{"id":31492,"date":"2025-04-09T14:01:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T12:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/?p=31492"},"modified":"2025-04-10T08:13:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T06:13:20","slug":"at-the-17th-croatia-nautic-show-we-advocated-for-marine-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/projects\/at-the-17th-croatia-nautic-show-we-advocated-for-marine-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"At the 17th Croatia Nautic Show we advocated for marine protection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This year, Sunce participated in the 17th edition of the Croatian Small Shipbuilding and Tourism Days \u2013 Croatia Nautic Show 2025<\/em><\/strong>, with a powerful message: Every breath you take, every fish you eat\u2026 It\u2019s thanks to Posidonia!<\/em><\/strong> This slogan is primarily directed at sailors \u2013 the type of tourists who are the first to arrive in our country and the last to leave \u2013 reminding them that marine protection<\/strong> is essential for preserving the Adriatic Sea<\/strong>. Because every \u201cbreath\u201d and \u201cbite of fish\u201d we take is connected to the sea and its ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine protection at the core of our work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From April 3rd to 5th, 2025<\/strong>, visitors to the fair at Marina Ka\u0161tela<\/strong> could learn at Sunce\u2019s stand<\/strong> all about our long-standing research on human pressures on marine and coastal ecosystems, with a special focus on Posidonia oceanica<\/em> seagrass meadows<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As part of the Interreg Italy\u2013Croatia BIOPRESSADRIA<\/a> <\/strong>project, we are developing strategies and proposing possible solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact of coastal and nautical tourism on marine and coastal biodiversity. The project is implemented in partnership with the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas of Split-Dalmatia County \u2013 Sea and Karst, Public Institution National Park Kornati, Public Institution for the Management of Protected Nature Areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Municipality of Monfalcone (project lead), SELC Cooperative Company, CORILA \u2013 Consortium for coordination of research activities concerning the Venice lagoon system, and Management consortium of Porto Cesareo Marine Protected Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 The Adriatic Sea is under increasing pressure from coastal degradation, waste and wastewater pollution, improper anchoring, and overfishing. All of this can be attributed to ineffective monitoring and control systems<\/a>, as well as a lack of public awareness and responsible behaviour in nature. Anchoring physically damages seabed habitats. It’s important where it occurs \u2013 on sandy bottoms it has minimal impact, while anchoring in Posidonia meadows (commonly known as sea grass) has extremely negative effects on overall biodiversity and marine productivity. We want to inform boaters about the importance of Posidonia meadows and how they can contribute to their preservation, \u2014 said Zrinka Jakl<\/strong>, Head of Nature Conservation Department at Sunce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research has shown that a 50-meter yacht can destroy up to 1,500 m\u00b2 of Posidonia in a single anchoring \u2013 nearly a quarter of a football field. Last summer, Sunce\u2019s campaign And where do you anchor?<\/a><\/em><\/strong> raised awareness among sea lovers about this important issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eco Conference: Sailors as Adriatic Guardians<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re not the only ones tackling the issue of marine protection \u2013 as shown by one of the most attended panels at the Show: Sailors as Adriatic Guardians<\/em>, organized by Slobodna Dalmacija<\/em><\/strong>. The focus was on the issue of wastewater in the Adriatic Sea. According to panelists, at summer, each passenger aboard a boat generates an average of 40 to 60 Liters of wastewater daily. And even though discharging wastewater into the sea is prohibited <\/strong>by Croatian law, wastewater pump-out stations seem to be rarely used \u2013 only when specifically requested by a vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some reasons for the trend of discharging wastewater<\/a> into the sea include a lack of marina equipment (only just over 50% of marinas have wastewater pump-out stations), and the requirement to pay for wastewater disposal services in most marinas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014 In Rovinj, we have a well-developed wastewater pump-out stations, but there is still a problem \u2013 not with mega or small cruise ships, but with small boats that fall into a grey zone. We see how many of them are sailing the Adriatic in summer, but