At the end of January, employees of the Hydroelectric Power Plants on the Neretva began removing waste that had accumulated near the dam of the Jablanica Hydroelectric Power Plant. According to estimates, around 500 cubic meters of floating sediment have gathered at the site, of which approximately 100 cubic meters have been removed so far. The works were temporarily suspended due to technical conditions and the volume of waste, and are expected to resume tomorrow.
Large amounts of waste accumulated following heavy rainfall in recent weeks. Most of the debris is concentrated near the dam, while the remainder is scattered across the surface of Jablanica Lake. Representatives of the HPP on the Neretva stated that the rise in the lake’s water level required the manipulation of the evacuation valves at the Jablanica dam.
Elektroprivreda BiH explained that the opening of the overflow structures made further cleaning unsafe.
“Due to the open overflow organs, work on cleaning the reservoir near the dam is not safe, so the equipment used for removing floating sediment has been transferred from the Jablanica HPP dam to the Grabovica HPP dam, where cleaning of the Grabovica reservoir will begin,” Elektroprivreda BiH said. The start of work at Grabovica is planned for Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
Meanwhile, the accumulated waste continues to cause serious problems downstream. A fish farm owner on the Drežanjka River warned that solid waste poses a major threat to fish stocks. He recalled that after last year’s floods, more than 500 cubic meters of waste ended up in his fish ponds, which he had to remove on his own.
“Branches get into the nets, tear them, and then the fish escape. That means direct damage,” said fish farm owner Enver Omerović. “If a natural disaster is not officially declared, no one compensates you. Even when it is declared, you get very little, and the rest is your loss.”
Concerns were echoed by the Association of Sports Anglers “Neretva 1933,” which warned of long-term consequences for aquatic life. Vice president Neđad Selimotić explained that waste in the water can physically injure fish, particularly younger specimens, slowing their growth and reducing survival rates.
“There is both plant and animal material in this waste, which leads to decomposition,” Selimotić said. “The bacteria that appear consume oxygen from the water. Fish then become sluggish, move and feed less, and retreat to deeper waters.”
Selimotić appealed to institutions and the wider community to become more actively involved in addressing the issue, stressing that waste should be removed more frequently to prevent large-scale accumulation and lasting damage to the Neretva’s ecosystem.
