As Morski writes on the 7th of September, 2019, it is unfortunately all but impossible to enumerate, let alone publish on a daily basis, the extremely worrying reports of cases of pollution across the Adriatic coast.
Morski, a Croatian portal dedicated to all things to do with the Adriatic, as its name would suggest to all those who understand Croatian, receives photos, videos, links, and anger on a daily basis from readers who have something to say about the level of pollution in the Croatian Adriatic, not to mention their entirely valid concerns about the future. The pollution in the Adriatic sea has tragically increased so much that some cases can easily be seen from space.
Negligence, omissions, insufficiently stringent regulations, a total lack of control and inspection, greed, ignorance… we could go on and on, and then on a bit more about the catastrophic state of the Adriatic sea which runs along the country which recently loved to boast about being the Mediterranean as it once was.
After every publication about some new pollution, there are also those who see the problem in others and will do almost anything to avoid taking even a tiny bit of the blame: “tourists” of this or that nationality “are guilty”, “cruisers (this type or that type)” are guilty, or of course, we journalists are the guilty ones for ”spreading a negative image of Croatia”. The list goes on.
Morski waited until September, after the height of the tourist season had passed, for conclusions, and the pictures speak volumes about the perpetrators and the local governments/self-government units that are doing nothing but sitting and just counting the money they earned from the tourist season, and all this sh*t is travelling to someone else anyway, right? No, not really.
Near Peroj in Istria, about four kilometres west of Fažana and north of the glorious Brijuni National Park, a large fecal ”stain” can be seen in the sea, which is also shamefully visible on Google maps.
The Adriatic sea’s currents are carrying this pollution directly towards the aforementioned national park. Allegedly, improvements are already being made to the wastewater treatment system in the agglomeration of Pula north, which includes the area of the City of Pula and the municipality of Fažana among other locations, but the mayor of Vodnjan, whose jurisdiction also includes Peroj, failed to confirm any of that. Until then, Peroj sends the main image of this article out into the world and even beyond it, into space.
The Facebook group for Pag locals who live outside Pag (Pažani izvan Paga) posted a disgusting video of the sewage discharge at Paška vrata. The author wonders if this is a case of pure negligence or sabotage in what was then, the middle of the summer tourist season. The comments read that it stank to high heaven this summer. While some claim that this has been the main sewer discharge for the entire town of Pag since 2004, that there is a purifier, and that due to a malfunction or an increased inflow, not all of it goes below, but can come up above the surface, author Alan Šavar explains the situation:
”Like everywhere in the world, there are beautiful and less beautiful things in every place. I find that less beautiful things, such as robberies, crime or corruption, should be made public. Enough with pushing things under the rug! If we just turn a blind eye to such things and look for cheap excuses or justifications, then we’ll get nowhere – neither as a society nor as a people.
And that’s why I posted the video the instant I took it, because it’s an ECOCIDE that has been going on in Pag bay for decades now,” stated Šavar.
From old tends to toilet paper – everything could be found on the island of Vrnik near beautiful Korčula. A reader has stated the sparkling blue Adriatic sea is foaming, and not for the first time. Can anything be done to preserve this beautiful island? And when it comes to the garbage by the sea: plastic, bags, etc… let’s not even begin,” says the reader.
There is no fairytale to be had on Korčula itself, either. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the dark stains of faecal matter and other pollution has appeared on the surface of the sea. Korčula’s Julia Urban took a video and wrote:
“Some people tell me not to publish this, because it’s about Korčula’s reputation and the tourism from which many earn a living. I also make money from tourism and rent, and frankly, tourism is in the background. The health of us and our children is at the forefront and this problem is finally being addressed.
If we all remain silent and pretend that there’s no problem, nobody will never try to solve it. For the sake of tourism and our reputation, should we sacrifice the health of ourselves and our children who swim in this sea? The answer is: No!”
Facebook/Julie Urban
From rubbish strewn along the coast, which has even prompted foreign tourists to come and spend time while on holiday cleaning up the beaches, to pollution in the beautiful Adriatic that can not only be seen from space but has also caused dangerous illnesses because of the presence of harmful bacteria, and has even seen traditional festivals cancelled or at best delayed – when will we finally say enough is enough?
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If you’re interested in Croatia’s initiatives when it comes to the environment, give Total Eco Croatia a follow.
