THE PROJECTS IN BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

PORTRAIT OF A MIRACLE,
Proteus anguinus anguinus
(Laurenti 1768.) 

.....PROTEUS PROJECT WEBPAGE [3.] CONTENTS :-
.....Click on the underlined Links below to move down to the Sections more quickly.

.....Section 3...Background Administrative Data to the Project :
.....Section 4...Project Participants and their Roles (Synopsis) :
.....Section 5...Synopsis of the Problems with Proteus anguinus and its Natural Karst Habitat in Eastern Herzegovina.
.......sub-Section 5.1...Proteus Habitat Threat No. 1...ERS / HET Co. Hydro-Electric Scheme :
.......sub-Section 5.2...Proteus Habitat Threat No. 2...Introduction of Foreign Fauna :
.......sub-Section 5.3...Proteus Habitat Threat No. 3...Industrial & Domestic Water-borne Pollution :
.......sub-Section 5.4...Proteus Habitat Threat No. 4...Ubiquitous Dumping of General Domestic and Farm Waste :
.......sub-Section 5.5...Proteus Habitat Threat No. 5...Illicit Trading in Proteus Specimens, The Law and Uncontrolled Publicity of Proteus Habitat Locations
.................................and the collecting of other speleo-fauna specimens for private collections, trading and for supposed scientific research :
.......sub-Section 5.6...Proteus Habitat Threat No. 6...The Apathy of Society in General and of the Competent Authorities in Particular - [Illustrated by an Interesting, typical Case History] :
.....Section 6...Aims and Objectives of the Project.
.....Section 7...Geographical Scope of the Project Area as Defined by Associated Catchment Areas and the Proteus Habitat Locations :
.....Section 8...Project Financial Costs, Funding Sources, Sponsorship and Partnerships :
.....Section 9...Support Documentation for Research Assistants :
.....Section 10...Incidental Non-Project-Related Data Acquisition, Surface Flora and Fauna :
.....Section 11...Glossary of Biological Terms used in the text of this 2-part Webpage, together with General Speleo-Biological Terms :

.....Click on the underlined Links below to navigate to the other "Proteus Project" Webpages more quickly.

.....Link to. "Proteus Project" Introductory Webpage :
.....Link to. "Proteus Project" Webpage [1.] :
.....Link to. "Proteus Project" Webpage [2.] :

..........Proteus anguinus anguinus (Laurenti 1768.)  in its native habitat, Eastern Herzegovina, RS-Bosnia & Herzegovina, about to undergo rapid Biometric examination.
..........(Photos :  B. Lewarne, 08 August 2005.)
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-...General :
This Project is the parent for the Devon Karst Research Society's Projects No. 1. and No. 2.  in Eastern Herzegovina, both of which are data sources to feed information into the Society's Main BiH Project No. 3.
This Project is currently an integral part of the Society's Foreign Policy and is partly funded via that Policy through its Foreign Assistance Programme. For this reason, Public Access to the details of this Project published on this Website remain limited.
Further details on Access Arrangements to the webpages dealing with this Project are given above in the General Introduction.
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-...Project Start-up :
This Project was formally designated on 14 August 2000. There were initial severe communications problems with the remote parts of Eastern Herzegovina in the "Republika Srpska" Territory of Bosnia & Herzegovina, causing a delay in start-up. Communications are now normalized.
It was not until early 2002 that contact was finally made with speleological representatives in the Federation Territory part of Eastern Herzegovina.

-...Inter-project Alliances :
.....This Project was formerly designated at start-up as :   Project DKRS-II / BiH-IH / 140800PTPH.
.....It was subsequently changed to :   Project DKRS-JI / RS-BiH / UK / 140800PTPH.,
.....before changing in July 2001 to :   Project DKRS-JI / RS-BiH / H / SLN / UK / 140800PTPH.,
.....reflecting the introduction of our Hungarian Team and the need and the aim to involve Slovenia into the Project.
.....The Project Code No. then changed in August 2002 :   Project DKRS-JI / BiH / H / SLN / UK / 140800PTPH.,
.....reflecting the limited success of the aim to involve both of the territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
.....The Project Code No. then changed again to the present code in August 2007 :   Project DKRS-JI / BiH / H / SLO / UK / 140800PTPH.,
.....reflecting the semi-active engagement of Slovenia into the Project.
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This Project is also partly allied with :
Sub-Projects DKRS-II / BiH-IH / 120800DPMPP  and  DKRS-JI / BiH-RS / H / UK / 210501SIFP. both of which supply information to this Main Project
and extensive details of which are given in the Public Access Pages of the Society's Website dealing with the Society's Activities (Europe).
-...Project Control :
Details of Project Control are given in Section 4. below. Control at the Local Level in Eastern Herzegovina is split equally between each representative PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR GROUP in F-BiH and RS-BiH, although it should be remembered that at present,
there is no Project participation by any representatives of the speleological community in F-BiH Eastern Herzegovina. Control at the International Level is undertaken by the UK PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR GROUP.

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4.1...WHO IS IT NECESSARY TO INVOLVE?
.....4.1.1.    Introduction :
The Project has been initiated and is being controlled through accountable and verifiable processes by suitable representatives of the appropriate Voluntary Sector organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the UK.
The Project's Geographical Area of historical Eastern Hercegovina is in both the "Federation" Territory and the "Republika Srpska" Territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond and is further outlined below.

.....4.1.2.    Declaration of a Code of Conduct for all Participants :
For the benefit of the progress of the Project, the representatives of each BiH Territory will be dealt with on a basis of mutual respect and even-handedness by all other participants. insofar as each BiH Territory is equally the custodian of a part of the range of the Proteus Habitat in Eastern Herzegovina. Each is to respect the other's Language, Culture and Human Rights. Anything less is totally unacceptable and anyone found breaching this Code of Conduct will be immediately expelled from participating in the Project.
Participating speleologists of other countries will also observe this Code of Conduct in respect of their interaction with the BiH local communities and with each other. This is a strict condition of participation.

.....4.1.3.   General Approach :
The proposals contained within the Project, if fully realized to their maximum potential, could beneficially impact upon the lives of whole communities. It is therefore extremely important to involve suitable representatives from all the appropriate sectors of society in all the affected communities in Eastern Herzegovina.
From the outset, it was necessary to source a suitable local Voluntary Sector.Speleological / Karstological Society or Societies, who would be both willing and able to take on the Project through to a point of acceptable conclusion.
We have had an 8 year process of contact with the Speleološko društvo "Bosanskohercegovački krš " in Sarajevo, F-BiH. They have been of immense help to us in locating people and organizations in the area of Eastern Herzegovina. We would like to express our deepest gratitude and respect to Mr Jasminko Mulaomerović.
Our Voluntary Sector / NGO joint partner organization for the Project in Eastern Herzegovina is Speleološko društvo "Zelena Brda" in Trebinje, RS-BiH. There are no other true "speleological" societies in RS-BiH., although there are several recreational caving clubs who operate under the guise of speleology.

We are also acutely aware of the prevailing and sensitive political circumstances in the Project Area which necessitates the involvement of, or obtaining permissions from Political Administrative Authorities from both the "Federation" and "Republika Srpska" Territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It should be noted that we have no interest in politicising this Project for the benefit of one or other of the two Territories. However, we are sufficiently aware to realise that the ultimate Aims and Objectives of this Project cannot be completely realized in the long-term without the involvement of the State.

