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Nautical tourism development strategy 2008 to 2018: Revenue of HRK15 billion in 10 years

The strategy suggests that with the construction of 15,000 new moorings and annual growth of 9.8%, revenue by 2018 should reach HRK15 billion

Croatia�s coastline is 6,278 kms in length with an average density of 2.6 moorings per kilometre. Thus, the coast is not yet overcrowded. Compared with other Mediterranean countries, Croatia still has room to develop its nautical infrastructure. For example, France has 64 moorings per kilometre, Slovenia 56.9, and Italy 20.2. Of all Mediterranean countries, only Greece and Turkey have a lower mooring density then Croatia. In 2007, 54,864 foreign ships and yachts visited the Croatian part of the Adriatic, 4.25% higher than in 2006.

Where�s the evidence?

Sir, When I heard that Greek authorities had arrested the captain, chief officer and bosun of the Coral Sea in July last year, after finding drugs in the cargo hold, I was very worried. I was afraid that this would mark the beginning of difficult times for masters.
Then on 17 July this year a Greek court shocked the world by sentencing the Coral Sea�s captain Kristo Laptalo to 14 years in prison; he has to pay a fine of �200,000 because he is the captain (Fairplay, 18 July 2008).
In August 2007, Venezuelan authorities found drugs attached to the hull of the B Atlantic close to the rudder (Fairplay, 3 January 2008). The captain and second mate were held on board the ship, although the authorities had no evidence against them. The same happened in May 2008 in Panama when drugs were found 3m below the waterline attached to the bottom of the Therese.

21 agreements signed to modernize county ports along Adriatic coast

The Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Bo�idar Kalmeta, signed 21 agreements with directors of county port authorities and municipal heads in Zadar on Tuesday for the modernization of county ports along the Croatian Adriatic coast.
Of the 21 agreements, worth HRK 82 million, 14 concern ferry ports, while the rest are ports of importance to the local economy.

LOST AT SEA

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR SHIPYARDS
Years of brushing aside problems in the Croatian shipbuilding industry has finally culminated in a frantic last minute search for a restructuring solution that is compatible with EU competition policy

During early last week, reviewers in the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship reviewed abstracts concerning the restructuring plans for Croatian shipyards, aimed at making the industry compatible with European competition policies.
State Secretary for Economy Leo Begović, who will be responsible for �smoothing the edges� when things get difficult around the negotiating table, announced on television that the scenarios for overcoming the most difficult chapter are still not satisfactory and must be modified. Talks with leading shipyard directors were resumed later in the week.

Spevec: EU does not require the privatisation

OLGICA SPEVEC, MEMBER OF THE CROATIAN NEGOTIATING TEAM WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
Support measures for shipyards that are currently provided are not only inconsistent with the EU regulations but are also not compliant with our regulations. However, it is absolutely not true that new regulations forbid the state to stop providing support for the shipbuilding industry

Croatian shipyards are going through one of the most uncertain periods in their history: they must find a way out of the long-lasting agony in which they operate on the one hand, and on the other this solution has to meet the requirements of operating in the single market of the European Union. We discussed this issue with Olgica Spevec, President of the Competition Council of the Croatian Competition Agency and member of the Croatian Negotiating Team with the European Union in charge of the Market Competition Chapter and the Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy Chapter.

50 New Ships Ordered

One sentence from the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Damir Polančec, in a TV appearance recently, brought the subject of shipbuilding into the public eye. Polančec said one shipyard will be shut down and one will be converted. To prevent further a further avalanche of speculation from the media, Tomislav Mazal, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Economy, denied reports of the possible bankruptcy of Brodotrogir, and stated that the Ministry is revising improved restructuring plans introduced by the management of the five state-owned shipyards and that it is too early to talk of shutdown or bankruptcy of any shipyards.

Twinning project "Enhancement of administrative capacity in maritime safety" presented

The PHARE 2005 twinning project "Enhancement of administrative capacity in maritime safety" was presented at the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure in Zagreb on Tuesday.
The EUR 600,000 programme was launched in January and will take 16 months to complete. The twinning partners are the Finnish Maritime Administration and the Italian Coast Guard.
The aim of the project is to set up a maritime traffic monitoring and management service with a suitable information system in accordance with recommendations of the International Maritime Organisation and EU directives on implementation of the Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS).

Sounding the alarm over BNWAS

As someone who spends many hours on the navigation bridge I read with great interest your article about bridge navigation watch alarm systems (BNWAS; Feb, p16).
In every navigational watch you hear a variety of audible alarms. It may start with the GMDSS alerting you to a storm, an iceberg or an accident, for example. To cancel the sound, you have to press two buttons every time, one on each terminal. That may be necessary up to 20 times per watch. Then there�s the MF DSC alarm, which may be telling you either that a ship needs help or that an officer on a ship pressed the wrong button. If you have a dewatering system installed in the cargo holds you may hear a very powerful alarm � hopefully, a false one.

RIN Croatian Branch AGM held with Capt Ivica Tijardovic the new Branch Chairman

The RIN Croatian Branch has held its Annual General Meeting on 26 March 2008. A 53-member community has analysed the results of previous year's activities, including a very successful Baska GNSS Vulnerabilities and Solutions 2007 Workshop. A discussion followed on the Branch's strategy, which is set to lead towards creation of Croatian Institute of Navigation, public recognition of expertise in navigation, and maintaing good professional relationship with the UK navigation professionals.
The organisation of the 1st GNSS Vulnerabilities and Solutions Conference (7-9 September 2008) will be one of the key Branch activities in 2008. However, the most attractive issue in this year's AGM has been the election of the new RIN CB Chairman.

No injuries in clash of Albanian ship and Croatian trawler off Sibenik

The Albanian commercial ship called "Reenvi II" and the Croatian trawl boat "Morski Vuk" from Split clashed near the island of Blitvenica in the Sibenik archipelago, at about 03 pm Saturday, the Sibenik Police reported on Sunday.
Nobody was injured in the accident, and a police investigation is under way.
An inspector of the Sibenik Harbourmaster�s Office said that it was likely that negligence of the captains of both vessels was likely the cause of the accident in which only the Croatian trawler was damaged and had to be towed to Trogir.