Focus on resolving status of temporary structures and strengthening oversight in national parks

President of the Coordination Body for Harmonisation and Monitoring of Inspection Oversight and Minister without Portfolio Milutin Butorović met earlier today with Director of the National Parks of Montenegro Marinela Đuretić, as well as the directors of the national parks Durmitor, Prokletije, Biogradska gora and Skadar Lake. The meeting was dedicated to addressing specific challenges ahead of the summer tourist season.

During the discussion, clear priorities were defined to ensure operations are conducted in accordance with the law and to improve the quality of the tourism offer.

Minister Butorović said that the focus of inspection services will be on the status of temporary structures within national park zones. The goal is to bring every structure into legal frameworks, ensuring fair market conditions and protecting the area from unplanned degradation.

Special emphasis was placed on strengthening cooperation between state inspection bodies and rangers (wardens) in national parks. Improved information exchange in the field was agreed upon in order to more effectively combat illegal activities, ranging from poaching to improper use of protected areas.

Furthermore, the need for a greater number of licensed tourist guides specialised in mountain and protected areas was recognised. The meeting stressed that efforts towards educating and increasing the number of guides will be a priority in order to ensure greater visitor safety and higher-quality interpretation of natural heritage.

Minister’s message:

“We will not allow operations outside the legal framework. Our priority is to establish order in national parks when it comes to temporary structures, while at the same time strengthening the connection between our inspection services and those who are on the ground every day – our rangers. Only through joint efforts can we protect nature and enable legal profit for those who respect the law,” said Butorović.

Director of the National Parks of Montenegro Marinela Đuretić, along with the directors of the national parks Durmitor, Prokletije, Biogradska gora and Skadar Lake, expressed full readiness to contribute to even better cooperation, hoping for the 2026 season to be of the most successful in terms of compliance with communal and environmental regulations.