The importance of maintaining biodiversity

When we founded Monachus two and a half years ago, our goal was to not only bring something new to the Croatian distilling scene and produce non-traditional, high-quality distillates but also to support sustainable producers, and use our voice and our resources for environmental protection.

The name of our brand is a nod to our commitment to the environment- it comes from the Latin name for the Mediterranean Monk Seal, Monachus Monachus, one of the most endangered mammals in the world, whose last individual in the north Adriatic lived on the coast of southern Istria until 2014. We, like many others, locals and tourists alike, were lucky enough to see this individual in the wild. Observing the pollution and excessive sea traffic in the last 15 years, we knew that after this individual, the conditions for the species to survive in these parts are gone. That is why we decided to get involved in the protection of this, and other endangered species.

Despite the challenges that last year threw at all of us, at the end of the year we managed to donate to two environmental organizations that, each in its own area of work, achieved tangible success in preserving biodiversity.

We got in touch with the Spanish foundation Fundación CBD-Hábitat, which watches over the biggest remaining colony of the Mediterranean monk seal in the world on the Cabo Blanco peninsula in Mauritania. We’ve been following and admiring their work for years.

Mediterranean monk seals used to live all over the Mediterranean, until in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers discovered large colonies of the seal on the Atlantic shores of Africa, and started hunting them for fur and oil. They were hunted continuously for five centuries and decimated until they were brought to the brink of extinction. In mid 20th century, famous oceanographer and educator Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his team were the first to film the Mediterranean monk seals at the Cabo Blanco peninsula in Mauritania.

Since 1998, when CBD Habitat started monitoring and recovery program of the colony in the marine reserve on the Cap Blanc peninsula in Mauritania, the population rose from 100 individuals and 20 pups a year to 360 individuals with 70 pups a year! The number of remaining individuals in the whole world is estimated to be 700.

We have donated 400 Euros to the foundation, which will be used for acquiring new camera equipment for monitoring the colony inside the caves. The camera we helped finance will be reinstalled in cave number 3, which has been under video surveillance since 1996. The recordings from these caves not only help to preserve the “Costa de las focas” reserve but also to identify each individual living and breeding in those caves. It is a constant, very thorough, and protocolled work: each individual has their own file, with all the details from their life until they die or disappear. That data is of crucial importance for the protection of the colony.* We’re proud to be part of this project!

To the Croatian association BIOM, whose goal is to keep biodiversity focusing on birds, we have donated 700 hrk for their campaign to keep the nests of endangered shearwater birds safe. Yelkouan shearwater is a species endemic to the Mediterranean, that still nests on the islands of Lastovo and Palagruža. It has been listed as at risk of extinction by IUCN. These birds nest only one chick a year, and the threats posed to the chicks are mostly predators, incidental catch, pollution and microplastic, reduced fish population, tourist activities in the vicinity of the nests, and light pollution. In 2019, the chicks managed to leave only 35% of the nests successfully, and thanks to BIOM’s activities that number rose to 80% in only a year. The association discovered the sea areas where those birds rest and eat, and they’re to become the first protected marine areas in the open sea. Our donation will enable the protection of 9 baby Yelkouan shearwater birds for a year.

We encourage you to join the efforts of these praiseworthy environmental organizations- each donation counts and brings us one step closer to maintaining biodiversity.

*source: Fundacion CBD-Habitat

***source: BIOM