The famous Split fish market will finally get a modern upgrade.
After years of crying for renovations and even longer to pick up any interest, in 2019, funds for drafting project documentation have finally been envisaged, and in the budget projection for 2020, ten million kuna is forecasted for the renovation of the Split fish market, reports Dalmacija Danas on December 21, 2018.
HNS’s Tonči Božanić, a former state secretary for fisheries and chairman of the fishermen’s guild who is currently working as an assistant director at the public institution RERA, has pledged and appealed for this renovation project for many years.
“The Split fish market is 128-years-old, older than Hajduk! It is one of the symbols of the city, and it definitely needs investment. I had previously pushed for renovations, and last year HNS city councilman Mirna Kovačić suggested that a project documentation item should be included in this year’s budget, but it was not accepted. I am glad that our initiative has finally started a more serious journey. It took a little while, but Split will finally have a very nice fish market, which will be a tourist attraction,” Božanić pointed out.
He noted that so far, the old fish markets in Dubrovnik, Rijeka, and Oulu have been renovated – and even in Barcelona, within the famous La Boqueria market, one of the symbols of the city and one of the most frequent tourist spots. Only the Split fish market exists in almost the same conditions it was in 1890 when it first opened.
“Since then, the conditions have changed a lot. Split should not be honored to expose non-chilled fish and sell it when it is over 35 degrees out, often of questionable health quality, and that the water from the stands falls to the floor. Other tourist cities have found solutions, retaining old architecture, but incorporating modern standards into it. This is a very feasible initiative because we have implemented similar projects. I hope that someone who has experience in similar projects will be selected because the fish market and the marketplace are important for our citizens, and are also important tourist locations in the city, and it must look representative of that,” concluded Božanić.
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