Residents of Jezero protested against geological exploration in the area, as well as in the neighboring municipalities of Mrkonjić Grad and Šipovo. Residents of the areas where the exploration sites are planned have again appealed to the institutions, and announced legal action and new protest gatherings.
Today, the struggle of residents and environmental activists in the municipality of Jezero continues, which is being waged to protect the natural resources in this municipality. They strongly oppose the planned geological exploration, and later the potential opening of a mine. The fight against these projects has been going on for four years. The protest was organized under the slogan “Pliva for life, not for profit!”, and is supported by the Coalition for Pliva – consisting of local associations and informal groups of citizens – and the Center for the Environment.
The importance of the Pliva River, which is a key resource for this area, is particularly emphasized. In addition to its tourist potential, the Pliva is an important source of drinking water, which is indirectly used by the citizens of Jajce and Banja Luka. It is feared that the possible opening of the mine would directly endanger more than 250,000 people. The eco-association has also announced the initiation of lawsuits.
In the area of the Jezero municipality, the presence of mineralization with the content of gold, lead and cobalt has been recorded, while traces of other accompanying metals such as zinc, copper and barite are also mentioned. The research is being carried out by the company Yugo Metals. Although the Jezero Municipal Assembly has twice rejected geological research, amendments to the law in the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska have enabled decisions on granting concessions to be made without the consent of the local community. Despite opposition from part of the public, the local authorities in Jezero support these activities.
