and the government of the Republic of Croatia. They argued that converting waters from the Neretva watershed to the Trebišnjica basin will affect, or even destroy (from increasing salinity levels of surface and underground waters), every fresh water spring on the right bank of the Neretva, internationally recognized Ramsar sites, a protected Nature Park Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Nature Park Neretva Delta in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and important reservoirs of freshwater, plus vast agricultural lands in the lower Neretva valley which are in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The full impact of this controversial project has not been fully measured.
The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
has unveiled plans to build three more hydroelectric power plants
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
with major dams
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
(over 150.5 meters in height) upstream from the existing plants, beginning with Glavaticevo Hydro Power Plant
Glavaticevo Hydro Power Plant
The Glavaticevo Hydro Power Plant should be one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's largest hydro power plant, if built, having an installed electric capacity of 172 MW....
in the nearby village of Glavatičevo
Glavatičevo
Glavatičevo is a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Village is located 30 kilometers away of Konjic in southeast direction, within a wide Župa vally on the both banks of the Neretva river, in Konjic Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Geography and climate :One theory say that...
, then going even further upstream to Bjelimići Hydro Power Plant and Ljubuča Hydro Power Plant located near the villages of the same names; and in addition one more at the Neretva headwaters gorge, near the source of the river in the Republic of Srpska by its government. This, if realized, may harm this river's ecosystem. It is similarly opposed by environmentalist organizations and NGO's, domestic as well as international, who wish for the river and canyon regions to remain untouched and protected.
The Government of FBiH
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
is preparing a parallel plan to form a large national park which includes the entire region of Gornja Neretva (Upper Neretva), and have within the park the three hydroelectric power plants
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. The latest idea is that the park should be divided in two, where the Neretva should be excluded from both and would become the boundary between parks. Those who oppose the plan wish to have the area turned into the National Park of Upper Neretva
Upper Neretva
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
and would leave the park without large development.
Jablaničko Lake
Jablaničko Lake is a large artificially formed lake on the Neretva river, right below KonjicKonjic
Konjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Sarajevo. It is a mountainous, heavily wooded area, and is above sea level. The municipality extends on both sides of the Neretva River. The town of Konjic, housed about a third...
where the Neretva briefly expands into a wide valley. The river provided lot of fertile, agricultural land there, before the lake flooded most of it. The lake was created in 1953 after construction of a large gravitational hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
near Jablanica
Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jablanica is a town and municipality of the same name in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is situated on the Neretva river and Jablanica lake. Jablanica is a part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.-Geography:...
in central Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
The lake has an irregular elongated shape. Its width varies along its length. The lake is a popular vacation destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
Wetlands
The valley along the last 30 km of the Neretva River, and the river itself, comprise a remarkable landscape. Downstream from the confluence of its tributaries, the TrebižatTrebižat
Trebižat is a village in Herzegovina, in Čapljina municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Ethnic composition, 1991 census:total: 1,399* Croats - 1,371 * "Yugoslavs" - 11 * Bosniaks - 9...
and Bregava
Bregava
The Bregava is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through the town of Stolac. It is a left tributary of the Neretva river.- See also :* Neretva* Stolac* Buna* Trebižat* Krupa* Hutovo Blato* Daorson* List of Illyrian cities...
Rivers, the valley spreads into an alluvial fan covering 20,000 hectares. The upper valley, the 7,411 hectares in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, is called Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
.
Ramsar site
The Neretva Delta has been recognised as a Ramsar site since 1992, and Hutovo BlatoHutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
since 2001. Both areas form one integrated Ramsar site that is a natural entity divided by the state border.
The Important Bird Areas programme, conducted by Birdlife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
, covers protected areas in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
Hutovo Blato
Since 1995, Hutovo BlatoHutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
has been protected as Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
Nature Park and managed by a public authority. The whole zone is well protected from human impact and functions as an important habitat for many plants and animals. The historical site Old Fortress Hutovo Blato is in the area of Nature Park.
Gornje Blato-Deransko Lake
This area has remaind relatively untouched.Gornje Blato-Deransko Lake
Deransko Lake
Deransko Lake is a lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Hutovo Blato....
is supplied by the karstic water sources of the Trebišnjica River, emerging from bordering hills. It is hydro-geologically connected to the Neretva River through its effluent, the Krupa River
Krupá River
The Krupá River is a tributary of the Blava River in Trnava District, Western Slovakia. Its source is located near Okrúhla in the Little Carpathians Mountains....
, formed out of five lakes (Škrka, Deranja, Jelim, Orah, Drijen) and by large portions permanently flooded, also isolated by wide groves of reedbebds and trees. It represents a more interesting preserved area.
Krupa River
The KrupaKrupa
Krupa may refer to:People:* Gene Krupa, a Polish-American drummer* Joanna Krupa, a Polish model and actress* Michael Krupa, a Polish war hero/author* Olek Krupa, a Polish actor* Urszula Krupa, a Polish politicianPlaces:...