on average, only about ten such vessels contact us during the season for wastewater reception. Though they are small, they are numerous and collectively have a significant impact on the marine environment, \u2014 explained Rudolf Mari\u0107<\/strong>, Director of the Port Authority of Rovinj<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As solutions, the panelists proposed stricter penalties, mandatory wastewater discharge logs for small boats (those with up to 12 passengers), and mandatory payment for waste and wastewater reception services \u2013 regardless of whether the service is used or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Another problem is that Croatia doesn\u2019t have enough waste processing plants. When a marina collects waste from a vessel, it must pay to transport it to often remote parts of the country. This increases the cost of waste reception from boats, \u2014 said Matko Ba\u0161i\u0107<\/strong>, Director of the Marine Protection and Operations Department at Cian Split<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To stimulate monitoring and control at sea, pressure on competent institutions is needed. Last summer, Sunce invited people to report marine pollution<\/a> via the Green Phone<\/strong>. In fact, the law obliges every citizen to report pollution \u2013 but the problem is that harbour master\u2019s offices and their branches often don\u2019t act on those reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014 We experienced this firsthand, as we received 29 citizen reports of marine pollution<\/strong> during the summer, all of which were forwarded to the relevant institutions. To this day, we have received no feedback. Citizens are concerned, they report incidents, they\u2019re motivated to act, and they care \u2013 but when nothing gets resolved, usually due to lack of evidence, they become demotivated. If the law mandates reporting pollution, then clear guidelines are needed about what kind of evidence is required. That way, we\u2019re actually helping the authorities do their job, since we understand they lack the capacity to monitor the entire sea, \u2014 highlighted Matea \u0160pika<\/strong>, Senior Associate in the Nature Conservation Department at Sunce, addressing her question to maritime inspector Ivica \u010cikoti\u0107<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Last year, we issued four fines related to wastewater discharge from boats, as a direct result of inspection actions. Citizen reports usually lack sufficient evidence for further proceedings, and even when they do include video, it often isn\u2019t enough. Still, it\u2019s good that citizens and sailors report such cases \u2013 it raises awareness and encourages necessary changes, so that environmental protection becomes a priority over, for example, regulating how many sunbeds a concessionaire can place, \u2014 said \u010cikoti\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get involved in nature protection!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Croatia Nautic Show, which highlights people, small shipbuilders, fishermen, and sailing culture, was an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about coastal protection, Posidonia, key habitats, and endangered species. We invite you to join us in raising awareness about nature protection, because truly, Every breath you take, every fish you eat<\/em><\/strong> depends on the health of Posidonia meadows \u2013 a vital ecosystem of the Adriatic Sea. Find out why this species, which also provides habitat for many other marine organisms, is so important in our new Posidonia leaflet<\/a>, unveiled at the Croatia Nautic Show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014 At the Show, visitors could find us at our stand, in Sunce\u2019s recognizable colours, with Posidonia by our side as a symbol of our advocacy for preserving the Adriatic Sea. Our goal, as always, is to give a voice to the Adriatic \u2014 without which this show wouldn\u2019t even exist. At the Sunce stand, a large faux wall allowed visitors to immerse themselves in the world of Posidonia and imagine what it\u2019s like to be a small snail, sea urchin, or pen shell hiding in the Posidonia meadows. Aside from taking photos with Posidonia, visitors could also play our quiz and win great prizes. We were especially delighted by a group of students from Bija\u0107i Elementary School<\/strong> in Ka\u0161tel Novi, who demonstrated impressive knowledge about Posidonia! \u2014 stated Bruna Tomi\u0107<\/strong> from Communications and Advocacy Department, Sunce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Sunce\u2019s stand, visitors could also learn more about the organization\u2019s work, current projects and activities, how to become a member or volunteer, and what such engagement with Sunce can offer. More information about membership is available at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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