Exchange

Grant for Developing the Cross-Border Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro

 Exchange - Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity

Tourism Offer

Kotor, Montenegro: A partnership agreement for implementation the project “Explore
Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity – EXChAngE” is signed on 9 th September 2020 in the
Institute of Marine Biology, the University of Montenegro. By signing the Agreement, the
Institute is granted with Eur 430,000 from the European Union IPA II funds from the
Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-
Montenegro 2014-2020.
On the project main objective, Dr Aleksandar Joksimović, Institute Director said,
“Activities will be implemented with the main objective to strengthen and diversify the
tourism offer through exploring cross-border aquatic biodiversity and to enable better
management and sustainable use of cultural and natural heritage. In Kotor, we will
develop new tourism offer - Aquarium Boka, which will be integral part of a new cross-
border tourism product – the Blue Pass. It will enable visits of other developed new
thematic routes: Dubrovnik and Aquarium (Croatia), Hutovo Blato Aqua Path, and
Mostar Old Bridge and River Neretva (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and attracts more
tourists in the area.”
The project will be implemented by the unique consortium led by the University of
Dubrovnik, Croatia. Partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina are Tourism Organization of
Herzegovina-Neretva county and Nature Park “Hutovo Blato”. Besides the Institute,
partner from Montenegro is Tourism Organization Kotor. Total project budget is 1,7 M
Eur with EU co-financing of 1,4 M Eur. Project has started on 15 th August 2020 and will
last for 24 months.
About Institute of Marine Biology: Core competencies of IMB are focused on
research in the fields of mariculture, marine conservation, ichthyology and marine
fisheries, chemistry, general biology, neurophysiology and eco-physiology, biochemistry
and molecular biology. Recent results present marine biodiversity of Boka Kotorska Bay,
and provide inputs for the National Strategy for Integrated Coastal Zone Management
of Montenegro.