River is a Neretva left tributary and the main water current of Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
, which leads the waters from Gornje Blato and Svitavsko Lake into the Neretva River. The length of Krupa
Krupa
Krupa may refer to:People:* Gene Krupa, a Polish-American drummer* Joanna Krupa, a Polish model and actress* Michael Krupa, a Polish war hero/author* Olek Krupa, a Polish actor* Urszula Krupa, a Polish politicianPlaces:...
is 9 km with an average depth of 5 meters. The Krupa
Krupa
Krupa may refer to:People:* Gene Krupa, a Polish-American drummer* Joanna Krupa, a Polish model and actress* Michael Krupa, a Polish war hero/author* Olek Krupa, a Polish actor* Urszula Krupa, a Polish politicianPlaces:...
does not have an actual source, but is actually an arm of Deransko Lake
Deransko Lake
Deransko Lake is a lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Hutovo Blato....
. Also, the Krupa
Krupa
Krupa may refer to:People:* Gene Krupa, a Polish-American drummer* Joanna Krupa, a Polish model and actress* Michael Krupa, a Polish war hero/author* Olek Krupa, a Polish actor* Urszula Krupa, a Polish politicianPlaces:...
is a unique river in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, because the river flows both ways. It flows ‘normally’ from the ‘source’ to the mouth and from the mouth to the ‘source’. This happens when, due to a high water level and a large quantity of water, the river Neretva pushes the Krupa River in the opposite direction.
Neretva Delta
Running past towns and villages in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the Neretva spills out into the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, building a delta of wetlands so rich, it is listed under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
as internationally important.
In this lower valley in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, the Neretva River splinters into multiple courses, creating a delta covering approximately 12,000 hectares. The delta in Croatia has been reduced by extensive land reclamation projects, and now the river flows in just three branches, a drop from the previous twelve. The marshes, lagoons and lakes that once dotted this plain have disappeared and only fragments of the old Mediterranean wetlands have survived. Hopefully the area of the Neretva Delta will become a Nature Park, as has been proposed. The area presents a variety of habitats which form a beautiful and remarkable landscape. Wetlands, marshes and lagoons, lakes, beaches, rivers, hummocks (limestone hills) and mountains combine into a mosaic of natural habitats of the Neretva Delta, although five protected localities with a total surface of 1,620 ha already exist. These are the ornithological, ichthyologic reserves and the protected landscapes.
Endemic and endangered species
Dinaric karstDinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
water systems support 25% of the total of 546 fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
species in Europe. Watercourses of this area support a large number of endemic species of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
The river Neretva and its tributaries represent the main drainage system in the east Adriatic watershed and the foremost ichthyofaunal habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
of the region. According to Smith & Darwall (2006) the Neretva River, together with four other areas in the Mediterranean, has the largest number of threatened freshwater fish species.
The degree of endemism in the karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
ecoregion is greater than 10% of the total number of fish species. Numerous species of fish that inhabited this area live in very narrow and limited areas and are vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
, so they are included on the Red List of endangered fish and the IUCN-2006. The Adriatic basin has 88 species of fish, of which 44 are Mediterranean endemic species, and 41 are Adriatic endemic species. More than half of the Adriatic river basin species of fish inhabit the Neretva, the Ombla, the Trebišnjica, the Morača
Morača
Morača is a river in Montenegro. It originates in northern Montenegro, under Rzača mountain. It generally flows southwards for some , before emptying into Lake Skadar....
Rivers and their tributaries, and more than 30 are indigenous.
Invasive species
Pike Perch (Sander lucioperca Linnaeus 1758) (also see Sander (genus)Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
) population in the Neretva River watershed was observed in 1990 for the first time. It was the Rama River, a right tributary of the Neretva, and its Ramsko Lake that received an unknown quantity of this allochthonous species. Analyzing the results of the research, there are a tendency to increase the quantity of Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
in the Neretva accumulation lakes. This fact confirms previous scientific assumptions of Škrijelj (1991, 1995), who predicted the possibility of Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
displacement
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
(migration) from Ramsko Lake to the Rama River (a right tributary of the Neretva), and then further downstream to the river Neretva and lakes on the Neretva.
So, from 1.95% of the total fish quantity of Rama Lake in the year 1990, this allochthonous species of fish, in less than a decade that is present in Jablaničko Lake, rose to about 25.42% of all fish.
The fast pace of Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
population growth and displacements in the Neretva River basin, is expected to match the environmental conditions from the mid-ecological valence of this fish.
In this sense, it is the established continuous and accelerated growth of the population dynamics of Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
in Jablaničko Lake, a relatively good representation in artificial Salakovačko Lake
Salakovačko Lake
Salakovačko Lake is an artificial lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is partly located in the municipality of Mostar....
and the beginning of growth of population in the Grabovičko Lake
Grabovičko Lake
Grabovičko Lake is an artificial lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jablanica....
.