It has been necessary for practical reasons to enlist the support of the Hydro-electric Industry which controls access to many important karst and speleological locations in Eastern Herzegovina. Formerly, the whole of the hydro-electric infrastructure belonged to one Company based in Trebinje. However, since the Bosnian War in the 1990's and the segregation of Eastern Herzegovina into two separate Territories, the infrastructure is now in multiple ownership.
In RS-BiH, the previous single owner of the complete hydroelectric generating system continues to assume control over the infrastructure in that Territory. In F-BiH, we believe that there is one single owner of the remaining infrastructure in that Territory.

It has been necessary to seek professional help and advice from Academics who specialise in or have worked with Proteus anguinus research. This has led us to search for those Nationals who have done work specifically in Eastern Herzegovina or who are recognised specialists from outside of BiH. We recognize the importance of having continual access to specialists who can be relied upon to make a contribution to the general effort as and when necessary.

We recognize that it will be of paramount importance to involve and engage with the Education Sector in due course. This will be necessary if we are to have any impact with re-educating people at household level in the community.

We also recognise the importance of involving the Press and Media.to put the Project across fully and effectively into the Community, not only to raise the profile of the Project within the population, but more importantly for the purposes of mass education.

Of great importance is the co-operation and participation of the general populace itself, without whom the ultimate Aims and Objectives of the Project can never be realised.

The names of the participating individuals, organizations and other contributors, together with their roles within the remit of the Project, are outlined below. Details of any expertise or other useful skills, knowledge or contacts that they can offer are also included.

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[Illustrated by an Interesting,
Typical Case History].
VRELO "OKO", (Zasad).

Prior to the gigantic civil engineering construction works associated with the building of infrastructure to support a region-wide integrated hydro-electric generation scheme for the Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjici Co. (HET), the prevailing natural environmental conditions in the karst of the area were very much different to that of today. The impressive hydro-electric scheme would line the entire length of the Trebišnjica Karst River with concrete and shotcrete, from Trebinje to its natural end at the Ponikva Ponor Zone near Hutovo, a distance of 45 km. The Kaluđerov Ponor would be left totally non-functional. Hydro-electric dams would be constructed upstream of Trebinje which would mean the flooding of smaller karst polja. In Popovo Polje, karst ponors at the Upper (Lug - Trebinjsko Šuma) end of the Polje would be concreted over. Mid and Lower Polje karst ponors would be opened up and cleared and would be joined by new, lined canals, to the nearby Trebišnjica River, which would result in leading away excessive quantities of water quickly from the floor of Popovo Polje to the ponors. Reservoirs would be built and many kilometres of tunnels would be constructed allowing the novelty of forward and reverse flows of water within the hydro-electric generating system, for maximum economic benefit.

The melioration of Popovo Polje would be at last achieved, relieving it of an average 253 days of flooding each year. Certainly no mean feat of engineering, but at what expense to the natural water environment and its rich karst fauna? As a rough general guide to the more instantly obvious effects we list the following:-
    5.1.1.  The hitherto natural two-way water flow functionality of many estavelles has now been reduced to a managed permanent condition of one-way flow, whereby these karst features now only function as periodic karst springs, if at all.
    5.1.2.   Many karst ponors are no longer functional, having been permanently deprived of their water input, which in turn will have a direct effect on the hydrology of localised underground environments and habitats.
    5.1.3.   The entire karst hydrology and karst hydrography of the Popovo Polje area and the connected endokarst down the natural hydraulic gradient in the direction of the Croatian and Herzegovinian Adriatic seaboards and the littoral karst has been massively affected, with many karst underground flowlines and flowpaths permanently altered in one way or another.
    5.1.4....The dehydration of Popovo Polje would have an immeasureable and permanent detrimental effect on the karst underground in the whole region, altering the natural karst ecology and with it, the natural habitat of Proteus and other species. Milanović (1987) claims that 37 known Proteus habitat sites were destroyed by the effects of the Hydro-energy construction scheme.

The active proposals by the Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) since the end of the Bosnian War of the 1990's to complete the project "Multipurpose Use of the Waters of the Upper Horizons of the Trebišnjica". / "Višenamjensko korišćenje voda gornjih horizonata", will only add massive destruction to the region's important karst eco-diversity. A further step in realizing this Project was completed in June 2005. with the completion of the excavation for the pilot tunnel from Fatničko Polje to Bilećko Jezero. This will lead to the complete destruction of the natural hydrological conditions and associated karst ecology of this Polje, yet again replicating the company's previous irresponsible behaviour in Popovo Polje. The further destruction of Proteus anguinus habitats is, therefore, inevitable.
Further details about this and the currently uncontrollable chemical pollution of the Trebišnjica River Basin and its trans-boundary aquifers at the River Basin's highest elevations by the irresponsible activities of old industry, can be found in the Webpages dealing with this feeder-Project elsewhere in this Website, or more quickly by clicking on the following Link:..Fatničko Polje - Section 13. (Anthropogenic Impact).

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It was long ago in history that use was made of the natural food supply afforded by the annual fishing season in the inundated or flooded Popovo Polje. Out of a total of 7 species of Gaovica salmonoid fish, all endemic to the former Yugoslavia, 3 species live in and are native to the region of Eastern Herzegovina, and are namely:
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.....Popovska Gaovica or "Popovo Gaovica"  (Paraphoxinus ghetaldi, Steindachner, 1882.)
.....[as of 2004, it has a revised Scientific Name:   Delminichthys ghetaldii, Steindachner, 1882.]
..........Synonyms: 
...............Phoxinellus ghetaldii (Steindachner, 1882)
...............Phoxinellus pstrossii (Steindachner, 1882)
..........Taxonomic Notes:  Following Eschmeyer (2004), Paraphoxinus ghetaldi was transferred to Phoxinellus ghetaldii. Note change in Genus name-spelling.
........................................Kingdom : ANIMALIA;   Phylum: CHORDATA;   Class: ACTINOPTERYGII;   Order: CYPRINIFORMES;   Family: CYPRINIDAE 
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.....Gatačka Gaovica or "Gacko Gaovica"  (Paraphoxinus metohiensis, Steindachner, 1901.)
.....Trebinjska Gaovica or "Trebinje Gaovica"  (Paraphoxinus pstrossi, Steindachner, 1882.)
..........Taxonomic Notes:  Following Eschmeyer (2004), Paraphoxinus pstrossi seems to have been regarded as the same species as Phoxinellus ghetaldii.
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[Gaovica are the only salmonoid fish without scales on their skin.]
The principal ones, Popovska and Trebinjska Gaovica, lived in relative harmony with the Proteus population and neither one species bothered the other. Harmony reigned in the karst-watery depths.
The continued undisturbed existence of the endemic Paraphoxinus ghetaldi became relevant, in an unlikely way, to that of Proteus. This temporary dweller of the karst under-ground is about 10-17cm. long when fully grown. It spent the dry summer part of the year (ca 100 days) living in the waters of the karst underground in the syphonic pools and lakes. When the Periodic Lake appeared in Popovo Polje, Gaovica came to surface in great quantities through the numerous estavelles that opened in the polje floor. However, with the advent of the complete control of the Polje's hydrography by the engineering of the Trebišnjica Hydro-energy System, and the susbsequent permanent non-reappearance of the periodic lake, the main source for this rich supply of food also dried up.

