AQUACULTURE, FISHERIES, AND RECREATION IN THE PROTECTED AREA OF THE KRKA RIVER

The experiences of fisheries, aquaculture, and recreation development in the protected area of the Krka River comprise a valuable case study with implications for managing other areas along Croatia \u27s coast

Development Vision of Protected Areas in the Republic of Croatia: National Park “Krka” as a Trend Leader

This chapter provides an overview of the current state of the park system of R. Croatia. The effectiveness of management, recent achievements and difficulties in the functioning of national parks and parks of the Republic of Croatia are analysed, especially in the light of fulfilling ecological functions, contribution to sustainable development and strengthening local community economies. Attention is drawn to the lack of a comprehensive strategy of national park system, shortcoming of a unique park policy that is necessary for social valuation of a protected areas’ role, their stable financing, professionalisation of park functions, professionalisation of workplaces and positioning in relation to other sectors. Through the development vision of the national park system, prospects of improving management are stated, conditions of increasing the efficiency of management are detected and the models of achieving greater financial sustainability are suggested. In the second part, NP Krka is shown as the leader of the trends through protection and management of its area for more than two decades. The practiced approach has positioned them in the very top of the Croatia park system according to the results of the management and quality of the solution. The key features of the NP Krka management concept are highlighted, due to the achieved financial autonomy and the high level of sustainability of NP Krka management. An important upcoming challenge in managing the NP Krka is the need to effectively preserve the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the protected area through the establishment of a higher level of adaptability and flexibility of management, primarily to reduce the impact and effects of climate change, as well as the more pronounced annual growth of visitors and the consequences it brings. An important impulse for the improvement of the management in the NP Krka will be the adoption of a new spatial plan that will define, based on the results of extensive multidisciplinary research, the opportunities for development of acceptable activities in the protected area

VISION, STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN FOR SHELLFISH FARMING DEVELOPMENT IN THE KRKA RIVER ESTUARY

U radu su prikazani vizija, strarteške smjernice/mjere i akcijski plan razvoja uzgoja školjkaša u ušću rijeke Krke, koje su proizašle iz nekoliko rasprava s uzgajivačima školjkaša u ušću provedenih tijekom 2008., za vrijeme izrade Integralnog plana razvoja školjkarstva u ušću rijeke Krke (Integrated Plan for Shellfish farming for Krka Estuary Area) i u okviru Programa poticanja zelenog poduzetništva (UNDP — Projekta COAST — Očuvanje i održivo korištenje biološke i krajobrazne raznolikosti na dalmatinskoj obali putem održivog razvitka obalnog područja — Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the Dalmatian Coast through Greening Coastal Development). Kratkoročno značajniji poticaj razvoju uzgoja školjkaša u ušću rijeke Krke mogla bi biti izgradnja zajedničkoga otpremnog i purifikacijskog centra, skladišta opreme i radnoga prostor za pripremu uzgojne opreme i prostor za zbrinjavanje otpada, a dugoročno na izgradnju mrjestilišta školjkaša na lokalitetu Martinska.In this paper are presented the vision, strategic guidelines/measures and the action plan for shellfish farming development in the Krka river estuary. They came as a result from several discussions that were held with shellfish farmers of the estuary area in year 2008 while writing the Integrated Plan for Shellfish Farming for Krka Estuary Area, which was realized in the framework of the Green Business Support Programme (UNDP COST Project — Conservation, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the Dalmatian Coast through Greening Coastal Development). For a short–term, a considerable impetus for the development of shellfish farming in the Krka river estuary could be the construction of common distribution and purification center, building of warehouse for shellfish farming equipment, and providing work space for the preparation of the equipment as well as the space for waste disposal; for a long–term it could be building of shellfish hatchery at the location of Martinska marine station

