Freeing the Pčinja River, One Barrier at a Time

Eko-svest is a Skopje-based NGO founded in 2002 that researches and campaigns on energy, climate, water and nature across North Macedonia. Acting on an order from the State Environmental Inspectorate, the group worked with Kumanovo municipality to remove a derelict 50-by-30-metre concrete barrier from the Pčinja River at Šuplji Kamen, completing the removal on 15 December 2025 and freeing an estimated 72 kilometres of river to flow naturally again. Follow-up fish-fauna surveys led by biologist Prof. Dr. Milica Ristovska found the stretch below the former barrier had stabilized with its full historic range of native fish species, while the silted stretch upstream is still in early recovery.