The Potential of Local Ecological Knowledge for Adriatic Wetlands Conservation

Wetlands have been proven to be among the most important habitats for the biosphere conservation, but at the same time they're among the most vulnerable and damaged ones. More widespread and holistic policies would be crucial to conserve those habitats for future generations, both human and non-human ones. In this framework, the European Union co-founded a project named “CRADLES” (Creating Resilient Areas to Develop Lifecycles and Ecosystem Services) aiming to adopt a comprehensive, transnational approach to restore wetlands in the Adriatic-Ionian region. In this framework, the present study focuses on collecting the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) patrimony in the Northern Adriatic area, through two data collection methods: online questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The involved stakeholders were selected for having an experience of daily frequentation of Adriatic wetlands, for example professional fishers, aquaculture operators and boaters. Results revealed participants to have a deep knowledge about ecosystem services, and a clear awareness of the importance to conserve wetlands. Moreover, respondents reported a situation of dramatic degradation in Adriatic coastal areas, highlighting the need to implement further studies and policies to ensure long-term maintenance of them.