Parallel with the increase of population of allochthonous species Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
in the Neretva lakes, is the obvious decrease in the quantity of indigenous species like European chub
European chub
The European chub , sometimes called the round chub, fat chub, chevin, pollard or simply "the" chub, is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae...
also White Chub (Squalius cephalus), and the disappearance of rare and endemic species like Adriatic Dace
Squalius svallize
Squalius svallize is a species of freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
also Balkan Dace (Squalius svallize
Squalius svallize
Squalius svallize is a species of freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
also Leuciscus svallize Heckel & Kner 1858), Neretvan Softmouth trout
Adriatic trout
Salmo obtusirostris, also known as the Adriatic trout, Adriatic salmon, and softmouth trout, is a species of salmonid fish endemic to the rivers of Western Balkans in southeastern Europe...
(Salmothymus obtusirostris oxyrhinchus Steind.) and Marble trout ( also known as ) (Salmo marmoratus
Salmo marmoratus
Marble trout is a species of freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family, the second largest European trout species, second in size only to huchen...
Cuv.).
If this migration
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
and spreading continues, other endangered, endemic and rare species of the Neretva basin will be even more endangered.
On the basis of analysis of the obtained data, it can be concluded that the populations of the allochthonous species Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
causes clearly visible negative effects on the autochthonous ichthyofauna in Jablaničko Lake; on autochthonous ichthyofauna of artificial Salakovačko Lake these effects are in progress and less visible, while the population of Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
is in the initial phase of adaptation to existing conditions in Grabovičko Lake and currently not yet clearly visible.
Taking the fact that the introduction of Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
has a substantial impact on the diversity of autochthonal ichthyofauna as a starting point, the population of this species in the Neretva River reservoirs (Jablaničko Lake, Grabovičko Lake and Salakovačko Lake) was investigated. Based on the results of the investigation of the Pike Perch
Sander (genus)
Sander is a genus of fish in the Percidae family. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae family....
population in the Neretva river “lakes”, it can also be concluded that it is growing with a tendency of spreading across the Neretva river basin of the Adriatic Sea in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
On the basis of all relevant indicators it is necessarily to take urgent measures, continuous and organized action, to dramatically reduce the quantity (if is not possible to exterminate) of this allochthonous type of fish, as well as to attempt to revitalize autochthonal fish populations, with fish stocking of local, especially salmonids species, all in order to prevent the same fatal experience with the water ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
in the UK, and prevent, if possible, this type of allochtonous species colonization of the Neretva River basins with irreversible effects.
Salmonids
Salmonid fish from the Neretva basin show considerable variation in morphologyMorphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
, ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and behaviour. The Neretva also has many other endemic and fragile life forms that are near extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
Among most endangered are three endemic species of the Neretva trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
: Neretvan Softmouth trout
Adriatic trout
Salmo obtusirostris, also known as the Adriatic trout, Adriatic salmon, and softmouth trout, is a species of salmonid fish endemic to the rivers of Western Balkans in southeastern Europe...
(Salmothymus obtusirostris oxyrhinchus Steind.), Toothtrout
Salmo dentex
Salmo dentex is a variety of trout, a freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family, found in the western Balkans. The identity, biological dinstinctness and species status of the dentex trout are however not properly clarified...
( also ) (Salmo dentex
Salmo dentex
Salmo dentex is a variety of trout, a freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family, found in the western Balkans. The identity, biological dinstinctness and species status of the dentex trout are however not properly clarified...
)
and Marble trout ( also known as ) (Salmo marmoratus
Salmo marmoratus
Marble trout is a species of freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family, the second largest European trout species, second in size only to huchen...
Cuv.).
All three endemic trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
species of the Neretva are endangered mostly due to the habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
or construction of large and major dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
(large is higher than 15–20 m; major is over 150–250 m) in particular and hybridization or genetic pollution
Genetic pollution
Genetic pollution is a controversial term for uncontrolled gene flow into wild populations. This gene flow is undesirable according to some environmentalists and conservationists, including groups such as Greenpeace, TRAFFIC, and GeneWatch UK.-Usage:...
with introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, non-native trouts, also from illegal fishing as well as poor management of water and fisheries especially in form of introduction of invasive
Invasive
Invasive may refer to:*A military invasion*An invasive species*An invasive medical procedure*The invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer...
allochthonous species (dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
, overfishing
Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
, mismanagement, genetic pollution
Genetic pollution
Genetic pollution is a controversial term for uncontrolled gene flow into wild populations. This gene flow is undesirable according to some environmentalists and conservationists, including groups such as Greenpeace, TRAFFIC, and GeneWatch UK.-Usage:...
, invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
).
Cyprinids
Same as the Neretva salmonids, the most endangered of cyprinids (Cyprinidae family) are endemic species.Especially interesting are five Phoxinellus
Phoxinellus
Phoxinellus is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in the Balkans. There are currently three described species in this genus.- Species :* Phoxinellus alepidotus Heckel, 1843* Phoxinellus dalmaticus Zupančič & Bogutskaya, 2000...
