Transcript Lastovo – heading for sustainable development

Tomislav Skračić, MA
Undergraduate English
Course for
MARITIME MANAGERS
5th Semester
Essential reading:
 T. Skračić, Waypoint – English Textbook for Maritime
Students, Faculty of Maritime Studies, Split 2010,
Units 22-28
 T. Trappe & G. Tullis, Intelligent Business, Longman
2005, Units 12-14

The waters around Lastovo
are home to important
fisheries, loggerhead turtles,
red coral and other
endangered species. There
are two species of dolphins:
bottlenose dolphin and
common dolphin. In addition
to monk seals, which can
rarely be seen, dolphins are
the last mammals that dwell
in the Adriatic Sea.

One of the most significant sea communities in this area
are the meadows of the Posidonia sea grass. A quarter of
all known species of the Mediterranean Sea live on these
meadows because they are important for reproduction,
growth and providing shelter to many organisms.

Among other things
Posidonia links sediment,
diminishes erosion and
enriches the sea with
oxygen. In most of the
Mediterranean it is
endangered by trawling,
dynamite fishing,
anchoring and pollution,
but it is still relatively well
preserved in Middle and
South Adriatic.

In addition to marine diversity, Lastovo and the
surrounding islets are home to many rare orchids and
endemic plants, animals such as the endemic karst
lizard, and birds such as the Eleonora's falcon, yellow
legged-gull, and pallid swift.

Local NGO Sunce and other environmentalists
supported efforts to have Lastovo declared a Nature
park, which occurred in 2007. Helped by WWF, this
local-led initiative was the first in Croatia, where
protected areas are generally viewed with suspicion. A
part of the nearby Mljet island is a National park, but the
local people do not like this. They can not do anything
without permission, and they are excluded from
managing the park. A Nature park is different – it allows
for human activities and so makes more sense for
island communities.

The carrying capacity of Lastovo will be determined and
this will provide an established limit to the maximum
number of tourists who can stay on the island at one
time. In addition, Nature Park status will help control
illegal building and will also help improve health care,
ferry links and other services. It is not just the island’s
nature that needs to be saved, but also its people.

WWF and Sunce’s support is part of a wider project to
establish a "Blue Corridor" — a 4200 km² stretch of
islands and water that will include different types of
The
Blue Corridor,
protected
areas and zones, all managed by local
especially the Palagruža
people.
archipelago and the Jabuka
pit, is rich in commercially
important species like
Norway shrimp, hake,
striped mullet and small
blue fish: sprat, pilchard,
and anchovy.

Indented coast and
numerous shallows of these
islands are abundant in
highly appreciated lobsters
and fish such as sea
bream, grouper, and
common dentex. Within the
zone, WWF and Sunce will
be helping islanders to
develop responsible
ecotourism and other
sustainable livelihoods, not
just to help conserve
biodiversity but also to help
the people in the long term.
1.
Answer the following questions:
a) Name some endangered or rare species that live in
the area of Lastovo.
b) Name some commercial marine species that live in the
area.
c) What are the most serious problems that the island is
coping with?
d) Why do environmentalists believe that mass tourism
on Lastovo is a bad idea?
2. Translate the following sentences into English:
a) Privezište (berths / docks) je dijelom smješteno u
uvali Velo Lago, a dijelom u uvali Malo Lago.
Raspolaže s 50 vezova opremljenih strujom i vodom.
Crpka za gorivo nalazi se u mjestu (town) Ubli
udaljenom 3 km (1 NM).
b) Razvoj nautičkog turizma ne zasniva se samo na
krajoliku i slikovitim mjestima, čistom moru i
razvedenosti obale, brojnim otocima i arhipelazima.
c) Konoba nudi lastovske specijalitete (specialties): ribu,
jastoge, rižoto i salate od plodova mora (seafood
salads), janjetinu, te vino Augusta Insula koje je
dobitnik srebrne medalje za kvalitetu.
d) Autentične odlike, te usvajanje (implementation)
modernih nautičkih trendova, pomoći će našim
marinama da postanu prepoznatljiv brand.
e) U vrijeme globalizacije izbor turističke destinacije ovisi
o nijansama.
f) Zaštićena kao izvorni artefakt (genuine / original
artefact / AmE artifact), paška čipka (lace) jedan je
od rijetkih autohtonih suvenira kojega se zaista isplati
kupiti.
g) Na Prviću stalno prebiva (live) jedva nešto više od
stotinu ljudi, djece gotovo i nema, a nema niti bilo
kakvog oblika privrede.
h) Obalni razvoj utječe na (impacts) morske ekosustave i
njihovu bioraznolikost na izravan i neizravan način.