The National Agency of Protected Areas shared on social networks images provided from the trap cameras located in the “Bredhi i Hotovës-Dangëlli” National Park.

The Agency said that, “These cameras have yielded their results, documenting and confirming the high presence of wild boar, roe deer, squirrel, fox, etc.”

Monitoring wildlife through trap cameras is an important process to document the fauna throughout the different times of the year.

Wild fauna species live peacefully in their habitats thanks to the hunting moratorium.

The extension of the moratorium until 2025 aims to improve the condition of wild fauna species. /p.s./

Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment Almira Xhambulla and accompanying staff were invited for this bill.

In the presentation of this draft law, Xhambulla stated that, “With revision of the unification with the code of administrative procedures, it is planned to amend those articles which deal with the revocation of the permit and not the validity of the CITES permit, for the international trade of endangered species of wild fauna and flora.”

The relator of the case Baftajr Zeqaj said that the purpose of changing the law is to ensure the effective implementation of public administrative functions in the service of persons and the protection of their rights and legal interests.

The unification of the articles of this law with the Code of Administrative Procedures makes it possible to effectively perform public administrative functions in the service of persons who seek to be provided with a permit so that the international trade of wild fauna and flora does not endanger their survival and avoid their abuses during international trade.

After discussions, the committee members approved this draft law in principle. /j.p/p.s./

“The colleagues of the 12 regional directorates of Natural Protected Areas give us a good news on the eve of the New Year”, said Kumbaro, who then listed the plants and animals found by the specialists of the National Agency of Protected areas throughout the Albanian territory.

Some of the new findings on the flora are: Centaurea Shumkana, Eranthis hyemalis, Buxbaumia viridis, Limonium csamilium.

New documentation on the fauna concerns species such as: Mediterranean seal, Balkan lynx, Odontaspis ferox, Wild turkey, Sea turtle, Wild goat, Roe deer, Deer, Jackal, Otter, Snail (Allaegopis amphikypellon), Bear, wolf, badger, partridge and wild boar.

Thanks to the moratorium on hunting as well as the constant care of the staff of the protected areas, there has been a regeneration of wild fauna in our country.

Thanks to the moratorium, there is already not only an increase in the number of species, restoring normality to natural habitats, but also quite unique attractions such as protected areas with a significant increase in visitors. The extension of the moratorium until 2025 aims to improve the condition of wild fauna species./p.s./

Almira Xhembulla, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment, and the relevant technical staff were guests to the meeting.

During her presentation, Xhembulla spoke about the essence of the proposed legal changes and argued the reasons for the request to extend the deadline of hunting ban across the country by another 5 years. According to deputy minister, implementation of the two previous moratoriums, respectively with laws no. 7/2014 and no. 61/2016, “On the announcement of the hunting moratorium in the Republic of Albania” banning hunting for a period of 7 years enabled an improvement of the situation for wild fauna in our country.

Among the novelties of the draft law, Xhembulla mentioned designation of institutions responsible for monitoring implementation of the moratorium.

Xhembulla further underlined that the 5-year moratorium is foreseen to serve for the recovery of populations in all species of birds, creating the possibility for a significant enrichment of biodiversity in Albania, but also a full growth of eco-tourism related to activities such as: bird watching visitors or tours related to nature and environment lovers.

MP Antoneta Dhima, in her capacity as rapporteur, highlighted the significance of the initiative in enriching biodiversity in our country and the effects of the current moratorium on enrichment of wild fauna, object of hunting.

Dhima further clarified the provisions made in the law, regarding the institutions responsible for implementation of the moratorium, the measures such as fines, the cases when hunting will be allowed, etc.

While the chairman of the Committee on Economy Shalsi said that the ban on hunting has significantly improved the condition of species of wild fauna, object of hunting (and not only). “But the drafting of a new law and the post-moratorium management plan must begin immediately.” /k.s/p.s./

Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro emphasized the necessity of application of the law for the conservation of the fauna.

The routine meeting of the Fauna Consultative Council was chaired by Deputy Minister Almira Xhembulla.

“No matter how different opinions we may have, we all agree on the tranquility that has been created in the habitats. Before, only the smell of gunpowder prevailed. Therefore, as long as we have this situation, we need to dictate the need to use the law to preserve the fauna, especially what is targeted for hunters,” said Kumbaro.

In the meeting chaired by Xhembulla, there were discussed issues related to conservation processes, management and inventory of fauna, as well as the role of management structures, control and punishment by addressing these issues from the perspective of environmental crime under the Criminal Code.

Members of the representative council of the hunters’ federation, representatives of civil society, experts in the field as well as representatives of the ministry and local government gave their recommendations and opinions regarding the draft law, but also the problems of the fauna situation in general./p.s./