(sub)species that inhabit isolated karstic plains (fields) of eastern as well as western Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, which eventually drain their waters to the Neretva watershed and/or coastal drainages of south-eastern Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
Karst Minnow (Phoxinellus metohiensis
Phoxinellus metohiensis
Telestes metohiensis is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.Its natural habitats are freshwater springs and inland karsts.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
). It is considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU).
South Dalmatian Minnow (Phoxinellus pstrossii). It is threatened but with Data Deficient
Data Deficient
Data Deficient is a category applied by the IUCN, other agencies, and individuals to a species when the available information is not sufficient for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made...
(DD) fish vulnerability is not designated on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2009.1.
Dalmatian Minnow (Phoxinellus ghetaldii
Phoxinellus ghetaldii
Delminichthys ghetaldii is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Its natural habitats are rivers, freshwater springs, and inland karsts.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
). It is considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU).
Adriatic Minnow ( also ) (Phoxinellus alepidotus
Phoxinellus alepidotus
Phoxinellus alepidotus is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
) endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, occurs in lowland water bodies, with little current. It is threatened due to pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
. It is considered Endangered (EN).
Spotted Minnow (Phoxinellus adspersus
Phoxinellus adspersus
Delminichthys adspersus is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.Its natural habitats are rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater lakes, and inland karsts....
), endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. This species is present in the Tihaljina River, which is fed by
underground waters from Imotsko field and is connected to the Trebižat
Trebižat
Trebižat is a village in Herzegovina, in Čapljina municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Ethnic composition, 1991 census:total: 1,399* Croats - 1,371 * "Yugoslavs" - 11 * Bosniaks - 9...
River via
the Mlada River, and also occurs in Mostarsko Blato wetlands. Fish were found in the source of the Norin River, a right-hand tributary of the lower Neretva at Metković
Metkovic
Metković is a city in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Herzegovina.-Demographics:...
, in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, at Kuti Lake, a left-hand tributary of the lower Neretva, at Imotsko field in Crveno Lake and the Vrljika River drainage and near Vrgorac
Vrgorac
Vrgorac is a town in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia County.The total population of Vrgorac is 6,501 , in the following settlements:* Banja, population 214* Dragljane, population 47* Draževitići, population 204* Duge Njive, population 106...
in the Matica River system. It is considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU).
Minnow Nase (Chondrostoma phoxinus) It is considered Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
(CR)
Neretvan Nase (also Dalmatian Nase and Dalmatian Soiffe) (Chondrostoma knerii) is a fish species endemic to the Neretva River. Neretvan Nase is mainly distributed in the lower parts and delta of the Neretva River shared between Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the Neretva left tributary Krupa River
Krupá River
The Krupá River is a tributary of the Blava River in Trnava District, Western Slovakia. Its source is located near Okrúhla in the Little Carpathians Mountains....
, Nature Park Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
wetlands, and Neretva Delta wetlands. It occurs in water bodies with little current. It is threatened by habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
. It is considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU).
Adriatic Dace also Balkan Dace (Squalius svallize
Squalius svallize
Squalius svallize is a species of freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
also Leuciscus svallize Heckel & Kner 1858) endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, also to Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. Adults inhabit water bodies on the low plains, with little current and in lakes. They feed on invertebrates. It is threatened due to pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, the habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and especially due to introduction of other species. It is considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU).
Illyrian Dace (Squalius illyricus
Squalius illyricus
Squalius illyricus is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.Fish inhabits karstic waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Albania. Its natural habitats are rivers and water storage areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
also Leuciscus illyricus Heckel & Kner 1858) inhabits karstic waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. It occurs in water courses on low plains, with little current. It feeds on invertebrates. It is threatened due to habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
, pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and the introduction of other species. It is considered Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
(NT).
Turskyi Dace (Leuciscus turskyi also Squalius turskyi turskyi and Telestes turskyi) inhabits karstic waters, Lake Buško Blato
Buško Blato
Buško Blato is an accumulation lake located on the south side of Livanjsko Polje and northwest of Duvajnsko Polje in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and the Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
and Čikola
Čikola
Čikola is a river of 47.8 km in length, located in Dalmatia, southern Croatia.Čikola river's springs is near the village Čavoglave, flows through the city of Drniš and then flows near village of Miljevci into the river of Krka which flows into Adriatic Sea.-See also:*Krka*Krka National Park...
Rivers in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It occurs in water courses on the low plains, with little current and in lakes. It feeds on invertebrates. It is threatened due to water abstraction and pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
. It is considered Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
(CR).
Dalmatian Barbelgudgeon
Dalmatian Barbelgudgeon
The Dalmatian Barbelgudgeon is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Aulopyge. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek aulós + pygé , and thus means approximately "fluted tail-stem"...
