ZAGREB, Sept 26 (Hina) - A joint Croatian-Slovenian service for the supervision of a temporary fishing regime in Piran Bay, which came into force on September 23 and should continue for the next three months, could start functioning
next week.
ZAGREB, Sept 26 (Hina) - A joint Croatian-Slovenian service for the
supervision of a temporary fishing regime in Piran Bay, which came
into force on September 23 and should continue for the next three
months, could start functioning next week. #L#
The president of the Croatian side of the Permanent Joint Committee
to Implement the Agreement on Cross-Border Traffic and Co-
operation (SOPS) between Croatia and Slovenia, Olga Kresovic-
Rogulja, told Hina on Thursday that they were working intensively
on establishing a combined supervisory service as foreseen in the
agreement on the temporary fishing regime.
According to the agreement, supervision will be conducted by
Slovenian and Croatian inspectors who would patrol the bay
alternatingly in harbour police boats from both countries.
Croatian inspectors would conduct inspections of Croatian fishing
boats and visa versa.
The temporary regime will be in force for three months and can be
extended or anulled. It is expected that its coming into force could
contribute to resolving conflicts and putting an end to them in the
contentious region.
Kresovic-Rogulja also said that fishing licences were currently
being issued to all fishermen who lived and had companies in the
region. It is expected that about 200 licences will be issued, about
100 on each side, she said.
Time is required for the process to be technically implemented, she
said, expressing belief that this could be completed in the next few
days.
According to the decision on the temporary fishing regime that was
accepted by the Slovenian and Croatian governments on September 19,
Croatian and Slovenian fishermen would be allowed to fish between
Umag and Ankarano, that is, north of the 45 parallel, or 35 minutes
north of the geographic width. Fishermen from both countries will
be able to fish in line with regulations in their respective
countries and would be obliged to report to their administrative
services of their daily catches.
An agreement in principle on the temporary fishing regime in Piran
Bay which will not pre-empt any future border between the two
countries, was reached by the premiers of the two countries, Ivica
Racan and Janez Drnovsek at a meeting in Zagreb on September 10.
The Croatian and Slovenian government adopted a fishing code that
is valid for fishermen of both countries. The Code determines
technical details, rules of behaviour, mutual communication and
assistance for fishermen on both sides, the question of unloading
catches and the extent of the temporary fishing regime. If the
regime should be violated, fishing licences could be revoked.
(hina) sp sb lml