12 Dec 2019
Following the catastrophic fires in the reedbeds this February and March, in which 300 hectares of wetland vegetation were burnt, the MBPNP held a meeting on the subject with local authorities and organisations. Taking the conclusions of the meeting into consideration in the annual planning for the project, and following the approval of the MBPNP and the Public Land Company for the course of the work, the SPP proceeded with the creation of firebreaks in the wetlands. The works began in July with the creation of a pilot firebreak near the church of Agia Anna. Efforts continued in November with the opening of 9 further firebreaks around the shore of Lesser Prespa Lake. The firebreaks have been cut using the project’s amphibian cutter and the aim of the work is to create areas free of tall vegetation – when these flood during the winter they will prevent the spread of fires in the wetland, protecting the reedbeds and waterbird colonies.
A supplementary measure for the protection of reedbeds from fires is the clearing of vegetation from selected drainage channels. The aim of this effort is to prevent the spread of fire from the drainage channels – where fires often originate – to the reedbeds. Following the related decision of the Local Land Reclamation Service, the project team cleared vegetation in three drainage channels, which were chosen as they are connected with the wetlands and thus have the risk of fire spreading to the reedbeds through them is higher.