(Aulopyge hugeli
Dalmatian Barbelgudgeon
The Dalmatian Barbelgudgeon is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Aulopyge. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek aulós + pygé , and thus means approximately "fluted tail-stem"...
) inhabits karstic streams of Glamocko field, Livanjsko field and Duvanjsko field, lakes Buško Blato
Buško Blato
Buško Blato is an accumulation lake located on the south side of Livanjsko Polje and northwest of Duvajnsko Polje in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Blidinje
Blidinje
Blidinje is a Nature park in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established on 30 April 1995.- Geography and hydrology :It is a spacious valley, 3–5 km long, situated at an elevation of 1.150-1.300 meters a.s.l., between Čvrsnica and Vran mountains with a total area of 364 km² and 3 municipalities...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
, Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
and Zrmanja
Zrmanja
Zrmanja is a river in southern Lika and northern Dalmatia, Croatia. It is long and its basin covers an area of .It was known to the ancient Romans as Tedanius. The spring of Zrmanja is located in southern part of Lika under Postak - the southern peak of Pljesevica mountain, and close to south end...
river drainages in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It occurs in lentic waters, and feeds on plants. The fish is threatened by water pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
. It is migratory in Livanjsko field. It is considered Endangered (EN).
Cobitidae
Neretvan Spined LoachCobitis narentana
Cobitis narentana is a species of ray-finned fish in the true loach family . It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.. This fish was long believed to be part of the widespread Spined Loach Cobitis narentana is a species of ray-finned fish in the true loach family (Cobitidae). It is found...
(Cobitis narentana
Cobitis narentana
Cobitis narentana is a species of ray-finned fish in the true loach family . It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.. This fish was long believed to be part of the widespread Spined Loach Cobitis narentana is a species of ray-finned fish in the true loach family (Cobitidae). It is found...
Karaman, 1928) is an Adriatic watershed endemic fish that inhabits a narrow area of the Neretva watershed in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
(Mrakovčić et al., 2006).
In Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
it inhabits only downstream of the Neretva River and its smaller tributaries like the Matica River.
In Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
Neretvanski vijun is a strictly protected species and inhabits only the Neretva delta and its smaller tributaries, the (Norin
Kula Norinska
Kula Norinska is a village and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in southwestern Croatia. It has a population of 1,926 , in which absolute majority are Croats .The list of registered settlements is as follows:...
) and lake systems of the Neretva delta (Baćina lakes
Bacina lakes
The Baćina lakes are located in Dalmatia, Croatia. They are named after the inland town of Baćina close to the port city of Ploče. The lakes are part of a picturesque landscape and surrounded by mountains. They are situated between Makarska and Dubrovnik...
, Kuti, Desne
Desne
Desne is one of nine villages of the Municipality of Kula Norinska, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, of Croatia's Dalmatian coast.-Geography:The village lies in a valley partly encircled by the mountain ranges:* Rujnica , to the north...
, Modro oko
Desne
Desne is one of nine villages of the Municipality of Kula Norinska, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, of Croatia's Dalmatian coast.-Geography:The village lies in a valley partly encircled by the mountain ranges:* Rujnica , to the north...
) (Mrakovčić et al., 2006). It is considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
(VU).
Neretva delta endemics
The ichthyofauna of the Neretva delta is rich in endemic species, and there are more than 20 endemic species, of which 18 species are endemic species of the Adriatic watershed, and three endemic species in CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Nearly half (45%) of the total number of species that inhabit this area are included in one of the categories of threat, and are mainly endemic species.
Cultural and historical significance
During classical antiquity, the Neretva was known as Narenta, NaronaNarona
Narona was the name of the ancient Roman city that was located in the Neretva valley in present day Croatia. It was part of the Roman province of Dalmatia. The city was established after the Illyrian Wars and was located on the alluvial planes, between present day city of Metković and village of...
and Naro(n),
and was the inland home to the ancient Illyrian
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
tribe of Ardiaei. The Neretva provided them life, and turned them into ship makers, seafarers and fishermen that were respected in ancient times. There have been numerous archaeological discoveries of Illyrian culture that dealt both with daily and religious life such as the discovery of ancient Illyrian shipwrecks found in Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
, in the vicinity of the Neretva River.
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited the Western Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
during classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
. The territory the tribes covered came to be known as Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
to Greek
Hellenistic civilization
Hellenistic civilization represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE...
and Roman
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
authors, corresponding roughly to the area of the former Yugoslavia and Albania, between the Adriatic sea in the west, the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
river in the north, the Morava
Morava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
river in the east and the mouth of Vjosë
Vjosë
Vjosë or Aoös is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania.Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining are in Albania. Vjosë is fed by two secondary branches, both in Albania, the Drino river and the Shushicë.Its source is in Greece, specifically...
river in the south. The first account of Illyrian peoples comes from Periplus or Coastal passage an ancient Greek text of the middle of the 4th century BC.
