The Bardača wetland used to be home to numerous species of birds, but today it is slowly disappearing

Although writing about negative things is not our practice, we want this article to be understood as a message for all generations, including those yet to come. Let this text be a presentation of how human influence can greatly damage areas that are “God-given“, and how carelessness can lead to greater and greater consequences, both for flora and fauna, and human lives.

Only 30 kilometers from the Gradiška border crossing, on the very border of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia, surrounded by the Sava and Vrbas, you will find Bardača wetland, once one of the most important wetlands in the country. This area is situated in the municipality of Srbac, not far from Banja Luka, and characterized as a Ramsar area, that is, a protected wetland of international importance.

But even though it is protected, it is smaller every year.

Bardaca wetland, Photo: Malesevic Darija, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bardača used to have 11 lakes. The area was fed by Sava’s tributary, the Matura River, and it covered more than 3,500 hectares, while the total size of all the lakes was about 730 hectares. Today, out of all 11 lakes, only one remains, and it is used for fishing.

In addition to being once considered one of the most important wetlands, it was home to about 200 species of birds, which took a rest here on their way south, and over 300 species of vascular plants.

But in addition to its natural beauty and importance, this area contributed a lot to its population, so fish has been farmed here for years. In the 70s and 80s of the 20th century, the population earned enough from fishing to feed their families.

Carp, grass carp, pike, catfish, perch, and many other species have always been found in the lakes.

Bardaca wetland, Photo: Malesevic Darija, CC BY-SA 4.0

Unfortunately, due to privatization, changes in river courses, the construction of embankments, and conversion of the area into agricultural land, the wetland area of Bardača decreased more and more, a large number of birds simply left it, and fishing became only a hobby for those residents who remained.

Around what was left, a sports and recreation center, a restaurant with artificial lakes, and a few fisherman’s cottages on the pond were built.

 

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Although the area has been protected since 2007, civil associations for the protection of nature have been constantly fighting since 2003 with private owners and representatives of the authorities, who constantly exploit this area. So all that was beautiful is now only a picnic area.

We hope that there will be changes for the better and that this article will not become just a memory of what used to be important! We recommend that you visit it while you still have the chance!