VENICE: SIMONOVIC EXPLAINS DECISION TO EXPAND JURISDICTION IN ADRIATIC

VENICE, Nov 26 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic addressed a conference on sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean in Venice on Wednesday to explain his country's decision to declare a protected fishing and ecological zone in the Adriatic. #L# In his speech, Simonovic did not comment on criticisms of Croatia's unilateral decision levelled by the EU's agriculture and fisheries commissioner Franz Fischler, Italian Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Giovanni Alemanno, and Slovene Agriculture Minister Franci But. Due to the special ecological and biological sensitivity of the Adriatic Sea, which is Croatia's most important natural resource, the Croatian parliament on October 3 declared a protected ecological and fishing zone, underlining the concept of protection, Simonovic said at the conference. He stressed that economic, fishing and ecological zones which had been declared so far and those that would be declared after the Venice conference would be the cornerstone of sustainable fisheries and protection of biological resources and ecological systems in the Mediterranean. He said that Croatia was open to dialogue, both bilateral and multilateral, and called on all Adriatic countries attending the meeting (Italy, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania and Greece) to meet in Croatia to discuss sustainable fisheries and the ecological protection of the Adriatic. Addressing the conference, Slovene Agriculture Minister Franci But voiced "regret over the unilateral declaration of expanded jurisdiction in the Adriatic". He also voiced hope that the decisions would be reconsidered before they went into force, as otherwise they would not contribute to the goals of the conference. Slovenia wants to underline that the establishment of protected fishing and similar zones must not prejudge the issue of national borders, and one of the conditions for the expansion of jurisdiction is an agreement on border demarcation, But said. He also proposed that Slovenia host a conference of Adriatic countries and that the conference be held under the auspices of the EU. (hina) rml sb