Treasures
After intense excavations in the area of Hutovo BlatoHutovo Blato
Hutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
in the autumn of 2008, archaeologists from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
University of Mostar
University of Mostar
The University of Mostar is the only Croatian language university in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Roots of University of Mostar date back to 1895 when the Franciscan theological school was established. In 1950 Higher teacher-training school started with its work in Mostar...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
University of Lund found the very first traces of an Illyrian trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
that is more than two thousand years old.
The find is unique in a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an perspective and archaeologists have concluded that Desilo
Desilo
Desilo is a small valley in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located near the Neretva river and the Croatian border. Archaeological investigations in a small lake there in 2007 led to interesting finds of Illyrian boats. Desilo was in antiquity probably connected with Neretva via Lake Hutovo Blato....
, as the location is called, was an important trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
of great significance for contact between the Illyrians and the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
Surprisingly large finds have been made in a short period of time. The archaeologists have discovered the ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of a settlement, the remains
Remains
Remains may refer to:* "Remains" , a 2009 song by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon* Remains , a 2007 compilation album by punk band Alkaline Trio...
of a harbour that probably functioned as a trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
, as well as many sunken boats, fully laden with wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
pitchers – so-called amphorae – from the 1st century BC.
The archaeologist Adam Lindhagen, who has a PhD from the University of Lund and has specialised in Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
amphorae, says that this is the most important find of all time from the Illyrian areas.
The Old Bridge
The Old Bridge (BosnianBosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
: Stari most
Stari most
Stari Most is a 16th century Ottoman bridge in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on November 9, 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War...
) was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
in 1557 to replace an older wooden suspension bridge of dubious stability. Construction began in 1557 and took nine years: according to the inscription the bridge was completed in 974 AH (Islamic calendar
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
), corresponding to the period between 19 July 1566, and 7 July 1567. Little is known of the building of the bridge, and all that has been preserved in writing are memories and legends and the name of the builder, Mimar Hayruddin (student of the Old/Great Sinan (Mimar Sinan / Koca Sinan), the Ottoman architect). Charged under pain of death to construct a bridge of such unprecedented dimensions, the architect reportedly prepared for his own funeral on the day the scaffolding was finally removed from the completed structure. Upon its completion it was the widest man-made arch in the world. Certain associated technical issues remain a mystery: how the scaffolding was erected, how the stone was transported from one bank to the other, and how the scaffolding remained sound during the long building period. As a result, this bridge can be classed among the greatest architectural works of its time. On 9 November 1993, during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
it was destroyed by Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
HVO
HVO
- Organizations :*Croatian Defence Council , a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War*Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a unit of the US Geological Survey...
sustained artillery shelling, in attempt to erase any sign of Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
architecture in Bosnia. After the war, immediate plans were raised to reconstruct the bridge as a symbol of peace and ethnic harmony, literally bridging the two sides of the conflict. It was important to use as much of the original material as possible. Salvage operations, funded by the international community, raised the stones and the remains of the bridge from the river bed. Missing elements or parts that were not usable, were cut from the same quarry where the original stones came from.
Now listed as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, the bridge was rebuilt under the aegis of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Its 1,088 stones were shaped according to the original techniques, and the reconstruction cost about €12 million. The grand opening was held on 23 July 2004.
Diving
It is traditional for the young men of the town to leap from the 24 metre high bridge into the Neretva. The practice dates back to 1566, the time the bridge was built, and it was held every summer ever since in front of the huge audience. However, the first recorded instance of someone diving off the bridge is from 1664. In 1968 a formal diving competition was inaugurated and held every summer.Počitelj historical village
PočiteljPočitelj
Počitelj may refer to:*Počitelj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a village near Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina*Počitelj, Croatia, a hamlet near Gospić, Croatia...
is situated on a hill near Mostar and is easily accessible by bus. As many other Bosnian sites, this town is Ottoman in its nature. It is a historic fortified town with a hostel (caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
) and a hamam underneath it. There is also a traditional mosque which can be visited. During the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
Pocitelj was badly damaged and most of its residents fled away and never returned. Nonetheless, some Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
still reside in this beautiful town and still enjoy the unique atmosphere of their traditional houses and food.
Mogorjelo
One of the most significant monuments of RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
is certainly Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo is a Roman villa rustica that dates from the early fourth century. It is situated on a hill off the Neretva branch, 5 km south of Čapljina, alongside the road to Gabela in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
. Located 1 kilometer south of the town of Čapljina
Capljina
Čapljina is a town and municipality of the same name in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čapljina is located on the border with Croatia a mere from the Adriatic Sea....
, Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo is a Roman villa rustica that dates from the early fourth century. It is situated on a hill off the Neretva branch, 5 km south of Čapljina, alongside the road to Gabela in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
remnants of the old Roman suburban Villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
Rustica from the 4th century represents ancient Roman agricultural production and estate, mills, bakeries, olive oil refinery and forges.