Oziđana pećina - rezultati arheoloških istraživanja

Oziđana pećina smještena je na lijevoj strani rijeke Krke iznad Roškog slapa, na području Bogetića Miljevačkog. Na samom je vrhu kanjona, otvora okrenuta prema jugozapadu, usred dvadesetak metara visoke, okomite litice, odakle se pruža pogled na duboki kanjon rijeke, u kojem se ljepotom ističe više manjih slapića koji tvore niz tzv. ogrlica. Naziv je dobila po suhozidu na ulazu nad strmom liticom. Unutrašnjost joj je tunelastog oblika, dužine 59 m, širine najviše do 7 m i visine oko 2,5 m, s dva „dimnjaka“ u stražnjem dijelu. Špilja je i za najvećih kiša uglavnom suha; tek je na nekoliko mjesta vidljivo prokapavanje, koje na kamenom stropu tvori manje cjevaste stalaktite i saljeve, te “razlivene” stalagmite na podu. Godine 1988., tijekom rekognosciranja špilja i jama u kanjonu Krke (u organizaciji Hrvatskog prirodoslovnog muzeja u Zagrebu), u Oziđanoj pećini pronađen je ulomak keramičke posude s karakteristikama hvarske kulturne skupine (mlađi neolitik), na osnovu čega je zaključeno da je u ovaj prirodni objekt zalazio čovjek i služio se njime bilo kao stalnim boravištem bilo kao povremenim skloništem. Taj podatak je potaknuo arheologe da pokušaju istraživanjem potvrditi ispravnost zaključaka koji su se otkrićem tragova ljudske nazočnosti u špilji nametali. Ulazak speleologa u špilju, početkom 2005. godine iznio je na svjetlo dana još nekoliko ulomaka keramike, ovaj put danilske kulturne provenijencije (srednji neolitik). Arheološkim istraživanjima su, da bi se osigurao pristup i omogućio rad, prethodile ozbiljne pripreme (osiguranje spuštanja, gradnja pristupne rampe, osiguranje rasvjete unutrašnjosti...) . Tako su, nakon dugog niza godina od prvog nalaza, konačno organizirana arheološka istraživanja u ovom, držimo, vrlo važnom špiljskom lokalitetu

VISITOR RISK REDUCING DURING HIKKING IN PROTECTED AREAS BY THE USE OF TAKE A BREAK SCHEME

Rad problematizira razvoj modela upravljanja rizicima pri posjećivanju zaštićenih područja Republike Hrvatske glede kategorizacije pješačkih staza i s obzirom na zahtjeve za fizičkim angažiranjem posjetitelja pri svladavanja istih, odnosno pojedinih dionica. Fizičko angažiranje ocijenjeno je mjerenjem frekvencije srca, a provedeno je na uzorku od 22 ispitanika pomoću uređaja Garmin Forerunner 910XT. Klasa fizičkog opterećenja i njima pripadajuća razina opće fizičke spreme za svakog se ispitanika odredila prema izračunu postotnog povećanja frekvencije srca tijekom savladavanja pješačke staze Stinica-Roški slap-Oziđana pećina u Nacionalnom parku „Krka”. Odabir optimalne matrice raspodjele rizika za kategorizaciju konkretne staze, prema razini zahtjevnosti pri svladavanju, provedeno je usporedbom vrijednosti rizika određenog na osnovi mjerenja i vrijednosti rizika određenog samoocjenom kondicije ispitanika. Primjenom optimalne matrice uspostavljena je shema obvezujućeg odmaranja („Take a Break” shema) kojom se svakom posjetitelju na temelju dobne skupine kojoj pripada i samoocjene vlastitog kondicijskog potencijala sugerira režim svladavanja staze. Režim uključuje vrstu i broj odmorišnih stajališta te minimalno vrijeme predaha/odmora na takvim stajalištima.Increased awareness of the risk management need for a visiting and recreational activities in protected areas is the result of several important responsibility cases of protected areas administration in Australia, the United States and in other countries, which has resulted in high costs and damages that threatened regular functioning of the park management. Therefore, in the modern concepts of protected areas management, the development of visitor risk management for visiting and recreational activities was prompted.This article reviews the development of the risk management model when visiting protected areas in the Republic of Croatia from an aspect/field of hiking trails categorization regard to the requirements for physical engagement of visitors to overcome trail, or individual section of trail. The model is based on field measurement of physical loads of visitors that were carried out in the Krka National Park, onto the walking and educational trail Stinica-Roški waterfall-Oziđana cave. The total length of trail, which in the research was conditionally divided into five sections (Figure 1), is 8.5 km with a vertical drop of 176 m. Physical strain of respondents in the research was assessed by measuring the heart rate using the Garmin Forerunner 910XT with a sample of 22 people, of both gender and different ages (Table 1 and 2). For each respondent, according to the expression/formula [1], percent increase in heart rate (%pFS) during overcoming individual section of trail were determined, and based on that class load and associated level of general physical fitness were defined (Table 1 and 2). The collected data and test results in further processing were used to test the option matrixes of risk distribution A, B and C (Table 3) where the level of risk is defined as a function of respondents age group (classified into four age groups – Table 4) and self-evaluated (subjective) physical fitness (5 groups of physical fitness – Table 2) and on the basis of physical fitness obtained from field measurement (objective physical fitness). Selection of optimal risk distribution matrix to categorize concrete trail i.e. sections by level of demand in overcoming was done by comparing the value of a specific risk-based measurement and risk values specified by self-rating fitness of respondents.Average (FSa) and maximum heart rate (FSmaxa) during the strain are shown by trail sections in Table 5. The most demanding in terms of the need for physically engagement was D-5 and D-1. A more detailed field measurement of the visitors’ physical strain and the development of the methodology for the categorization of specific trail section towards demands were conducted on the basis of measurements for the D-5 section. The values of the average heart rate and other indicators that are obtained by monitoring 22 respondents are listed in Table 7. The selection of optimal risk matrix option to categorize demands of section D-5 is made on the basis of data from the Table 7. As optimal risk matrix, the one was selected where the majority of respondents recorded congruence of risk value and category of section demands determined by a personal assessment (self-rating), or determined by a field measurement. Matrix B proved as optimal, in which the congruence of personal evaluation and test was the largest and amounted to 90.9% (Table 7). From the selected risk matrix three categories of demands for the D-5 were defined, wherein each category of difficulty on the basis of risk size range (Table 8, Column 3), associated regime of overcoming trail were presented descriptively and with color: regime ”green„ means small risk; regime ”yellow„ moderate or intermediate risk and regime ”red„ enhanced or high risk (Table 8, Column 2). Such a composition of requirements for each regime makes TaB scheme which to the visitor is suggested as applicable in overcoming specific trail. Practical application of TaB scheme (Figure 4) contains following elements: (1) an information board set at the beginning of the track on the basis where every visitor can determine the optimal personal mode for overcoming trail as green, yellow or red regime; (2) constructed resting places along the route of the trail, where the location of resting place is determined in accordance with the requirements for resting periods of the most risky regime (red), and construction possibilities of resting place on the ground (micro locations); (3) an information board at each resting place which for a particular overcoming regime determines one of two activities: ”passage without stopping„ or ”stopping„, where in the case of necessary rest, on the information board, the duration of the rest in minutes is indicated.Research findings shows how for the park administration and for the visitors management system inclusion of educational, informational and technical measures related to the reduction of health risks becomes necessary when visiting specific area. In doing so, as an innovative measure, application of the programmed modes for overcoming trails is presented where to every visitor a personal choice between several modes for overcoming trails is suggested. This approach, along with a demonstration of park administration responsible conduct, ensures that decision of every visitor whether and how to use the trail significantly decreases for him unwanted health risks

