BIODIVERSITY IN GOVERNMENT NOTES

Public policies have a crucial role in choosing iconographic symbols which are fundamental in the construction of national identities in modern times. This research looks into the conservation issues of national identity symbols of Albania from the post imperialist occupation perspective. The study bases its analysis on the depiction of fauna in national iconography by looking at 2,850 types of stamps, 189 institutional prepaid phone cards, and the national currency from 1900 to 2025. In this research, we observed that the construction of national identity in relation to fauna representation and the development of conservation policies for fauna of Albania are closely interlinked. Initially, post imperialist representations focused on productive animals because of the indirect imperialism and colonial practices. However, as Albania attempted to delve into self-identification, native animals were emphasized. Such policies were advocated to enhance the protection of indigenous species and controlled exotics. Birds and mammals were the most abundant in the iconographic representation of vertebrates. Among invertebrates, the most depicted were butterflies (Papilius podalirius, Callimorpha hera). Also, large, threatened, and grassland species were also represented among vertebrates like Dalmat Pelicans (Pelicanus crispus-Pelikani kacurrel) and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus-Kali i Qyqes). The grassland is the ecosystem that enabled the development of ruminant grazing, a productive system intertwined into the very origins of Albania as a nation-state. This makes the most mentioned species aspire to not only elevated visibility for wildlife in the country but also Western Balkan particularity linked to a dominant ecosystem type. In this sense, our findings have ramifications regarding the intersection between environmental policies, national identity, and iconography.