The destruction of the Villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
came in the middle of the 4th century, during the invasion of western Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
. Residents who survived invasion and destruction did not have any further opportunities to renew it to its original splendor.
There are two theories about the name of Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo is a Roman villa rustica that dates from the early fourth century. It is situated on a hill off the Neretva branch, 5 km south of Čapljina, alongside the road to Gabela in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
.
The first assumes that the place had burnt several times, so the root of the name was derived from a word “burn” (Slavic – goriti). Another theory is that at the end of the 5th century the church was built on the ruins of Villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
, and it was dedicated to St. Hermagor – Mogoru, for whom the site was named.
Gabela
GabelaGabela
Gabela is a town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 kilometres south of Čapljina and 4 kilometers from Metković, in Croatia. It is situated in the navigable lower course of the Neretva, off the major road linking the coast with the mountainous hinterland...
is a rich archeological site on the Neretva bank, situated 5 kilometres south of the town of Čapljina
Capljina
Čapljina is a town and municipality of the same name in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čapljina is located on the border with Croatia a mere from the Adriatic Sea....
.
Among a great number of notable medieval buildings, there are still remains of Old City walls, as well as a sculpture of a stone lion – a symbol of Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
culture.
For its remarkable geostrategic position, Gabela
Gabela
Gabela is a town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 kilometres south of Čapljina and 4 kilometers from Metković, in Croatia. It is situated in the navigable lower course of the Neretva, off the major road linking the coast with the mountainous hinterland...
was linked to Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's most famous work – the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
. Mexican Homeric scholar and amateur archeologist Roberto Salinas Price has claimed that Gabela
Gabela
Gabela is a town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 kilometres south of Čapljina and 4 kilometers from Metković, in Croatia. It is situated in the navigable lower course of the Neretva, off the major road linking the coast with the mountainous hinterland...
was actually ancient Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
.
Battle of the Neretva
The famous Battle of Neretva is a 1969 Oscar-nominated motion picture depicting real events from the Second World War and the actual Battle of the Neretva (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Serbo-Croatian: Bitka na Neretvi). Codenamed Fall Weiß, the operation was a German strategic plan for a combined Axis attack launched in early 1943 against the Yugoslav Partisans throughout occupied YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
during the Second World War. The offensive took place between January and April 1943. The operation used to be known, in socialist Yugoslav times, as the Fourth Anti-Partisan Offensive, while it is also known as the Fourth Enemy Offensive (Četvrta neprijateljska ofenziva/ofanziva) or the Battle for the Wounded (Bitka za ranjenike).
At some point during the battle, the Partisans were caught in a pocket with their back to the Neretva River. The movie depicts events that happened on the banks of the river Neretva near Jablanica
Jablanica
Jablanica or Yablanitsa may refer to:* Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town in Herzegovina* Yablanitsa, a town in Lovech Province, Bulgaria* Yablanitsa, Sofia Province, village in Sofia Province, Bulgaria* Jablanica, Zlatibor, village in Serbia...
while 20,000 Partisans under command of Marshal Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
struggled to save some 4500 wounded comrades and typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
patients together with the Supreme Headquarters and Main Hospital, against some 150,000 Axis combatants.
See also
Wells, rivers and lakes- Upper NeretvaUpper NeretvaGeographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided in three sections.The upper course of the Neretva river is called the Upper Neretva , and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scatered across...
- RakitnicaRakitnicaRakitnica is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river known as Upper Neretva . The Rakitnica river formed a 26 km long canyon , of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica and Visočica to southeast from Sarajevo....
- Boračko LakeBoračko LakeBoračko Lake is a lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is partly located in the municipality of Konjic....
- Mostarska BijelaMostarska BijelaMostarska Bijela is a mountain creek in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite its small and short flow, this river takes a significant place in Bosnia and Herzegovina geology and hydrology.-Rare geology:...
- RamaRamaRama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
- Vrelo BosneVrelo BosneVrelo Bosne is the spring of the River Bosna located in the central region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, southwest of Sarajevo. It is one of the country's top natural landmarks and is one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region....
- Buna RiverBuna River (Neretva)The Buna is a short river in Bosnia and Herzegovina; it is a left bank tributary of the Neretva. Its source , a strong karstic spring, is near the village Blagaj, southeast of Mostar. Actually, it is best known by famous Buna Spring , one of the strongest spring in Europe and extremely cold water...
- Vrelo BuneVrelo BuneVrelo Bune is the natural and architectural ensemble at the Buna river spring near Blagaj kasaba and a part of the wider "Townscape ensemble of the town of Blagaj - Historical and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina", southeast of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.It is impossible to separate...
- BunicaBunicaThe Bunica river is a short river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a left bank tributary of the Buna. Its source , located under sharp cliffs between two villages Hodbina and Malo Polje, 14 km south from Mostar. It is very deep and strong karstic spring, very hard to access. Together with the Buna...
