the enforcement of an ecological and fisheries protection zone in the Adriatic had passed in the best order.
Spokeswoman Marina Haluzan said a minor incident occurred in Piran Bay in the northern Adriatic, but outside the protection zone.
Istria County Police said two Slovene fishing boats entered 1.5 nautical miles into Croatian waters around noon. A Croatian police boat from Umag informed them they were in Croatian waters. A Slovene police boat arrived at the scene as well, and after negotiations the Slovene fishing boats returned to Slovene waters.
Now the ecological and fisheries protection zone has gone into force, Croatian authorities have 56,964 square kilometres of sea under their jurisdiction, nearly twice the previous area size.
The protection zone regime does not apply to European Union members for one year.
A government body in charge of coordinating the surveillance and protection of Croatia's internal maritime waters, territorial waters and the protection zone became operational today as well.
Sea Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said today was a "big step forward and the start of the coastal guard," adding that the supervision of Croatian waters, to be carried out by five boats daily, would now be better and faster.
The ecological and fisheries protection zone, proclaimed by Parliament on October 3, 2003, relates to the research, exploitation, preservation and management of living natural resources beyond the outer border of the Croatian territorial waters and jurisdiction over the scientific exploration of the sea and the protection and preservation of the marine environment.