With the demise of the Popovo Polje intermittent lake and the annual fish supply that went with it, the population of the Popovska Gaovica fish was confined to appearing in decreasing numbers at the mouths of various karst springs, estavelles and ponors. Fishing at the openings of estavelles, which for centuries had been an important source of nutrition for the inhabitants of Popovo Polje, has now completely vanished.
With the inability of this hitherto rich food supply to provide adequate sustenance for the growing human population in and around the area, a local person went to America to source a breed of fish that would thrive in the local rivers and provide a boost in the supply hitherto provided only by the Gaovica fish.

Although we are very pleased to be able to report that the endemic Gaovica fish are certainly plentiful across its range in Eastern Herzegovina, we are presently unaware of any actual or intended conservation management scheme to breed or re-introduce the endemic Gaovica species on a large scale or of any plan to farm this species commercially or of any plan to curtail and limit the presence of the Californian Trout to that of fish farms.

For a more detailed consideration of the Gaovica fish, please click on the following underlined .pdf Link or refer to the following Bibliography :-
...- Bogutskaya, N.G. and Zupancic, P. (2003).*.."Phoxinellus pseudalepidotus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a new species from the Neretva basin with an overview of the morphology of Phoxinellus species of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina."
...........in :..Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters,.14:..pp. 369–383.
...........download this reference as a .pdf.
....- Crivelli, A.J. (2006). Delminichthys ghetaldii.
...........in: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
....- IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006.
....- Zupancic, P. and Bogutskaya, N.G. (2002). "Description of two new species, Phoxinellus krbavensis and P. jadovensis, re-description of P. fontinalis Karaman, 1972 and discussion of the distribution of Phoxinellus species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina."
...........in :..Nat. Croat. 11:..pp. 411–437.

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Over the reporting period, we have now become aware of a problem associated with industrial pollution and which serves to illustrate how a local pollution problem can be felt on a region-wide basis in a karst area.
The incident concerns the production and bad storage practices of waste chemical ash from the furnaces of the Gacko Thermo-electric generating plant No. 1. in Gatačko Polje. This Polje is a major upstream catchment feeder to the Trebišnjica River both directly via the drowned Vrela Trebišnjica karst springs down valley of Bileća; at Vrela Čepelica in the Bileća Reservoir and indirectly via the "Obod", "Baba Jama" and other estavelles in Fatničko Polje.
We have been told by Stanko Dučić, a farmer in Fatnica, that this major pollution incident decimated the wildlife in the "Obod" Estavelle and even after four years, although the Gaovica Fish began returning, they were still poisonous and could not be eaten.

Tons of ash from the power station had been purposely discharged into a ponor in Gatačko Polje and was washed into the undergound system. The water from Fatničko Polje feeds the submerged main spring sources to the Trebišnjica River. This incident may be a major contributor towards the increasing rarity of the once prolific Proteus. The problems associated with the TE Gacko I. Plant are detailed in Section 13. of the Fatničko Polje Webpages (Anthropogenic Impact).
For all those concerned with the on-going problems of karst water quality in BiH Eastern Herzegovina and Croatian Herzegovina, we strongly advise that you consult the aforementioned Section 13.

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The urban area of Trebinje contains countless sites where domestic and other wastes are dumped randomly on the karst. Many of these dumping areas are on or in very hydrologically-active areas such as ponor zones, (such as that at Pridvorci), where water sinks into the underground or at karst springs such as Vrelo "Oko" at Zasad, which were or are still used as potable drinking supplies.

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5.5.1...TRADING IN CAVE FAUNA :
There is the usual problem of illicit trading in Proteus specimens. Unscrupulous individuals have already approached Project Workers with offers of specimens for sale. We do not accept such offers and will use every means to deter or prevent the capturing and selling of this extremely rare species.

Historically, trading in Proteus specimens seems to have always taken place. Some of the extreme examples of this are detailed in an interesting article written by Shaw (1999). 
Proteus was for a long time on the list of the Washington CITES convention, which prohibits trade in rare wild animals, but it has now been removed. Although all surrounding countries are Party to the CITES Convention, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a signatory country to the CITES Convention. Even if it were, we suspect that unscrupulous dealers would not give a second thought to this. This animal appears regularly on price lists in Italian shops for wealthy aquarists and is also a much wanted item, dead or alive, for export to Asia. Even biologists and many other scientists from all over the world use this disreputable method to acquire specimens for their research. The live animal is also collected as a curiosity by aquarists in Italy and France and has been seen on sale in Paris.

Unusually, we do reveal the location of one Proteus Habitat in Paragraph 5.6. below. From sometime during the early 1960's until 2007., this was a Proteus..ex-Habitat due to the conditions prevailing at the location as described and we reveal it as a very necessary "Case History" illustration of how we are attempting to turn around and improve a very sad and very common situation facing many Proteus Habitat Locations.

It should be mentioned here that there is now an increasing number of "rogue cavers" visiting BiH for the purposes of specimen collection and uncontrolled recreational caving pursuits. Even reputable speleo-biologists are directly or indirectly connected with unscrupulous specimen collectors. In this connection, there is one wealthy Slovak specimen collector who is an annual visitor to the area of Eastern Herzegovina and Montenegrin Herzegovina. The Slovak collector (also a businessman) seems to specialise in collecting cave beetles such as Hadesia and Antroherpon. He fraternises with genuine speleologists and through this association is bringing everyone into disrepute. This individual is responsible for removing quantities of cave fauna from Herzegovina for no other reason than self-gratification and financial profit.

 
 

Several amateur and professional so-called "speleo-biologists" have also tried to persuade us that it is supposedly in the interest of scientific research that the endless repeated sampling of cave fauna species, some of whose survival status are already at the "endangered" status, together with their removal from Herzegovina year after year is a necessary activity.
We ourselves are not persuaded of this. We reiterate that there can only be one responsible way forward in the strategy of researching the speleo-biology of Herzegovina; that is to construct the appropriate facilities within Herzegovina and to undertake the work in Herzegovina.
Such work should be done in conjunction with a teaching facility such as a local or regional University, in order to ensure that local specialists are developed in preference to foreign ones. Some of these individuals have been witnessed by us as actually being responsible for removing quantities of cave fauna from Herzegovina for no other reason than academic self-gratification and / or personal financial profit.
We provide two images on the left to illustrate the problem.
 
 
 

5.5.2...THE LAW :
As at 06 September 2005., the Society took the first steps in supporting the speleologists in Eastern Herzegovina to lobby the Trebinje Municipality to introduce Laws to protect caves, karst and the underground fauna. As a viable template from which to begin, we have presented the equivalent Slovene Laws. For the benefit of our colleagues in BiH., you can view these Laws by selecting the following Link :
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5.5.3...UNCONTROLLED PUBLICITY :
There are groups and individuals who seem to revel in the chance of visiting Proteus.habitats and publishing the sightings and locational details in written form or in video-format, without giving any rational thought beforehand of the extra risks they are adding to the already precarious situation regarding the pressures of survival on this hypogean animal and its habitats. We have to report that this situation is not helped by certain "academics" who seem only too ready to publish such data for the supposed "enhancement" of their own personal reputations and for the benefit of their bank accounts, rather than professionally considering all the consequences of doing so! This is reprehensible and we do not support it. With one notable exception, the information within the Public Access pages of this Website does not include specific locations that are active. The only single example (given immediately below) was until recently an ex-Habitat, where Proteus had not been seen for over 40 years because of pollution.

