S.O.S. Adriatic: No oil drilling!

SOS! International help signal. A short and clear message was sent today by environmental organizations throughout Croatia to turn their attention to the unacceptable risks and the unwillingness of the Croatian government to enter the hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation project in the Adriatic. Among them was the Sunce Association, which is in front of the Green Forum and one of the campaign coordinators.

Numerous deficiencies of the Strategic Environmental Impact Study (which has been written within only three months!), a low level of natural resource protection standards and past procedures indicating the inadequacy and insufficient preparedness for such a serious project have prompted us to collaborate with Greenpeace, WWF Adria, Green Action, Green Istria, Žmergo and Biom to enter a joint campaign for the Adriatic without oil pollution.

Persuading and misleading the public that the highest standards of oil crushing in Croatia will be respected fall into the water as soon as the Strategic Environmental Impact Study is taken on a little bit more seriously. If we only compare data that suggest that oil and gas exploration and exploitation will be allowed within only 6 km from our national parks Brijuni, Kornati and Mljet, and nature parks Telašćica and Lastovo, unlike Italy, where it is forbidden to draw oil at a distance of 22 km from marine and coastal protected areas, we see that claims about the highest standards of environmental protection are not true.

Continuous pollution of heavy metals that occur on exploration wells alone, not to mention the dangers of mines at the seabed, not taking into account the impact of exploration and exploitation on the entire ecosystem, endangering tourism, one of the most profitable branches of the Croatian economy that employs a large number of people and regularly makes about 15% or more of Croatia’s annual GDP, threatening fishing, are just some of the many reasons why every citizen of the Republic of Croatia should rebel and say NO to oil in the Adriatic!

Therefore, the Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development Sunce invites citizens and institutions to join critical commentary within the public debate on the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment of the Exploration and Exploitation of Oil and Gas in the Adriatic Sea, which runs until 16 February 2015.

In order to facilitate the submission of complaints, associations have prepared comments resulting from consultations with a number of experts. All interested can easily submit comments by entering their name and email address via the website of S.O.S. for the Adriatic. This campaign can be supported by citizens through Facebook.

You can read the full comments of the Sunce Association at the Strategic Study HERE!