Joint project of MEA, KORA and EURONATUR

Protection of the Balkan lynx
 

In the month of November, the Macedonian Environmental Association (MEA), together with the organizations KORA and EURONATUR, organized a workshop on “Protection of the Balkan lynx”, with representatives from civil society and governmental organizations from Macedonia, Albania, Switzerland and Germany.

“The situation with the Balkan lynx is alarming and it needs to be protected”, thinks Dime Melovski from MEA, who emphasized in this occasion that the lynx lives in the southwest of the Balkans. “The Balkan population of lynx is about 100, which is the most endangered type of Euro-Asian lynx. Therefore, its protection is more than necessary, since the Balkan lynx is described as individual species” says Melovski.

According to the data presented in 1974, 120 individual lynxes were registered in Macedonia. In the western part of the country, the lynx can be found in the south parts of Sar Planina, Pelister, Jablanica, Bistra and Korab. There are some in Jablanica, Suva Gora, Karaorman and Stogovo. In the eastern parts of Macedonia, lynxes have not been noted since 1924. According to the data collected by Professor Branko Micevski from the Faculty of Maths and Natural Sciences, about 54 indivudual lynxes lived along the river Radika in 1997, while in 2001, Professor Miso Hristovski from the Veterinary Faculty estimated that there are 35 in the country.

The condition of the Balkan lynx in Albania is worse that in our country, since they ruined its natural habitat there. Therefore, they emphasize the need of a regional strategy for its protection, but they also point to the fact that no measures for its protection have been taken on the Balkans so far.

“We are determining the conditions for working on the lynx protection project. The Balkan lynx is considered to be special sub-species, and with its total population of 100 individual units it enters the group of critically endangered. If its particularity is proved, we will get a project financed by EURONATUR. We should also estimate the state institutions’ capacities and the capacities of the national parks and the civil sector as well” – added Melovski. 

 

A.T.

 

Front 21/42

“Happy New Tree!”

 

By implementing the campaign “Happy New Tree!”, the environmental association “Front 21/42” reminded the citizens that “the New Year holidays are a special period of the year, a period of optimism and enthusiasm, good wishes, but also a period of an expressed consumption of the human egocentricity. What we leave behind our “best wishes” are tons of waste, irresponsibly used natural resources and thousands of cut-down trees which can be seen a lying among the rubbish a month later” – emphasized “Front 21/42” members, whose goal is to unite the good wishes and the positive feelings with a higher awareness for the human accountability. Thus, they distributed 35 000 New Year cards, packed together with seeds for “happy new trees”.

The cards represent the four natural elements: the earth, the water, the air and the sun, carrying good wishes for fertile soil, clean water, clean air and friendly sun. In order to respect the environmental principles, the cards are printed on a recycled paper and some of them can be re-used as a New Year’s decoration

The campaign is supported by the British Embassy in Skopje, UNDP, The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and the Mobimak Foundation.

 

K.B.

 

Together with the enforcement of the law for non-smoking

“Passive smoking – there is nothing passive here”

 

The Law for protection against smoking is going to be put into force on 1 January 2006, which does not allow smoking in public places, such as restaurants, coffee bars, offices etc. Smoking will be only allowed in special rooms or places. The owners of restaurants and bars can also completely forbid smoking in their places. For the companies that do not obey the law, there will be strict sanctions. The fines will vary between 500 and 2000 euros. Smokers smoking in public places will also be fined. Together with the preparations for the law enforcement, there is a campaign going on under the motto “Passive smoking – there is nothing passive here”, realized in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and USAID. The statistics say the following: the Macedonian smokers smoke 2 310 cigarettes a year on average, thus losing 17 years of their life and shortening the life of the people in its immediate surrounding. It is estimated that 40 to 50 percent of the population in Macedonia, aged over 15 are regular smokers. In the words of Theresa Arbour from USAID, the target group of the campaign “Passive smoking – there is nothing passive here” are the non-smokers, that is making them not be shy and tell the smokers not to light a cigarette when they are around.

“In America, the smokers are “illegal”, they are those who are ashamed. Smoking in America is becoming socially unacceptable behaviour. The non-smokers don’t let smokers poison them. The campaign in Macedonia follows the example of a similar campaign implemented in Ireland, which is also a country where big percentage of the population smokes. The campaign was greatly accepted and it showed remarkable results”, says Arbour. It is clear that if the non-smokers don’t “wake up”, no law will function. What do the non-smokers get when they inhale the smoke of other people’s cigarettes? The passive smoking can increase the risk of getting lung cancer to from 20 to 30 percent, heart diseases for 25 to 35 percent and a heart attack to 80 percent. The air in a smoking room contains 4 000 chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer! The examinations of the World Health Organization made in the year 2000 showed that Macedonia is on the 11th place regarding mortality of children caused by respiratory infections. Smoking is the second big reason that causes death in the world. Five million people die in world every year due to this negative habit.

 

M.K.