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CASE HISTORY No. 5.6-1.
Subject :  VRELO "OKO",
Location :  Zasad (Trebinje).
Project relevance :  ex-habitat of Proteus anguinus. Planned to become one of two Project Demonstration Sites, in this case specifically as a Demonstration Site for a Proteus anguinus Habitat Restoration Location.

Summary of the Situation :
Vrelo "Oko" (Zasad) is a typical, former Public Freshwater Supply Facility. A natural cave system and its permanent karst water flow have been utilized to provide a high quality and easily accessible public water-supply for the local population. We had thought that the original hydro-melioration project at Vrelo "Oko" was typical of a concept, design and construction used widely and successfully by Austro-Hungarian Karst Engineers in the late 19th Century during the period of Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, in order to introduce good quality water supplies to isolated communities throughout the area and also often in combination with local karst hydro-melioration projects to prevent polje-floor flooding events. However, due to the archaeological evidence at the site, the construction is a combination of inputs from firstly, the Roman Occupation, and then substantially added to during the Ottoman Occupation, and then added to again during the period of Austro-Hungarian Occupation.
Although the original structure built into the limestone bedrock above, around and within the mouth of the cave entrance at Vrelo "Oko" has largely survived intact, its use as a Public Water Supply was replaced more than half a century ago with the modern extension of the existing Austro-Hungarian piped water-supply system from Trebinje into Zasad. (Zasad was once a separate village beyond the earlier historical walled boundaries of Trebinje).

The former water-supply facility has long ago fallen into disuse, with the result that the small, vertical shaft had become a convenient feature into which the local community could readily dispose of all their waste and rubbish. Indeed, Čučković (1967) mentions that this former Proteus anguinus Habitat location had long been used as a rubbish dump, with the consequence that Proteus had not been seen at Vrelo "Oko" for many years. This very sad and disgraceful situation had prevailed ever since and continued until our inspection of the location in 2002.

The synopsis of sub-Project Documentation, accessible via the Linkbelow, will detail the events at Vrelo "Oko" since our appearance and subsequent to our inclusion of this important location into the Proteus anguinus Habitat-restoration Scheme. 
The overall situation that we faced at this location was typical of many in the locale of Trebinje. There is total disinterest and intransigence by the Official organizations tasked with the protection of both the natural water supplies or with the protection of "Natural and Cultural Objects". 
As an additional point of interest and indeed, to illustrate this latter point, we will take the very unusual step of web-publishing our outgoing / incoming e-mail correspondence relating to our attempts to make contact with the relevant Competent Authorities in both Trebinje and at RS-BiH "National" Level in Banja Luka and with those in Sarajevo at full Government Level. Should we be successful in establishing a "rapport" with anyone who satisfies our own criteria of being "sufficiently elevated and relevant within the political hierarchy", we will also web-publish the ensuing relevant correspondence !!

The original single Webpage dedicated to the Vrelo "Oko" (Zasad) location, accessible via the Link below, has now been restructured into 4 separate Webpages, in order to overcome technical issues and to enable us to present the information in a more orderly fashion. Additional text has been added together with more images. The Link below will give you access to the first of the 4 Webpages. The other sequential Webpages can then be accessed via a Link on each of the subsequent dedicated Webpages. 

Insight into the Arrangement of Project Documentation for each Proteus Habitat Location :
For convenience, this special web-published version of the sub-Project Documentation for Vrelo "Oko" at Zasad, combines what were formerly two levels of Project Documentation into the one Document, which has then been further edited down to a more suitable size.
Prior to July 2006, each Proteus Habitat Location (and former or potential Proteus Habitat Locations) within the overall Project had its own "SITE CITATION" Document, which detailed all presently known information about the location, using the following arrangement :-
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......The NAME(S) of the Location;
......GPS CO-ORDINATES and LOCATIONAL DESCRIPTION;
......GENERAL CONDITION;
......HISTORICAL NOTES;
......SITE DESCRIPTION (Exterior);
......SITE DESCRIPTION (Interior);
......KARST HYDROLOGICAL SYNOPSIS;
......NOTES ON SUITABILITY & VIABILITY AS A HABITAT;
......RECORD OF SPECIES SIGHTINGS (Faunal Inventory) and BIOMETRIC RESULTS ON RESIDENT PROTEUS COLONY;
......BIBLIOGRAPHY;
......THE SOCIETY'S OTHER ARCHIVE RECORDS RELATING TO THE SPECIFIC LOCATION.

Since July 2006., this arrangement has changed, whereby all this information is now contained in the Part 1. Documentation of the sub-Project Report relating to each location.
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Another Document details the "Sub-Project Activities" setting out the "Current Proposals for the Programme of Conservation and Preservation" at the location, including :-
......(HABITAT CONSERVATION) :
......-..Proposals for Site Restoration and Clean-up Activities, such as removal of general rubbish and waste materials preventing access to the Habitat and / or which are inhibiting the natural hydrological functionality of the location and / or which are
chemically or biologically contaminating the Habitat;
......-..On-going future Site-management Proposals for the Proteus Habitat-location, by way of a Management Plan and including an on-going Site Monitoring Programme for both Karst Water Quality and Species Sightings.
......(SPECIES CONSERVATION) :
......-..The complex issue surrounding Proposals for Species Conservation is currently being developed.
......(HABITAT PRESERVATION) :
......-..Proposals for on-going future protection of the Proteus Habitat-location by way of official and active involvement by the "Competent Authority(ies)" to ensure that the environmental integrity of the location is not compromised by the introduction
of conflicting activities, such as the inappropriate construction of buildings / services in the locale or the introduction of other activities which would otherwise impair or adversely affect the hydrogical functionality and water quality of the location;
......-..Proposals to ensure that Site-access Control is managed, to prevent unwanted activities at the location.
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and which also contains the latest PROGRESS REPORTS on achieving the proposed aims, including scientific and general reports on  :-
......- ..Site Restoration and Clean-up Activities; 
......- ..Habitat Protection Activities; 
......- ..Hydrological Investigations; 
......- ..On-going Recording of Species Sightings and Species Identification; 
......- ..On-going Karst Water Chemistry and Bacteriological Analyses;
......- ..Habitat vulnerability assessment;
......- ..Attempts to engage the active involvement of the Local Community and the Competent Authorities.
......- ..Resolving Site safety issues.
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The Project has special Databases set up for the input of information relating to Habitat Karst Water Chemistry and Species Sightings Records and currently these are only available to Project Research Assistants.

