THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST

ETIQUETTE

IN THE RESERVE

GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIAGOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA

GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA

The Danube Delta - Paradise almost lost! An information and awareness campaign on biodiversity protection in the Danube Delta Biosphere

Reserve - a project implemented by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association in partnership with the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

Administration, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme Environment.

Tourist in the Delta

Why is the Danube Delta so valuable?

The Danube Delta’s territory is a bountiful host, comprising of 30 ecosystems that shelter over 7,000 plant and animal species (according to the latest census), besides being home to the largest compact reed covered area in the world (around 170,000 hectares).

The significance and the need for conservation of this area have been acknowledged over time by a number of conventions, distinctions and awards. The Danube Delta has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, included on the World Natural Heritage list and declared a Ramsar site, namely a wetland of international importance. Consequently, we are not merely dealing with any delta, this is the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.

In order to safeguard the protection and conservation of natural habitat areas and of specific biological diversity, as well as the sustainable exploitation of renewable natural resources within the Reserve, four different areas have been set up (according to Government Decision no. 367/2002):

• strictly protected areas: 20 strictly protected areas which contribute to the development of the assessment of the current situation as well as of evolutionary trends of Deltaic systems, playing a vastly important part in the preservation of biodiversity, as the Delta is a haven for various species. Within the limits of these areas the only admitted activities are research, security and control. Access is solely granted by authorization and permits issued by the Reserve Administration.

• buffer areas: these areas hold biological features similar to the surrounding area, functioning as an interface for restraining the impact of human activities against fully protected areas. Access is granted by authorization and permits issued by the Reserve Administration for the following activities:

a) capitalization of vegetal resources by non-polluting technologies;b) commercial fishing by traditional means and technologies;c) animal grazing;d) tourism;e) scientific research of Delta phenomena;f) film-making;

• sustainable development (economic areas): activities can be carried in these areas on the basis of protocols, environmental assessments and permits issued by the Reserve Administration - economic activities for the capitalization of renewable natural resources by traditional or modern, ecologically accepted practices, within the limits of renewing capability of natural resources, with low impact on the environment. These areas include human habitats.

• ecological reconstruction areas: the high density of species is striking, but in the last decades the careless acts of humans have had an impact on the numbers of these species and the habitats that act as a home for them. This is a place for people as well, but we need to be mindful and balanced with regards to the surrounding richness, in order to be able to pass it on to posterity.

...do not disturb bird colonies nor solitary nests. Marvel at them from afar so that they live on!

… NEVER throw waste in the Reserve. Rubbish damages wildlife as well as hurts the view. Any piece of garbage left outside the specially designed areas ruins the landscape! Not only you spoil the view, but you also put health at risk: of people and wildlife. During the 800 years needed for a plastic container to decompose, its remains are consumed by fish and ultimately by you. Plus - the ink used to print the labels contains cadmium, a highly toxic metal.

… NEVER pick up plants - the joy of holding them will last too short. For instance, within five minutes, a lotus flower, a fragile symbol of the Danube Delta, will wither in your hands and will be all but useless both for you and the living creatures that could have fed off it or used it as shelter. The common terns (Sterna hirudo) - these tiny seagulls that fascinate us with their noise and fuss -build their colonies on the floating leaves of aquatic plants, including water lillies.

… if you are willing to fish, make sure you first get your permit! Inform yourself with regards to prohibition periods. Unless you respect them, you might end up not having what to fish next year, you disturb the balance of the ecosystem and make the locals worse off.

To enjoy the Delta next year as well, be a responsible tourist and…

… stay away from strictly protected areas! There are 20 of those in the Delta. They are protected in order to keep the vegetation unspoiled and give shelter to various animals. These areas form true ‘living laboratories’, a priceless scientific asset.

… choose to be hosted in locally owned guesthouses that pay respect to traditional Delta architecture. Marvel at the contrast between the typically blue carpentry and the pale colour of reed used in the roofs - forget about the dull shades of concrete and double pane glass that usually flood our cities.

… use the specially designed bird-watching towers. You can bird-watch so much better from up there!

… if you fancy a swim, use the specially designed areas and make sure you have first aid equipment at hand in case of drowning. Danube waters tend to be quite deep, with steep, slippery banks. Because waters run deep and the flow is fast, dangerous strong currents may form (locally called anafoare) which can be hard to tackle even by seasoned swimmers. There are many stories about oblivious ‘heroes’ whose demises are marked on the river bank on crosses.

… choose to visit the Delta using the services of a guide specially trained for the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. They are knowledgeable in the ‘laws of the Delta’ and possess detailed insights about the visited areas so that your experience is an unforgettable one.

… camp only in the specially designed areas. You might end up on a drifting, succumbing islet or laying your tent on the last surviving sample of an endangered plant species.

Unless you are willing to be a responsible tourist, you are

bent to be fined (according to Law 82/1993 regarding the establishment of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve(DDBR))) up to 6,000 lei for individuals and 12,500 lei for legal entities (amounts have not changed since 2002). Access for tourists in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is exclusively granted by permit, issued in advance by the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration in Tulcea and costs 5.00 lei/person/day, 15.00 lei/person/week or 30.00 lei/person/year (does not apply for children, students, pensioners, war veterans, former political convicts, descendants of Revolution martyrs and the wounded of the 1989 Revolution).

Ships and vessels access in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is regulated under Order no. 111/2007 - Rules concerning the access and traffic on the canals and inland lakes within the DDBR, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and is granted by permit for ships and vessels. Fares are as follows: 100 lei/vessel/year and 20 lei/vessel/stay.

Camping in the Danube Delta. According to Article 12 paragraph 9 under Law no 136/July 5th, 2011, camping outside approved areas or otherwise not respecting authorized conditions, as well as breaching established regulations for using camping areas is considered an offence and is sanctioned by fine of the amount of 70 to 200 lei for individuals and 100 to 250 lei for legal entities.

