Monitoring of invasive fauna species in Kosovo

11 September 2025

The Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) has started research activities to monitor the invasive species Procambarus clarkii (Louisiana Red Crayfish) in the groundwater ecosystems of Kosovo.

This activity is being carried out within the framework of an international project supported by the International Union of Speleology (UIS), and coordinated by the organization Tetide APS (Italy), with partners who are mainly research, speleological, and limnological organizations from: Italy, Croatia, Greece, Israel, and Kosovo, which is represented by the Institute for Nature Protection, coordinating activities at the national level.

The aim of the project is to study the spread of Procambarus clarkii in subterranean ecosystems and to develop strategies for the management and protection of sensitive habitats, including standardized scientific monitoring, sampling selection based on hydrological and geomorphological characteristics, the use of selective traps for the protection of native species, and the assessment of the biological and chemical parameters of this species.

Research activities for monitoring this invasive species in Kosovo have started in the “Flladi Cave” in Panorc, a protected natural monument with speleological significance, and will continue in Radavc Cave and other caves characterized by the presence of underground waters.

Through participation in this project, AMMK and the Institute for Nature Protection aim to contribute to the monitoring of nature and biodiversity, as well as to strengthen international scientific cooperation in the field of biodiversity protection and invasive species control.