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6.1.
Proposed Broad Aims 
and Objectives :
 

6.2.
Progress towards achieving
the Broad Aims and
Objectives to date
(as a Document Abstract) :

6.1.    BROAD AIMS AND OBJECTIVES :  (undergoing revision)
Groundwater is the main drinking water reservoir on earth, but also a major ecosystem in terms of biological diversity. Maintaining groundwater quality and conserving its biodiversity are converging goals because their level of biodiversity attests the healthy functioning of these systems. 
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....i)..Identification of the Location of all Proteus aguinus Habitats:
..........To identify all present and newly-identified habitat locations of Proteus anguinus and to search for other potential habitat locations;
....ii)..Qualitative and Quantitative Species Inventories in the Proteus anguinus Habitats:
..........To access all previously known and newly-identified habitat locations of Proteus anguinus and quantitatively monitor for the presence / absence of this and all other hypogean species;
....iii)..Identification and Characterisation of Karst Conduit-aquifer Ecosystems:
..........-..To undertake a thorough speleological, hydrological, hydro-physico-chemical and biological assessment of each previously known and presently known habitat location, for a comparative study of identifying the parameters and conditions that constitute a.viable habitat location for Proteus anguinus and ...
..........-..To undertake a thorough hydrological and hydro-geological assessment of the relevant Karst Conduit-aquifers to determine the spatial extent and physical disposition of the ecosystems.
.............The results may help in determining why Proteus can be seen at some locations and never at others.
....iv)..Habitat Restoration:
.............To instigate environmental "clean-ups" of individual actual, potential and ex- Proteus anguinus habitat locations, as, when and where necessary;
....v)..Public Education Programme:
.............To facilitate, initiate and offer a high profile Public Education Programme to promote the importance of the concept of "clean water through a clean karst environment" at every opportunity and by any means possible, aimed at the National,
Regional and Local Governments and the general population; engagement with the Press and Media must be established in order to disseminate the necessary information as widespread as possible.
....vi)...Habitat & Hypogean Species Conservation and Public & Touristic Education:
.............-..To promote concepts and identify practical methods for the preservation, conservation, research and study of the karst habitat locations of Proteus anguinus and for the conservation of the species itself and
.............-..To ensure and assist with the future survival of the hypogean species by promoting a long-term programme for the study and breeding of the local variety of Proteus anguinus, within a combined Speleo-biological Laboratory.and Vivarium Facility to be
constructed in the Trebinje area as an integral part of a local Proteus anguinus karst habitat location, adapted and maintained for the purpose. Such a Facility must include a substantial Lecture Theatre and a permanent exhibition to support the Public Education
Objectives and Tourism and must also have sufficient space for housing an integral "Speleološki dom".
....vii)..Promotion of Nature Protection and Conservation Laws :
..........To promote the introduction of Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina which will provide effective legal protection for karst aquifer ecosystems, caves, cave habitats and cave flora and fauna and which will provide penalties for those who contaminate or destroy caves, cave habitats and cave flora and fauna. Such Laws must also outlaw the trading or export, for any reason, of cave speleothems and all species of underground flora and fauna and provide effective penalties for those attempting to do so.
...viii)..Partnerships:
.............To undertake the Project in Partnership with a selected Voluntary Sector speleological society in each of the governing political and administrative entities within the geographical area of the Project, thus maximizing the use of the locally available resources,
skills and expertise. Where resources, skills and expertise are not available either locally or elsewhere in BiH, out-sourcing will be undertaken and used, until such time that they do become available locally or in elsewhere BiH.
In connection with this, the UK Project Co-ordinator Group will be responsible for enabling the training of the Voluntary Sector Partners to become proficient in any skills necessary to undertake the Project.
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6.2.   PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE BROAD AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO DATE :
.....6.2.1...PROJECT STAGE 1. (2000-2010) :
..........-..2nd (Extended) Interim Report for the period 2000-2009. (undergoing revision)
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.....[ABSTRACT OF MAIN DOCUMENTATION] :
.....a)..Organizational :
.....-..The Establishment of Local Project Co-ordinator Groups :
.....At the beginning of the Reporting Period the establishment of a Local Project Co-ordinator Group for the Territory of RS-BiH was undertaken..Speleološko društvo "Zelena Brda", who are based in Trebinje, Eastern Herzegovina, has all the requisites to undertake the role with on-going support from the UK Project Co-ordinator Group, the Devon Karst Research Society. Over the Reporting Period, S.D. "Zelena Brda" have performed well and continues to perform well. However, we regret to have to say that we have been totally unable to establish any viable relationship with an appropriate equivalent and competent Voluntary Sector organization in the F-BiH Territory. There is no such organization known to us which can fulfil the role of a Local Project Co-ordinator Group in that part of Eastern Herzegovina which is in Federation-BiH.
.....-..The Establishment of Primary Partnerships for the Project :
.....It was always envisaged that the Project would necessarily involve the participation of Voluntary-Sector and other organizations who would support and offer specialist resources and skills for the realization of the the Aims and Objectives. One role of the UK Project Co-ordinator Group was to source, verify and facilitate the involvement of such partners. This has not been an easy task under the difficult post-war conditions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and we have had to resort to looking externally to import necessary skills and resources into BiH from other countries. In late 2008., there are the first signs that this situation is easing.
.....In regard to the ongoing underwater investigations of caves (cave-diving), the UK Project Co-ordinator Group (The Devon Karst Research Society) turned to its long-time colleagues in Hungary for assistance because of the complete absence of such skills in BiH. The logistics were favourable and the response was rapid and very enthusiastic. Even within the strict constraints of the Project's publicity protocol (ie. no publicity in any form in the medium-term period), we have had a fantastic period of co-operation and amazing results. The Hungarian Cave Diving & Technical Support Team are composed of Members of various Hungarian Speleological and Cave Diving Groups, one of which is a Member-club of the Magyar Karszt- és Barlangkutató Társulat (MKBT) of Budapest. This very experienced Team brings into the Project military-quality diving techniques, professional cave and underwater-cave surveying skills; underwater filming resources; deep and long-dive capabilities using various specialised breathing mixtures and a host of other allied resources and skills. We should also mention at this point the involvement by individual Members of the "Plózer.István Vízalatti Barlangkutató Csoport", "Amphora Diver Club" and the"Papp Ferenc Barlangkutató Csoport", Budapest, Hungary, who are all greatly supporting the cave diving investigations.
All this resourcing is at no financial cost to the Project - or in other words, the Voluntary Sector is again self-supporting.
.....In regard to professional speleo-biological support for the Project, our aim was, and continues to be to locate and use local expertise or expertise located elsewhere in BiH, with the expectation that we would sometimes call upon the occasional support of the Ljubljana University Biological Faculty in Slovenia. We have to report that we have been notably unsuccessful in locating any BiH speleo-biologist, although in 2008., we successfully involved a student from the Biological Faculty of Sarajevo East University. She is interested in hypogean micro-biology and has begun a small project within the remit of the "Proteus Project".
.....-..Equipment Resourcing :
The Society's first task in this connection was to substantially help re-equip S.D. "Zelena Brda" with all modern resources to fulfil the role.
.....Replacing old and worn equipment through a structured programme of re-equipping the Group with modern, safe and efficient caving equipment, was essential. As at 2005., S.D. "Zelena Brda" was re-equipped to a satisfactory level. This was achieved through finance supplied partly by the "Foreign Assistance Programme" of the Devon Karst Research Society's Foreign Policy. However, there will always be a requirement for the on-going "topping up" of their equipment reserves as and when it becomes worn out and needs replacing. Although S.D. "Zelena Brda" now seems to have successfully taken control of this issue by themselves, an on-going committment to support them in this aspect has been made by the Devon Karst Research Society. The S.D. "Zelena Brda" did not need training in the use of technical caving equipment.
.....Concurrent with the development of the Group's technical caving equipment resources, we also had to completely resource them in regard to scientific equipment and to train them in the use of this equipment. The first two tranches of scientific equipment were financed solely through funds provided by the former local office of UNESCO Office in Sarajevo. Topping up the consumable elements of this equipment has subsequently been supported by the "Foreign Assistance Programme" of the Devon Karst Research Society's Foreign Policy. We continue to search for new sources of funding for the continuing expansion and on-going maintenance of the scientific resourcing of S.D. "Zelena Brda" into the long-term.
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.....b)..Field Observations, Karst Environmental Research and the Reporting of Results :
.....-..Initial Start-up Phase -
.....Field Observations were begun by the UK Project Co-ordinator Group immediately after the initial tranche of scientific resourcing of the Local Project Co-ordinator Group. This initial stage was projected to be used as a teaching period to enable the Local Project Co-ordinator Group to become quickly proficient in mastering the special skills, techniques and methodologies of physico-chemical analysis of karst water in the karst terrain, both on the surface and underground. This initial stage of training was completed well before the projected timetable. We also enabled the Local Group, at an early stage in the proceedings, to digitally record images of underground species sightings and to record general views of habitat locations and conditions. They have since become self-sustaining in this element of the Project, self-upgrading their technical capability on a regular basis.
.....In regard to the micro-biological element of the karst water quality monitoring programme, it was always envisaged that throughout the whole period of Stage 1. of the Project, we would have to commission such work externally to be done by a competent professional laboratory. After exploring the limited possibilities available, we have sourced such a facility and now submit karst water samples for micro-biological testing on a regular basis.
.....At start-up, we suffered badly from a total lack of appropriately-scaled topographical base maps of the Project's large geographical area. Access to the last series of 1 : 50 000 scale Topographic Maps issued by the Cartographic Institute of the former FSR. Jugoslavija has been facilitated by the S.D. "Zelena Brda". Although these have been extremely useful, they remain largely inadequate for our purposes. We have been working towards locating the more useful series of 1 : 25 000 scale Maps.
.....-..1st Phase to the date - September 2005.
.....Field work covers a large geographic area of the Dinaric Karst within the historical limits of Eastern Herzegovina reflecting the area connected to the Trebišnjica River Basin and in the actual, the previous or highly-potential Habitats of Proteus anguinus. The Field Observations and Scientific Data have had to be reported upon in a very structured and organized way using a generic system. Databases have been created for the recording of raw scientific data. Included in the databases are Species Sightings Records. Each Habitat Location is treated effectively as a sub-Project with its own Reporting Documents and now containing the information which was previously in the separately published "Site Citation Documents".
.....Owing to the dilemma of having to protect the Habitat Locations from disturbances and damage caused by unwanted and unsolicited visitors, as yet we have been unable to publish any of the results. This problem has been partly addressed in the interim by organizing local public lecture events at which the Press and Media have also been invited to attend. Such events never offer specific habitat-locating information but do offer opportunities to educate and inform the interested Public, media and political decision-makers about the Project and of the International importance of the karst and karst-water resources of Herzegovina. Such events have always been well attended and indeed, always over-subscribed. It has given the Project both BiH-National and International coverage by way of enthusiastic reporting by the Press, Radio and Television reporters, many of whom travel great distances to be at our Public events. Press syndication also expands the original coverage across the Balkans and into Central Eastern, Western Europe and North America.
.....In regard to a professional speleo-biological input, we have to report that we have been unable to source any such expertise within BiH. Our initial plan was to involve the highly acclaimed expertise from Ljubljana University Biological Faculty as an interim source of technical support until the local situation could support the Project with appropriate expertise. The prevailing critical situation in Herzegovina for Proteus and its Habitats do not permit us to consider the luxury of postponing the Project until this technical issue has been resolved.
.....In regard to the future scope of the Physico-chemical and Microbiological testing, we have decided to adjust the number of parameters being monitored. Minor adjustments will be offered in the former, whilst the latter case will be expanded considerably. The methodology used in the former case will remain the same, insofar as it is working extremely well.
.....Due to the excellent additional resources we receive from our Hungarian Cave Diving & Technical Support Team, we have been able to undertake far more thorough technical investigations of Habitats than we had originally planned at the beginning of the Project.
.....As at 2005., we were in possession of the complete series of 1 : 25 000 scale Topographic Maps. This revolutionised our geographical perception of the Habitat range and to better understand its inter-connectivity and is already enabling us to more effectively use the resources at our disposal.
.....-..1st Phase from September 2005 - September 2009.
.....A technical revolution of the situation has taken place as of 2007 and the Project is developing and implementing a new strategy. The Project now has a formalized written Code of Ethics, Operational Protocols & Procedures and Methodology for those Project Research Assistants who are actually in direct contact with Proteus in its natural habitats.
We are now in possession of 1 : 2 500. and 1 : 1 000 Scale Maps and an increasing coverage of the Project area in high-resolution aerial photogrammetry.
The regional and local geographical occurrence of Proteus Habitats is now better understood with an improved interpretation based on the Project's observations. Karst Conduit-aquifers are recognised as "Karst Ecosystems" and on this basis, the Project is better able to plan field investigations. New (previously unrecorded) habitats are being found and some are being correctly forecast as being Proteus Habitats even before they are actually entered by our Research Assistants.

