How to report sea pollution in Croatia

(Sunce)

The sea, sun, beaches, watermelon, cocktails, holidays, socialising… we can all agree that summer brings many joys.

However, we must not let these delightful things blind us. In the summer, maritime traffic in the Adriatic Sea increases significantly, posing a major risk of marine pollution.

Although such pollution can negatively impact the tourist season and economic profits, it is perhaps more important to highlight that it can endanger marine biodiversity in the long term, and consequently, the health and well-being of local residents.

Therefore, if or when you next notice marine pollution, be a responsible citizen and report it to the appropriate authorities.

Find out who to contact and how to report it below from Udruga Sunce from Split.

(Sunce)

What is Marine Pollution?

First, it is necessary to clarify what constitutes marine pollution.

According to the European Environment Information and Observation Network (EEION), marine pollution is any harmful change to the marine environment caused by the deliberate or accidental release of hazardous or toxic substances, such as industrial, commercial, or municipal waste.

Marine pollution (or the threat thereof) can arise from various circumstances. The National Intervention Plan for Sudden Marine Pollution distinguishes between:

Sudden Marine Pollution: An event or series of events of the same origin that causes or could cause the discharge of oil and/or oil mixtures, hazardous and harmful substances, posing or potentially posing a danger to the marine environment or coast, which requires emergency action or immediate response.

Extraordinary Natural Event in the Sea: A natural phenomenon resulting from the excessive growth of certain marine organisms, such as algae, jellyfish, etc.

In short, a sudden marine pollution incident might be an accident at sea, while an extraordinary natural event could be an algal bloom. However, the main focus of this article is on deliberate cases of pollution caused by individuals, shipowners, or commanders.

This issue is particularly noticeable in summer when nautical tourism peaks, and we witness cases of tanks being emptied into the sea. This often occurs due to uninformed individuals, the lack of infrastructure for emptying boat tanks on land, or simple ignorance.

On one hand, many nautical tourists are unaware of their obligation to retain waste water on board, leading to continuously open tanks. On the other hand, land infrastructure is sometimes lacking, not widespread, or insufficient to meet the demand for emptying all boats, which tend to arrive at the port simultaneously. Additionally, the sea is vast and difficult to monitor without modern technology, which is currently not in use.

It hardly needs stating that waste water discharged from vessels into the sea is highly harmful, often containing various pollutants, including heavy metals, organic substances, and pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, it is vital to take action.

(Sunce)

What Can Responsible Parties Do?

It is crucial to act because the National Intervention Plan, as well as all county intervention plans, impose a legal obligation on responsible parties and citizens to report marine pollution.

The plan states that if there is a threat of pollution or it has already occurred from a maritime object – whether it is a vessel, floating, or stationary coastal object – the person responsible for that object must notify the National Centre for Coordination of Search and Rescue at Sea in Rijeka (MRCC) by calling 195.

Thus, if a boater experiences a discharge of sewage into the sea, they are obliged to report it to the relevant authorities.

The polluter bears the costs incurred by the marine pollution. The Intervention Plan’s implementation centre, or the County Operational Centre (ŽOC), informs the public about the occurrence of marine pollution and the actions taken to clean and prevent further pollution.

Who Can You Report Marine Pollution To?

Aside from those who cause this type of damage, we reiterate that the Intervention Plan stipulates that anyone who notices marine pollution or an accident that could cause pollution must immediately notify the relevant services. This provision enables more effective monitoring by requiring all vessels to report any pollution they observe, including if they witness another vessel discharging waste water.

Marine pollution should be reported to:

The relevant port authority or its branches (for pollution caused by individuals, shipowners, or commanders):

◦ Pula: 052 222 037

◦ Rijeka: 051 214 031

◦ Senj: 053 881 301

◦ Zadar: 023 254 880

◦ Šibenik: 022 217 214

◦ Split: 021 362 436

◦ Ploče: 020 679 008

◦ Dubrovnik: 020 418 989

• County Centre 112 (for sudden marine pollution and extraordinary natural events as prescribed by the National Plan).

You can also report marine pollution to the Green Phone – a free service offered by Sunce that provides citizens with information and advice and helps resolve environmental issues in local communities.

The Green Phone network operates throughout Croatia, and Sunce automatically receives calls from the Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties.

(Sunce)

Last year, we received 15 reports from concerned citizens about marine pollution, and this year (so far), six. Since most of these reports are made between June and September, it is clear that this problem predominantly arises during the tourist season, Udruga Sunce said.