In October 2025, the drop in water level revealed a lost tradition: pelaïzia.
What are pelaïzia?
They are a method used by the resourceful fishermen of Prespa from a time when they used everything nature had to offer. Using branches from juniper trees, which are particularly resistant to decay, they created piles in the lake—like artificial islands—to provide shelter for fish in winter. Around March, the fishermen would return there and fish in their own special way.
From fishermen… to pelicans! When the water level dropped dramatically in 1990 and the pelicans couldn’t find safe places to nest, they used the piles as a makeshift solution! Since then, these structures have been associated with pelicans, who used them when there was no other choice.
Their reappearance this year is a reminder that life in wetlands is a constant cycle of adaptation. In a world changing due to the climate crisis, the mission of theSociety for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) remains the same: to share its ideas, scientific knowledge, and concerns to ensure the sustainability of this unique place.
(source: fb spp_prespa)