In the 2008-2009 period of Project work, continuing progress has been made in identifying new Proteus anguinus habitat locations and in the spatial mapping of karst conduit-aquifer ecosystems. Additionally, we have obtained further excellent video footage and digital photography of karst conduit-aquifer ecosystems and resident aquatic hypogean species.
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.....c)..Habitat Restoration, Preservation and Conservation sub-Projects and Species-Conservation sub-Projects :
.....Field-work has enabled us to identify locations which are active Proteus anguinus Habitats on a regular or permanent basis. We have also identified locations which were formerly Proteus anguinus Habitats, but which for various reasons have deteriorated and are no longer able to support any lifeforms. In some instances of the latter case, we have been able to identify exactly why the locations are unsuitable habitats. As a result of all this, we have identified two locations which, in the form of substantial special Sub-Projects, will be developed as "demonstration locations" to illustrate, in the one case, a former Proteus anguinus Habitat Location under full, structured environmental restoration, conservation and strict management control, through which it is hoped to restore it to that of an active Habitat Status. On the other hand, the second location will demonstrate how to develop best practice in the management and conservation of a fully active Proteus anguinus Habitat Location.
.....Separate from this, it has now been decided in principle to build a Proteus Vivarium and Speleo-biological Research Laboratory Station in a suitable location in the Trebinje area. Such a facility will also include public education and lecture facilities. Having taken this decision to help facilitate the speleo-biological research of Eastern Herzegovina actually in Eastern Herzegovina, we now have the practical problem of selecting a suitable location before being able to start costing such an enterprise. In 2008., we have selected two candidate-locations where this Facility could be located.
There are already many ideas as to how such a Facility could be established and operated. Initial advice on how to design and build such a facility is being sought from the Proteus Vivarium and Speleo-biological facility in Postojna, Slovenia, who, it must be said, have so far proven to be resistant to offering any such help.
.....To minimize the effects of human presence and impact and to maximize the opportunity of each visit, all Habitat Locations are now undergoing a full, qualitative hypogean-species inventory.
.....The problem in determining a practical definition of the contentious issue of "Habitat Viability" has also been resolved.
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.....d)..Conclusions :
.....The results, in respect of the quality of data we are now receiving, have far exceeded our best expectations, confirming that our initial decision to engage with Speleološko društvo "Zelena Brda", was both wise and an exceptionally good investment on our behalf in respect of our time, effort and money. Speleološko društvo "Zelena Brda" is a very able, competent, reliable and informed representative of the Voluntary Sector in RS-Bosnia and Herzegovina.
.....To date, there have been frustrations, delays and many barriers to achieving the aims and objectives of the Project. However, as we approach the end of Stage 1., we are currently heading on course and ahead of our planned projections in the 10-year 1st Stage of the "Proteus Project".
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The Primary Documents listed below are for use by Project Research Assistants and provide a measure of technical support. Please note that these documents can no longer be directly accessed from this website.
This Batch of Documentation relates solely to Geographical and Locational information and the massive amount of detailed information is being developed to publication-ready standards of format and presentation.
Project Research Assistants have full access to this information.
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7.1.  Primary Documents for Project Research Assistants :
....7.1...Geographical Scope of the Project Area,.(Illustrated version 3.1.) :
...This document presents details of the constraint line boundary of the Project Area in historical Eastern Hercegovina, which is mostly within the Territory of Bosnia & Hercegovina, in which it straddles the Inter-Entity Boundary and further extends into Croatia and Montenegro.
In recent years, the boundary line has been adjusted ever outwards to include more karst territory, reflecting the geographical distribution of Proteus anguinus.

