CROATIAN GOVT LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE FISHERMEN'S POSITION

ZAGREB/SPLIT, July 6 (Hina) - "The Croatian government has full understanding for the position of fishermen and is willing to consider and solve the problem," Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications Ivica Mudrinic said in an interview with Croatian Radio on Wednesday in connection with fishermen's protests following the imposition of excise taxes on petroleum products. Proposing to the fishermen to give up announced actions, Mudrinic said that their representatives should talk to the prime minister and government. Tax Administration assistant director Mato Perkovic told Hina that the government was considering the problem and that it came up with several solutions for a six-month transitional period. One is that the fishermen should pay the full price of fuel and that a part of the money would be given back from the budget on presentation of documentation and business records. As a warning to the government, fishermen in Split County blocked the city port with their boats between 1 and 3 p.m. today. Head of Split County Kruno Peronja said that 87 boats were involved in the blockade of the Split port whereas fishermen reperesentatives claimed there were about 140 boats. Split's main fish market was closed this morning as fish merchants joined fishermen in their protest. Sea traffic with Split was not discontinued as all ships were redirected to the city's northern port. 061649 MET jul 94