Good evening. Here is theWednesday, March 6 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
High Tatras valley once again centre of dispute
Trees in the Kôprová Dolina valley in the High Tatras mountain range. (source: TASR)
Last week, the My Sme Les (We Are the Forest) initiative pointed out logging of dry spruce trees in the Kôprová Dolina valley in the High Tatras mountain range. Now the initiative says the logging is taking on "frightening proportions" and being carried out even in areas with the highest degree of protection as well.
The initiative submitted a motion to the Slovak Environmental Inspection.
The Tatra National Park (TANAP) administration insists that it is proceeding in accordance with the law and rejects the accusations, saying that TANAP employees checked the claims of the initiative.
According to Ondrej Kameniar from the initiative, thousands of cubic metres of wood have been logged and that doing so does not slow down the spread of the bark beetle. In addition, much of the logging is taking place in the habitats of protected rare wood grouse, and close to several reserves.
In connection with the logging, Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nom.) said in a video on social media that trees infested by the bark beetle will be cut down "as soon as possible because they threaten the quality and health of Slovak forests".
Background: In 2007, Kôprová Dolina was one of two valleys that became the source of a dispute between conservationists and foresters regarding how to cope with the consequences of the 2004 storm and the proliferation of the bark beetle in the most strictly protected areas. Both sides would often present conflicting facts to back up their arguments as to how to proceed. The European Commission also took interest in the extraction of felled trees.
Related: How Slovakia destroys its national parks: Officially, the number of forests in Slovakia keeps growing but satellite shots of the national parks evoke horror.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
POLITICS: Bratislava City Court rejects Eset's complaint over Smer deputy chair Ľuboš Blaha's claims.
BUSINESS: Three kilometres of cable stolen from Košice steelworks.
TRAVEL: Cheap stays in mountains have become a hit.
If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.
FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY
Famous cars no longer in Bratislava centre
Prešporáčik will no longer be allowed to drive into the historic city centre. (source: SME Archive)
Prešporáčik tourist cars will no longer travel through the pedestrian zone in Bratislava's centre after the Staré Mesto borough banned them from the area.
The sightseeing vehicle has driven through the historic centre for 23 years, with approximately 30,000 tourists using it annually. There has been outrage at the move.
EVENT FOR SATURDAY
Remembering 1960s
This archival image from August 1962 shows the legendary river beach Lido on the Danube riverbank. (source: TASR)
On Saturday, the Bratislava City Museum will hold a special event in the Apponyi Palace called Vaše/Naše/Šesťdesiate (Our/Your/60s), inviting Bratislava residents and their families to come and share a message, story, photo, or a small item that they remember from the decade.
The event is part of the exhibition BA 60-69. Entry on the day is free of charge. The accompanying programme includes a selection of contemporary music, lectures, guided tours and more. For more information, click here.
IN OTHER NEWS
Responding to calls on Tuesday from PM Robert Fico for him to resign, chief justice of the Constitutional Court Ivan Fiačan said he and the court's judges act autonomously and impartially, and objected to their integrity being questioned. He also apologised for a leak of information about the court's decision, but said this was not a reason for him to resign. The leak will be investigated, he added. (TASR)
For the second time in two days, WWII ammunition was unearthed during excavation works in Petržalka. More than 500 anti-infantry mines were discovered. Bratislava police said bomb disposal experts were dispatched to the site. The public have been urged to immediately call the police if they find any old ammunition, and not to touch or go near it. (TASR)
Following a year of falls, retail revenues in Slovakia grew 1.9 percent in January 2024, the Statistics Office reported on Wednesday. (TASR)
The revitalisation of the Grassalkovich Garden, also known as the Presidential Garden in Bratislava's Staré Mesto borough, is almost complete and the site should open in the first half of April, according to Staré Mesto Mayor spokeswoman Veronika Gubková. The project cost €1.32 million. (TASR)
The HK Poprad ice-hockey team based in the town of the same name has won the regular season of the TIPOS Slovak Hockey League for the first time in the club's history. It holds a four-point lead on the second team from Michalovce ahead of the final 50th game of the season. (TASR)
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Cloudy, occasional showers or rain. There might be fog in the morning. Daily temperatures between 6 °C to 11 °C expected. A level 1 wind warning has been issued for the south-eastern part of Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
MARCH 7 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Tomáš
Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.
P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook and Instagram (@slovakspectator).
