IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Jadran sails home

16 October 2008 | News story

Moored in the Port Vell for seven days, Jadran - the heart of Sailing to Barcelona initiative, represented the transboundary cooperation network of South-Eastern Europe warmly welcoming the participants of the World Conservation Congress and Barcelona’s public onboard.

After more than a thousand nautical miles, Jadran entered Barcelona’s Port Vell on the 3rd October, bringing the group of South-Eastern European conservationists sailing from Montenegro to the World Conservation Congress. During the day it was attracting numerous visitors’ attention, interested to learn about its historical heritage and in the evenings, Jadran hosted various events. The celebration of 75th Anniversary of the ship gathered more than 400 participants including Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General, Valli Moosa, President of IUCN and Tamás Marghescu, IUCN Regional Director for Europe. Minister of Tourism end Environment Predrag Nenezic has officially announced the decision of Montenegro to join IUCN family soon after the Congress. The same intention was declared by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of Serbia two days later. The reception co organised by IUCN Offices for Caucasus and South-Eastern Europe took place on the 8th of October and the next day the farewell party. 

The Jadran had the privilege to launch the Congress, and played the leading role in the closing of its first part – the Forum. On the 10th October it raised its sails with an unforgettable show and left the Port Vell returning to Montenegro and reaching its home port Tivat on the 17th October.

As Mr Richard Clarke, Director of the Center for European Protected Areas research at the London University says, now it is up to all of us to “[…] help to ensure a sustainable future for our planet and its inhabitants – human and ‘natural’, so that hopefully the Jadran will be able to sail through clean seas promoting a message of conservation alongside its ‘official’ purpose for future generations”.

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
Sarah Gindre, Sailing to Barcelona Project Manager, sarah.gindre@iucn.org

Tomasz Pezold, Project Officer, IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe, Mob: +381 63 357 837, tomasz.pezold@iucn.org