....7.2...The Proteus anguinus Habitat Locations, Part 1...(Illustrated Version T21.0. with an Appendix on Type Localities for Hypogean Species in Herzegovina) :
...This full-scale Illustrated version is the Definitive Primary Document for locational information relating to all known and highly-probable Proteus anguinus Habitats within the Geographical range of the Project Area.
This version includes information such as Specific Locational Data; Location Descriptive text; a Location-specific Hydrological Synopsis, with details of any installed hydrometric infrastructure and also offers a speleo-biological assessment of each location,
with qualitative and quantitative details of resident hypogean species.
The data is useful in evaluating population densities and the geographical distribution of hypogean species. The document also ascribes each location to a particular Karst Conduit-aquifer Ecosystem wherever possible.
This version includes Location Recognition Images of each location, which are supplemented by BiH State Aerial Photogrammetry Images and where possible, by Map extracts derived from the BiH National 1 : 25 000.; 1 : 2 500. and 1 : 1 000 Scale Maps.
When brought fully up-to-date, this lengthy document of currently 380 pages, will replace the Text-only version.

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As a result of the present world financial crisis, we have witnessed the sudden collapse of recent sponsorship arrangements to support Grant-Aid Applications for this Project and the on-going situation is preventing us from successfully locating alternative substantial donors.
We are, therefore, urgently seeking donors to support the purchase or acquisition of a wide range of scientific and technical equipment to assure the ongoing successful operational strategy of the "Proteus Project" into the coming years through the end of the present Phase 1. into the next Phase 2., covering the cross-over time period 2009- 2013.
The Society is seeking either to raise the necessary funds to purchase the required equipment or to acquire the equipment as donations directly via the donors. In connection with this, we are also seeking to develop partnerships with educational and scientific organizations who may wish to become involved with this fascinating project.

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The Primary Documents listed below are for use by Project Research Assistants and Project Workers and provide a measure of technical support. Please note that these documents can no longer be directly accessed from this website.

Due to the immense success of the field-work, the Project is generating a large quantity of Archive Documentation relating to each sub-Project Report.
As a result of this, there is now a change in the documentation content style, such that, with effect from July 2006., Site Citation Reports will be incorporated into the Part 1. Documentation of each sub-Project Report, to reduce duplication of information. 
Master copies of individual sub-Project Reports are kept in the Archives of the UK Project Co-ordinator Group, The Devon Karst Research Society, and in due course, will also be kept locally by the Local.Project Co-ordinator Group RS-BiH.
For reasons explained in more detail below, we have decided not to make the sub-Project Reports.accessible via Links on this webpage.
If Project Research Assistants in BiH require hard-copies of these Reports but are locally unable to produce hard-copy printouts, please e-mail to the UK Project Co-ordinator Group requesting the appropriate hardcopy documentation.
The Group's Project Administrator will forward any requested documentation by Post. Please remember that it currently takes 6 days for despatch from the UK to delivery in RS-BiH.
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9.1....Primary Documents for Project Research Assistants :
.......9.1.1... Habitat Karst Water-Quality Database and Species Sightings Records.
.......This document is the "Proteus Project's" central database for storing all physico-chemical karst water analyses data obtained by Project Research Assistants and Project Workers.
At present, it is only produced in a digital format using MS Excel software. The Database structure is in need of re-development.
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.......9.1.2...The Eh Value and its General Relationship with the pH Value.
.......This is a research and education document available to all Project Research Assistants and Project Workers concerned with the acquisition of raw hydro physico-chemical data in the field.
The MS Word document explains the relevance of the terms pH and Eh together with the concepts behind the acquisition of these two values and their relevance in monitoring the quality of the hypogean aquatic habitat.
The document also gives a detailed methodology of data acquisition using the Project's portable electronic instrumentation. 
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.......9.1.3....The Determination of Karst Water Hardness & Carbonate Saturation Values using EDTA.
.......This is a research and education document available to all Project Research Assistants and Project Workers concerned with the acquisition of raw hydro physico-chemical data in the field.
The MS Word document explains the relevance of the terms "hardness of water" together with the concepts behind the acquisition of these values and their relevance in monitoring the quality of the hypogean aquatic habitat.
The document also gives a detailed methodology of data acquisition using the Project's portable analytical kit. 
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.......9.1.4....Commissioned Bacteriological Examination Reports of Karst Water in Proteus anguinus Habitat Locations & Costings.
.......This is a reporting document available to all Project Research Assistants and Project Workers concerned with the safety and micro-biological quality of water in the aquatic hypogean habitat prior to partial or complete immersion in the habitat for investigative work.
This documentation is particularly relevant to the Project's cave divers.
The MS Word document explains some of the problems associated with biologically-contaminated water and then presents the reports of commissioned micro-biological analyses undertaken by an approved competent laboratory.
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....9.1.5.1... Proteus anguinus anguinus (Laurenti 1768), Biometric and Bio-morphometric Data
.......................from Specimens in their Natural Hypogean Habitats in Eastern Herzegovina, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
......................-..Code of Ethics, Operational Protocols and Procedures and Methodology.
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....9.1.5.2. ..Proteus anguinus anguinus (Laurenti 1768), Biometric and Bio-morphometric Data
.......................from Specimens in their Natural Hypogean Habitats in Eastern Herzegovina, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
......................-..Illustrated Field Results Database.
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....9.1.5.3. ..Proteus anguinus anguinus (Laurenti 1768),
.......................-..Potential Problems Associated with the Re-introduction of the Species into its Former Habitat Locations.
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9.2....Sub-Project Reports for Project Research Assistants :
.......9.2.1....The Current Index of sub-Project Reports.
.......An Index of sub-Project Reports has been produced to enable Project Research Assistants and Project Workers to access the actual Reports more easily for reference purposes.
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.......9.2.2....The sub-Project Reports.
.......These are produced by the UK Project Co-ordinator Group as stand-alone, publication-ready, fully illustrated documents, issued in hard-copy form to the Project Co-ordinator Groups and permanently stored in both digital and hard-copy formats.
They present the core results of all observations and investigations obtained from individual habitat locations in a generic presentational format. They often contain cave surveys and karst hydrogeological charts.
Many of these Reports are produced in Parts, and may be accompanied by additional data on a separate CD or DVD.
.......Please also note that the Part 1. Documents of individual sub-Project Reports now incorporate the Site Citation information.
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9.3....Index of Individual Site Citation Reports for Project Research Assistants :
Please note that production of the former Site Citation documents has now been discontinued. Site Citation information is now being incorporated within Part 1. of all individual sub-Project Report Documents.