Entering a protected area without an access permit issued by the Administration is sanctioned by civil fine of the amount of 3,000 to 6,000 lei for individuals and 25,000 to 50,000 lei for legal entities, according to Government Emergency Ordinance no. 57/2007 regarding the management of protected natural areas, the preservation of natural habitats, of flora and wild fauna as well as further amended and modified versions.

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Explore the Danube Delta!

Be watchful and identify the birds you spot!

The Great Cormorant

The Dalmatian Pelican

The Great White Pelican

The Black-crowned

Night HeronThe Squacco

HeronThe Little

Egret

The Great Egret

The Purple Heron

The Red-breasted Goose

The Glossy Ibis

The White-tailed Eagle

the Western Marsh-harrier

• Discover the drifting reed islet (plaur) - the Delta’s most characteristic feature - a weaving of roots and rhizomes mixed with plant and silt debris which, once dislocated, becomes a floating islet - a small ‘ark’ full of life. Plants that grow on these islets give shelter to mammals, nesting space to birds, nurture billions of insects and offer refuge to fish. Reed filters out water pollutants and dirt particles, thus making filtered plaur lake water the best quality water.

• See the fine sand dunes of Caraorman on thematic paths, a hard to imagine landscape in this water-land, which can only be found in two other places in Europe. Once, about 10,000 years ago, this area used to be a coastal beach. The Delta’s greatest curiosities are the forests that grow out of these sands - Letea and Caraorman - unique in Europe, made of oak trees and lianas that can reach 25m/82feet in length, a most exotic, almost tropical view.

• While in Caraorman and Letea, let yourself be amazed by the herds of wild horses that live in harmony with the locals. For thousands of years locals have let animals roam free while also using them for agriculture or household chores. They cannot go too far, as all is surrounded by water. Many of them manage to go by on their own during winter and only the most resilient overcome disease and distress.

Explore the Danube Delta!

• Reward your appetite and taste the goodness of the Delta - each place has its own distinctive note, so you can indulge in the ‘world’s best freshwater fish cuisine’.

• Take note of traditional architectural features and ask the locals about their livelihood - you are most likely bound to hear lots of interesting stories. Wooden gables and cornices or intricately ornamented gates speak for themselves. If you notice ponies or birds, surely livestock farmers lived there once. If there’s a heart out there, no doubt that the owners have plenty of stories full of love and caring.

• the Danube springs from the Black Forest Mountains (Germany) and flows into the Black Sea (Romania), not far from another ‘black forest’- Caraorman (Turkish: cara - black, orman - forest). The river starts as three rivulets: Breg, Brigach and Donau Quelle and flows into the Black Sea in three arms: Chilia, Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe, forming the Danube Delta. It is the only river in the world that is measured up from mouth to spring.

• The largest oak tree in the Delta, also called ‘The Subdued Oak’ can be found in the Caraorman Forest, in a place called ‘The Huntsmen’s Well’ (Fântâna Vânătorilor). It’s said to be over 400 years old and it’s roughly 4 m (13 feet) across.

• Romania’s youngest land, still taking shape nowadays, is the Danube Delta. Genetically speaking, its soils are still young and continually shaping. The quantity of silt flown downstream yearly into the Danube Delta makes its surface raise by four millimetres annually. In spite of that, the highest altitude within the Reserve is 49m above sea level - in a spot on Popina Island, Lake Razim.

• The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve territory includes the smallest township in the European Union - Sulina. Sulina is also the easternmost, lowest altitude town in Romania (29º 41´ 24’E longitude), the only port to both the Black Sea and the Danube. The name of the place was first documented in a paper called ‘De administratio imperio’, dated 950 A.D.

• A paradox: the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is the most humid land in Romania and yet receives the least amount of precipitation - Sulina set the record in 1920 with only 132.7mm for a whole year.

Danube Delta trivia:

• Unique plant species like the sea grape (Ephedra distachya) can be found in the Danube Delta. The sea grape is the shortest shrub in Romania (only 30cm/12in high), it prefers sandy soils and can only be found on the dunes in the Letea forest. It’s a very old species systematically speaking and holds special interest due to it containing ephedrine, an alkaloid used in heart medicine.

• The largest butterfly ever registered in the Danube Delta, Saturnia pyri or the Giant Peacock Moth, has a wingspan of around 18cm/7in and has spectacular defense colouring simulating four large eyes against a dark background to scare off predators.

• Among the seven different snake species in the Reserve only one is poisonous - Renard’s viper (Vipera ursinii renardi ). Its favourite food are crickets, given it’s a highly agile snake. Its venom has low toxicity and its bite is not fatal for humans. The largest populations of Renard’s viper live in coastal areas.

• Pond turtles and land tortoises also live in the Danube Delta. They are among the longest living creatures in the reserve, being able to live up to 120 years.

• Sturgeons are the most ancient fish species still in existence. They don’t have a bony skeleton and in spite of all they managed to survive until today since the age of the dinosaurs. The largest sturgeon ever caught at the mouths of the Danube was a beluga (Huso huso) weighing in at almost 2,000 lbs.

• The Danube Delta is at the same time the most socio-culturally diverse area in Romania - here live together twenty-one different ethnicities, among which the Lipovans, Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Vlachs (Aromanians), Greeks, Turks, Bulgarians, Roma, etc.

The Danube Delta - Paradise almost lost! An information and awareness campaign on biodiversity protection in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve - a project implemented by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association in partnership with the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration, co-financed

by the European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme Environment.

Editor: Save the Danube and the Delta AssociationIssue date: april 2013

“The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union or the

Government of Romania”