Nove vrste za Hrvatsku iz porodice Hydroptilidae, prikupljene u NP Krka, s posebnim osvrtom na bioraznolikost i DNA barkodiranje

In this study we present: two species of caddisflies new for Croatian fauna from the family Hydroptilidae (Hydroptila simulans Mosley, Orthotrichia costalis Curtis), first DNA barcoding of caddisfly species in the Krka National Park and a discussion about recorded caddisfly fauna in the Krka NP from this study. From a faunistic point of view several species are interesting: Hydropsysche mostarensis Klapálek, Hydroptila simulans Mosely, Hydroptila forfcipata Eaton, Orthotrichia costalis Curtis and Tinodes pallidulus McLachlan. For the species Oecetis notata Rambur we have recorded interesting taxonomical remarks. Furthermore, within this study we used DNA barcoding which showed to be a very good and useful method for identification of very small and morphologically similar species from the family Hydroptilidae, or females from the family Psychomyiidae.U ovome radu prikazujemo: dvije nove vrste zabilježene u fauni Hrvatske iz porodice Hydroptilidae (Hydroptila simulans Mosley, Orthotrichia costalis Curtis), prikaz DNA barkodiranja tulara u Nacionalnom parka Krka te osvrt na faunistički najzanimljivije vrste utvrđene tijekom ovih istraživanja. Faunistički najzanimljiviji su nalazi sljedećih vrsta: Hydropsysche mostarensis Klapálek, Hydroptila simulans Mosely, Hdroptila forfcipata Eaton, Orthotrichia costalis Curtis i Tinodes pallidulus McLachlan. Vrsta Oecetis notata Rambur nazanimljivija je s taksonomskog aspekta. U ovim istraživanjima metoda DNA barkodiranja pokazala se kao vrlo korisna u determinaciji vrlo malih i morfološki sličnih vrsta iz porodice Hydroptilidae te ženki iz porodice Psychomyiidae