9.4....Other Internal Information Resources Available to Project Research Assistants for Promoting the "Proteus Project" in the realm of Public Education  :
.......9.4.1....The "Proteus Project's" established Annual "Stevo Čučković Memorial Lecture" in the Museum of Hercegovina, (Muzej Hercegovine), Trebinje, has provided a wonderful opportunity, not only to promote the Project itself,
but also for all those working in the Project to be able to connect directly with all levels of Hercegovinian Society, from the ordinary citizens to the Regional, National and International Press & Media.
This extremely popular Series of Lectures, each of which has a slightly different "theme of approach" and which are always delivered by Brian Lewarne, aided by others from the Local Project Co-ordinator Group and the Project's Hungarian cave diving & technical
support team, "Caudata Hungarian Cave Research" has outgrown the venue kindly provided free of charge by the Museum.
In 2011., the next in the series of free public lectures will again be held in the Museum but will also be repeated in other local or regional venues at about the same time to ensure that all those who are interested can have the opportunity to attend.
The Illustrated Lectures are based upon core MS Powerpoint Presentations, which are digitally stored and kept in the Archives of the UK Project Co-ordinator Group.
Additional photographic stills and video records ensure that the style of delivery is recorded for others to learn and develop their own style.
This Digital Archive is available to Project Research Assistants and Project Workers who may wish to undertake a similar type of public lecture in their home town or city in their own country and will be supplemented with records of English Language equivalent events
given in the UK to publicize and promote the "Proteus Project".

The Muzej Hercegovine Website in the "Početna" section, describes our previous "Proteus Project" lectures delivered in August 2008 and September 2009. 

The August 2008 Lecture was titled "The Private Life of the Human Fish", thus :-
"ČOVJEČIJA RIBICA PROJEKAT"
Napredak od 2007. i "PRIVATNI ŽIVOT ČOVJEČIJE RIBICE"
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U petak, 29. avgusta, 2008.godine, u Muzeju Hercegovine Trebinje održana je prezentacija pod naslovom „Privatni život čovječije ribice“.
Prezentacija je izvedena u saradnji „Devon Karst Research Society, Plymouth“ i Speleološkog društva „Zelena brda“ iz Trebinja, a u čast i sjećanje na velikog trebinjskog prirodnjaka i istraživača čovječije ribice pok. Steva Čučkovića.
U toku prezentacije, koju je vodio Brian Lewarne, publika je mogla da uživa u ljepotama podzemnih voda i obilju života čija je jedinstvenost u činjenici da podzemne životinje možemo naći samo na ograničenim područjima,
a svaka za sebe ima ograničeno rasprostranjenje.
Tu je, prije svih, čuvena čovječija ribica (Proteus anguinus), zatim neke vrste slijepih rakušaca, roda Niphargus, kao i mnogi drugi."
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....Čovječija ribica, foto - Gergely Balazs
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....Sa prezentacije...
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The September 2009 Lecture was titled "Problems of Survival of the Human Fish", thus :-
"ČOVJEČIJA RIBICA PROJEKAT"
Napredak od 2008. i "PROBLEM PREŽIVLJAVANJA ČOVJEČIJE RIBICE"

U srijedu, 2. septembra 2009.godine, u Muzeju Hercegovine Trebinje održana je prezentacija pod naslovom „Problem preživljavanja čovječije ribice“. Godišnje predavanje u Trebinju, posvećeno sjećanju na prof. Steva Čučkovića i njegov speleo-biološki istraživački rad izvedeno je u saradnji Društva za istraživanje krša „Devon Karst Research Society, Plymouth“ i Speleološkog društva „Zelena brda“ iz Trebinja.
U toku prezentacije, koju je vodio Brian Lewarne, stručnjak iz Društva za istraživanje krša "Devon" (Plymouth, Engleska, UK) predstavljeni su rezultati rada na projektu zaštite ovog podzemnog endema u poslednjih godinu dana.

"Napredak u odnosu na proteklu godinu je očigledan u tehničkom smislu proučavanja čovječije ribice. Moramo biti jako pametni da bismo proučavali ovu komplikovanu vrstu u njenom prirodnom, takođe komplikovanom staništu. Zato smo počeli da koristimo kamere sa infra-crvenim zracima, tako da čovječija ribica uopšte i ne primjećuje naše prisustvo. Takođe je napravljen pomak u biometrijskom proučavanju, tako da sada određujemo težinu, dužinu i ostale parametre za svaki primjerak. Naša laboratorija je područje cijele Hercegovine, i u Republici Srpskoj i u BiH. Ipak, najveće probleme u opstanku čovječije ribice stvara sam čovjek svojim nepromišljenim djelovanjem u prirodi"  istakao je B. Lewarne u toku svog predavanja. Još je naveo da se nada da će u saradnji sa Speleološkim društvom "Zelena brda" iz Trebinja pokušati izdati knjigu, kako bi svi zainteresovani mogli saznati mnoge interesantne stvari o čovječijoj ribici, te da će u narednom periodu pokrenuti inicijativu za otvaranje svojevrsnog centra za proučavanje ove vrste. "U narednoj fazi ići ćemo na detaljnije proučavanje navika čovječije ribice, jer je ova prva bila bazirana na lokacije gdje se ova vrsta može pronaći i na broj primjeraka. Da bismo to uradili biće nam potrebna podrška lokalnih vlasti, koju smo i do sada imali".

This lecture was given as a multimedia presentation in an experimental format simultaneously using 3 Digital Projectors + 3 Projector Screens. The event was a success and preparations are now underway to construct a large portable cinema-style screen to support future multimedia presentations, not only in the Trebinje Museum, but across the project area.

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Section 11.
GLOSSARY OF BIOLOGICAL
and
SPELEO-BIOLOGICAL TERMS
and
TAXONOMIC TERMS :

During the progress of Project field-work within Herzegovina, we are incidentally recording and gathering information about both the surface fauna and flora. In light of the fact that we have been unable to source any definitive publication on these subjects, this work will continue, insofar as it will prove to be useful for the future development of the flora and fauna Webpages of the individual karst polja within the Sections dedicated to the Karstography of the Dinaric Karst of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The UK Project Co-ordinator Group has allocated two individuals, Lynne and Alan Satterley, to undertake fauna and flora species identification where possible and to compile the data for possible future use.

PHYLUM :   A taxonomic division of the animal kingdom, directly above a CLASS in size.
SUB-PHYLUM :
CLASS :   A taxonomic category ranking below a PHYLUM (animals) or a DIVISION (plants) and above an ORDER.
ORDER :   A taxonomic category of plants and animals ranking above the FAMILY and below the CLASS.
FAMILY :   A taxonomic category ranking below an ORDER and above a GENUS.
GENUS :   A taxonomic category ranking below a FAMILY and above a SPECIES, used in taxonomic nomenclature followed by a Latin adjective or epithet to form the name of a SPECIES.
SPECIES :   A fundamental category of taxonomic classification, ranking after GENUS and consisting of organisms capable of interbreeding.
SUB-SPECIES :

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