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    A vanishing way of life in Danube Delta's natural paradise

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    Thursday, February 25, 2021
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    A vanishing way of life in Danube Delta's natural paradise

    Tourism income looks likely to shrink drastically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic


    Published:  June 30, 2020 11:06 AFP  and  Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Editor

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    As the "last rower" left in one of the villages dotting Romania's Danube Delta, Iosif Acsente is all too aware of how the traditions and vistas of the region are slowly disappearing - an issue brought into sharper relief by the coronavirus pandemic. Image Credit: AFP
    2 of 14
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    Acsente has been plying the Delta with his wooden boat for more than four decades now from his home village of Sfantu Gheorghe. Image Credit: AFP
    3 of 14
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    "I know the Danube so well that if you throw me out of a helicopter I'd know where I was", says Acsente proudly. But living in a natural labyrinth, accessible only by boat, has its drawbacks. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 14
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    Even though the region has been largely spared the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, residents worry that they may end up beyond the reach of necessary medical care. Image Credit: AFP
    5 of 14
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    "There is a good chance that it will be too late when the rescue boat arrives", says Acsente. It is only the latest challenge the modern world has thrown up for the Delta's fragile equilibrium. Image Credit: AFP
    6 of 14
    Copy of 218917-01-02-1593498752575
    Included on Unesco's World Heritage list, this natural paradise spread across 5,800 square kilometres hosts over 300 species of bird and 45 freshwater fish species. Image Credit: AFP
    7 of 14
    Copy of 218919-01-02-1593498754755
    In normal times that makes it a magnet for birdwatchers and other tourists, with locals throwing open the doors of their traditional thatched houses for visitors every summer. Image Credit: AFP
    8 of 14
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    But this year that vital source of income looks likely to shrink drastically in the wake of the pandemic. Image Credit: AFP
    9 of 14
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    The deputy mayor of Sfantu Gheorghe, Aurel Bondarencu, hopes that Romanians might make up some of the shortfall by holidaying in the Delta instead of heading abroad but that would only offer temporary relief from the region's problems. Image Credit: AFP
    10 of 14
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    Even "normal" tourism wasn't without its problems in the time before the virus. Fisherman Marius, 51, relies on tourists eager to discover the canals and ponds in order to make a living. Image Credit: AFP
    11 of 14
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    The streets may still be unpaved, covered with fine sand and framed by flower-filled gardens. But these days the roar of motor boats drowns out the gentle rippling of oars through the water. Image Credit: AFP
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    He guides them between the swamps pointing out sights such as yellow water lilies and colonies of pelicans. But as he slows his boat to avoid disturbing a shag drying its wings in the sun, even he admits the fall in visitor numbers has "given nature some respite". Image Credit: AFP
    13 of 14
    Copy of 218886-01-02-1593498762385
    Marius says the increasing noise and pollution in the Delta are not good for the millions of migratory birds which return from Africa each spring to nest in the islets. Image Credit: AFP
    14 of 14
    Copy of 218913-01-02-1593498739663
    As for fish, the other mainstay of the inhabitants' livelihoods, that too is becoming increasingly scarce. Perhaps it's little wonder then that Sfantu Gheorghe is emptying out. Image Credit: AFP

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