The last enclaves of the occurrence of a rare protected species, which is the capercaillie, are subject to inspections by the rangers of the Veľká Fatra National Park Administration during this period. These are the territories of national nature reserves, where the 5th, i.e. the highest level of territorial protection of the country’s nature applies, and movement outside the marked hiking trails is prohibited by law.
Walking and ski mountaineering in these locations has a disproportionately disturbing effect on the species. It causes excessive stress to individuals, significantly affects their daily cycles, and disrupts natural behavior at the time of flow. It thus has a negative impact on their ability to reproduce, as a result of which its abundance in Slovakia is constantly decreasing.
Therefore, the Administration of the Veľká Fatra National Park calls on the esteemed visitors of the national park to strictly comply with the provisions of Act No. 543/2002 Coll. on Nature and Landscape Protection, as well as the provisions of the Decree of the Regional Office of the Environment in Žilina No. 8/2005 on the Visitor Regulations of the Veľká Fatra National Park, to move and therefore to carry out ski mountaineering exclusively on marked hiking trails and in the ski mountaineering area. With your discipline, you will contribute to the protection and prosperity of protected species of our nature.
Inspections will also be carried out on weekends and if an offence is detected, the guard may impose a fine of up to 300 Euros on the offender in block proceedings.
Text: Ing. Peter Kubík
Photo: archive of S-NPVF
