Invasive Alien Species | Radoje Laušević

On 15 May 2018, I participated as MonteAqua Project Manager in the workshop on invasive and introduced species at the Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor, Montenegro. The event brought together more than 50 participants from nearly 20 institutions, including public authorities, coastal municipalities, researchers, NGOs and businesses.

My presentation introduced five groups of MonteAqua activities: networking, capacity building, communication, workshops and professional studies. I outlined their contribution to aquatic biodiversity conservation and Montenegro’s alignment with EU nature protection requirements.

I also presented the 9mCollab platform, introducing a digital resource for collaboration and knowledge exchange. These contributions connected the project’s wider objectives with the workshop’s practical focus on institutional cooperation and biodiversity protection.

The programme combined scientific and regulatory perspectives. Presentations addressed Croatia’s experience with invasive alien species legislation, Montenegro’s draft legal framework, introduced freshwater species and the use of Local Ecological Knowledge to monitor newly recorded marine fish and crustaceans.

Discussions also covered permitting procedures, ballast-water controls and coordination between maritime and environmental authorities. Participants highlighted the need for species inventories, distribution maps and an action plan to guide implementation.

For my work as project manager, the workshop connected MonteAqua’s networking and capacity-building activities with concrete institutional needs. It created an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to exchange experience on a shared conservation challenge.

MonteAqua was implemented by the Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, in cooperation with the University of Kragujevac, with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

View workshop gallery: LINK.

Let’s make progress together.