"By unnecessarily postponing the implementation of a full ecological zone Croatia has actually postponed the exercise of its rights and obligations on its half of the Adriatic," HSP deputy Tonci Tadic said at a news conference in Zagreb on Friday.
The postponement of the decision has made it possible for other countries, such as Slovenia, to 'experiment' with their own ecological zones and with the continental shelf, Tadic said.
The HSP therefore believes that the ecological zone must go into force immediately, with the exception of the fishing regime. The party proposes a grace period for fisheries until 2007 for all foreign ships regardless of whether they are from EU or non-EU countries, and suggests that this transitional period be used to sign agreements with neighbouring countries on quotas for the exploitation of living sea organisms and other measures of protection of the Adriatic.