THREE DECADES OF SHELLFISH FARMING IN THE KRKA RIVER ESTUARY

U radu je kratko prikazan pregled trideset godina istraživanja i kontroliranog uzgoja školjkaša u bočatim vodama ušća rijeke Krke. Poseban je naglasak stavljen na prostorne planove Šibensko–kninske županije i Grada Šibenika. U prikazu stanja uzgoja školjkaša potkraj godine 2007. navedeni su uzgojne površine i broj koncesionara, struktura uzgajivača, proizvodnja i potencijalne mogućnosti uzgoja školjkaša, otpremni centri i infrastruktura uzgajališta te stanje na tržištu. Istaknuti su problemi koji sputavaju razvoj akvakulture u ušću rijeke Krke, aktivnosti koje je potrebno provesti prije ulaska u EU i mogući scenariji budućeg razvoja uzgoja školjkaša.In this paper is presented a brief survey of thirty years investigations and controlled shellfish farming in brackish waters of the Krka river estuary. Special emphasis was placed on physical planning of the Šibenik–Knin county and the town of Šibenik. The presentation of shellfish farming status at the end of the year 2007 provides the survey of shellfish farming area and the number of concessionaires, the structure of farmers, production and potential for shellfish farming, dispatch centres and shellfish farm infrastructure as well as market conditions. Problems were highlighted that restrained the development of aquaculture in the Krka river estuary along with the activities necessary to be performed before entering the European Union, providing potential scenarios of shellfish farming in the future

REPRODUCTION CYCLE OF THE Chlamys varia L. AND LARVAE MONITORING OF THE Pectinidae IN PLANKTON OF THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER KRKA

Razvoj akvakulturne djelatnosti i bogata populacija male kapice (Chlamys varia L. Š Pectinidae) u ušću rijeke Krke potaknuli su provedena istraživanja indeksa kondicije te pojave i raspodjele ličinaka u planktonu ušća kako bi se upoznao njezin reproduktivni ciklus i utvrdila mogućnost sakupljanja mlađa za potrebe kontrolirana uzgoja. Rezultati istraživanja (slike 1-4) pokazali su da je mriješćenje male kapice dualnoga tipa, s primarnim maksimumom u proljeće i sekundarnim u jesen. Najintenzivnija pojava ličinaka češljaša u planktonu zabilježena je pri temperaturi od 18 do 20 ºC i slanosti većoj od 30 x 10-3 . Optimalno vrijeme za sakupljanje mlađa male kapice u ušću rijeke Krke, za potrebe kontrolirana uzgoja, jest razdoblje od lipnja do rujna, a najpovoljnija dubina za postavljanje kolektora jest između 10 i 15 m.The development of aquaculture and the rich population of Chlamys varia L. Š Pectinidae in the mouth of the river Krka prompted investigations carried out on the condition indexes and the occurrence and distribution of larvae in the plankton of the rivers mouth, to find out more about its reproductive cycle and to determine the possibility to collect young for use in controlled culture. Results of the investigations showed that spawing of the Chlamys varia L. is of a dual type, with a primary maximum in spring and a secondary maximum in autumn. The most intensive occurrence of the larvae Pectinidae in plankton was recorded in temperatures of from 18 to 20 ºC and at a salinity of above 30 x 10-3. The optimal time for collecting young Chlamys varia L. in the mouth of the river Krka, for use in controlled culture, is the period between June and September, and the most satisfactory depth for placing the collectors is at a depth beetwen 10 and 15 m

REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE AND MONITORING OF SCALLOP LARVE (PECTEN JACOBAEUS L.) IN PLANKTON FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER KRKA

Uočena prisutnost češljača (Pectinidae) te razvoj akvakulturne djelatnosti u ušču rijeke Krke potaknuli su istraživanja gonadnog indeksa, sezonskih promjena težine tkiva jakovske kapice (Pecten jacobaeus L.) i distribucije ličinki češljača u planktonu ušća, kako bi se upoznao njihov reproduktivni ciklus te utvrdila mogućnost sakupljanja mlađi za potrebe kontroliranog uzgoja. Na osnovi rezultata istraživanja reproduktivnog ciklusa utvrdeno je da se jakovska kapica mrijesti u proljetnom razdoblju. Najintezivnija pojava ličinaka češljača u planktonu zabilježena je pri temperaturi oko 18 do 20 °C i salinitetu iznad 30 x 10 -3. Najpogodnije vrijeme za sakupljanje mlađa jakovske kapice u ušću rijeke Krke za potrebe kontroliranog uzgoja jest razdoblje od ožujka do srpnja, a optimalna dubina za postavljanje kolektora (na lokalitetima dubine 20 i više metara) dubina je između 10 i 15 metara.The presence of Pectinidae and the development of aquaculture at the mouth of the river Krka inspired investigations on the gonad index, seasonal changes of tissue weight of the scallop (Pecten jacobaeus L.) as well as the distribution of its larvae in plankton of the river mouth. The aim of this study was to learn about their reproductive cycle and determine the possibility of collecting young for controlled culture. Based on results of investigations of the reproductive cycle it was determined that the scallops spawn in the spring. The highest occurrence of scallop larvae in plankton was recorded in temperatures of about 18 to 20°C and a salinity of above 30 x 10-3. The optimal time for collecting juvenile scallops, at the mouth of the river Krka, for use in controlled culture, is the period from March to July, and the optimal depth for placing the collectors (on localities of 20 and more meters) is between 10 and 15 meters