- Vrelo BuniceVrelo BuniceThe Bunica river is a short river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a left bank tributary of the Buna. Its source Vrelo Bunice, located in place called Parila under sharp cliffs between two villages Hodbina and Malo Polje, 14 km south from Mostar...
- Trebižat River
- BregavaBregavaThe Bregava is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through the town of Stolac. It is a left tributary of the Neretva river.- See also :* Neretva* Stolac* Buna* Trebižat* Krupa* Hutovo Blato* Daorson* List of Illyrian cities...
- Krupa RiverKrupá RiverThe Krupá River is a tributary of the Blava River in Trnava District, Western Slovakia. Its source is located near Okrúhla in the Little Carpathians Mountains....
- Trebišnjica
Cultural treasures
- Mehmed Paša Sokolović BridgeMehmed Paša Sokolovic BridgeThe Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge is a historic bridge in Višegrad, over the Drina River in eastern Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was completed in 1577 AD by the Ottoman court architect Mimar Sinan on the order of the Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović...
- Stari most (Old Bridge)Stari mostStari Most is a 16th century Ottoman bridge in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on November 9, 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War...
- PočiteljPočiteljPočitelj may refer to:*Počitelj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a village near Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina*Počitelj, Croatia, a hamlet near Gospić, Croatia...
- DaorsonDaorsonDaorson was the capital of a Hellenised Illyrian tribe called the Daorsi . The Daorsi lived in the valley of the Neretva River between 300 BC and 50 BC...
- StećciStećciThe Stećci , are monumental medieval tombstones that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found within the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest of 10,000 are found in Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro...
- BogomilismBogomilismBogomilism was a Gnostic religiopolitical sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar Petar I in the 10th century...
- DesiloDesiloDesilo is a small valley in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located near the Neretva river and the Croatian border. Archaeological investigations in a small lake there in 2007 led to interesting finds of Illyrian boats. Desilo was in antiquity probably connected with Neretva via Lake Hutovo Blato....
- Daorsi
- List of Illyrian tribes
- List of Illyrian cities
Protected environment and relating issues
- BlidinjeBlidinjeBlidinje is a Nature park in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established on 30 April 1995.- Geography and hydrology :It is a spacious valley, 3–5 km long, situated at an elevation of 1.150-1.300 meters a.s.l., between Čvrsnica and Vran mountains with a total area of 364 km² and 3 municipalities...
- Hutovo BlatoHutovo BlatoHutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
- Livanjsko field
- List of national parks of BiH
- Environmental impacts of reservoirs
- Vajont DamVajont DamThe Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, 100 km north of Venice, Italy...
- Environment and electricity generationEnvironmental concerns with electricity generationThe environmental impact of electricity generation is significant because modern society uses large amounts of electrical power. This power is normally generated at power plants that convert some other kind of energy into electrical power...
- Tourism in Bosnia and HerzegovinaTourism in Bosnia and HerzegovinaTourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a fast growing sector in Bosnia-Herzegovina making up an important part in the economy of the country. The tourist business environment is constantly developing with an increasingly active tourism promotional system....
Settlements
- UlogUlogUlog is a village in the municipality of Kalinovik, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
- GlavatičevoGlavatičevoGlavatičevo is a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Village is located 30 kilometers away of Konjic in southeast direction, within a wide Župa vally on the both banks of the Neretva river, in Konjic Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Geography and climate :One theory say that...
- LukomirLukomirLukomir is the only remaining traditional semi-nomadic Bosniak mountain village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.At almost 1,500m, the village of Lukomir, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated mountain village in the country...
- KonjicKonjicKonjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Sarajevo. It is a mountainous, heavily wooded area, and is above sea level. The municipality extends on both sides of the Neretva River. The town of Konjic, housed about a third...
- LivnoLivnoLivno is a town in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located between Tomislavgrad, Glamoč, Bosansko Grahovo, Kupres and the Croatian border.- Position :...
- MostarMostarMostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
- BlagajBlagajBlagaj is a village-town in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands at the edge of Bišće plain and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, distinguished from other similar...
- StolacStolacStolac is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the southern part of Herzegovina. Administratively, it is part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
- ČapljinaCapljinaČapljina is a town and municipality of the same name in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čapljina is located on the border with Croatia a mere from the Adriatic Sea....
- PločePlocePloče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...
Flora and fauna
- Salmo obtusirostrisSalmo obtusirostrisSalmo obtusirostris, also known as the Adriatic trout, Adriatic salmon, and softmouth trout, is a species of salmonid fish endemic to the rivers of Western Balkans in southeastern Europe...
- Salmo dentexSalmo dentexSalmo dentex is a variety of trout, a freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family, found in the western Balkans. The identity, biological dinstinctness and species status of the dentex trout are however not properly clarified...
- Salmo marmoratusSalmo marmoratusMarble trout is a species of freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family, the second largest European trout species, second in size only to huchen...
- List of birds of BiH