The video features some lovely shots and wise comments – have a look:

Croatia

With very rare but large flood forests, river islands, pebble and sand coasts and oxbow lakes, this protected area covers 500 kilometers of three river flows and around 630 000 hectares of unique natural and cultural landscape. The reserve is also the home of the most numerous nesting population of the white-tailed eagle in Europe and other endangered species, such as the little tern, black stork, otter or sterlet. It is also an extremely important area for more than 250 000 wading birds, which rest or spend their winters here every year.

According to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) representative, the biological diversity of the species in this region is one
of the richest in Europe. This river ecosystem is vital for the social and economic development of the cross-border region. It is the primary source of drinking water, it serves as an efficient flood defense system, offers sustainable forestry, includes agriculture and fishery management, and also has an important role in the development of continental ecotourism and raising awareness of the need to protect the natural surroundings and environment in the entire region.

Due to the establishment of a Croatian and Hungarian cross-border biosphere reserve, a bilateral work group for the nomination preparation has been determined and a nomination plan for the Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve (click for map)  has also been prepared. As a result, Croatia must create the Mura-Drava Regional Park, ensuring efficient management of the future biosphere reserve’s central zone.

According to expectations, the biosphere reserve will be declared in 2010 and this should additionally entice people and the competent authorities to develop in harmony with the natural surroundings and the environment. The issue of the protection of the River Drava is an extremely significant initiative within the European framework since it is the only remaining part of the River Drava’s natural flow. Great efforts concerning the retrieval of the river bed’s natural appearance and the renewal of biological diversity are being made in other countries, while in Croatia this area is still protected.

Due to the specific natural assets of the River Drava area, Croatia has decided to engage in the active protection of this area with the establishment of the Mura-Drava Regional Park which would include the area of this ecosystem on Croatian territory. Besides this, the area has been enlisted into the National Ecological Network as a potential area of the European Union ecologically significant areas network – NATURA 2000. In addition to this and the cross-border
cooperation with Hungary on the establishment of the Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve, the entire area of
the ecosystem between the two states would be included,which is of exceptional significance for the protection of
the natural surroundings.

The Croatian and Hungarian statement on the establishment of the cross-border reserve could become the foundation of an international biosphere reserve and countries such as Austria, Slovenia and Serbia might join it. The first reserve
of this kind, which would cover five European countries, would be formed and also it would be the largest protected river area in Europe. The representatives of Croatian and foreign non-governmental ecological associations have, therefore, invited Austria, Slovenia and Serbia to join the idea of the proposed biosphere reserve and complete the
process of protecting this green zone located in the heart of Europe.  (Download factsheet about Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve  here )

According to Jutarnji.hr , Croatian daily, the fire is under control and it is expeced that Bura wind, predicted by weather forecast for Croatia, will push the ship further away from Croatian coast.

Update: 7 February 2008 – Minister says situation regarding Turkish ship is stable

The Croatian Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Božidar Kalmeta said that the situation was stable regarding the Turkish cargo ship that caught fire on the open sea off Istria on Wednesday.

Briefing the government at the start of its session on Thursday about this accident, Kalmeta said that all necessary steps, proposed for such cases, had been taken since the very moment the authorities were informed about the fire on the 193-metre-long ship, which was transporting 11 tonnes of hazardous cargo and 200 trucks from Istanbul to the Italian port of Trieste.

He said that five tugboats had been on the scene all the night to help extinguish fire and act in case of fuel leakage.

The owner of the ship also engaged the Dutch company Schmidt, specialized in fire extinguishment operations, and its specialists are expected to start putting fire on the ship later in the day.

Until the noon on Thursday the flame was contained, and white smoke was curling from the vessel.

Kalmeta said that the ship owner and the Croatian rescue services would agree on the location where the ship would be towed. (Hina)

Update: 17 February 2008 – Towing of burnt Turkish ship from Croatian waters to Trieste begins

The towing of the Turkish ship ‘Und Adriyatik’ from Croatian waters west of northern Adriatic city of Pula to the Italian port of Trieste began around 1300 hours on Sunday.

The 193-metre-long ship was being towed by two Italian and two Croatian tugboats and a Pula Port Authority boat. The vessel was expected to arrive in Trieste on Monday.

The towing was being electronically monitored by the Rijeka-based National Search and Rescue Centre and the Pula Port Authority.

The Turkish ship was sailing from Istanbul to Trieste when it caught fire early on the morning of 6 February 13 miles west of the northern Croatian Adriatic resort of Rovinj. All nine passengers and 22 crew members were rescued by a passing Greek ship and taken to Venice. The fire on the ship was put out on 9 February.

The vessel was transporting about 200 trucks and 11 tonnes of hazardous material. (Hina)

Turkish-flagged ship catches fire off Rovinj, all passengers safe

The Turkish-flagged ship ‘Und Adriyatik’ caught fire early Wednesday morning 15 miles off the northern Croatian Adriatic resort of Rovinj, said Marina Haluzan, spokeswoman for the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.

Three vessels that found themselves in the vicinity were sent to the site of the accident. All 22 crew members and nine passengers aboard the burning ship were rescued by the crew of the Greek ship Ikarus Palace.

The National Search and Rescue Centre said it began a rescue operation at 0500 hours.

The National Emergency Services Centre said that the 193-metre-long ship was transporting 11 tonnes of hazardous cargo (oil products) and 200 trucks to the Italian port of Trieste, and that it was very likely that the ship would sink and pollute the sea.

Photos of the burning ship

Blazing freighter threatens oil spill off Croatia – A burning Turkish cargo ship with 1,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard was drifting towards Croatia’s Adriatic coast on Wednesday, threatening to pollute tourist beaches.

“The situation is dangerous but it’s under control at the moment. An additional difficulty is that the currents are carrying the ship towards the coast,” Sea and Transport Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said before heading to the region….

Read the rest of the article

The Environmental Policy Centre of the Yale University released a report with a global list of 149 countries ranked by environmental performance, according to the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

On the list Croatia is ranked at the 20th place with index of 84.6 out of 100 points.

The best ranked country is Switzerland (95.5 points), followed by Sweeden, Norway, Finland and Cosarica. The worst ranked countries are Mali (44.3), Mauritania (44.2), Sierra Leone (40.0), Angola (39.5) and Niger (39.1)

The EPI index measures emission of carbon and sulfur, water purity and conservation practices.

This process of inclusion in the list can take up to few years.

The proposed entry will be titled as ’The Nature Park of Lonjsko Polje – a living landscape and lowlands flood ecosystem of the Central Sava River Basin’ (Park prirode Lonjsko polje – živući krajobraz i nizinski poplavni ekosustav Srednje Posavine).

It will be submited to UNESCO in the category of sites selected by both cultural and natural criteria.

Croatia has six sites that are already listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage lists – Dubrovnik (Old Town) , Split (Diocletian Palace and old town), Trogir, Porec (Eufrazijeva bazilika) , Sibenik ( Cathedral Sveti Jakov) and National Park Plitvicka Jezera.

It is also expected that Starigrad Field at Island of Hvar will be listed by next summer.

About Lonjsko Polje: The Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is situated in the alluvial plain of the Sava River in the central Sava River basin region, between the cities of Sisak and Stara Gradiška and represents a unique landscape and ecological systems of flooded river plain of the Danubian basin. The Sava River begins to meander in this area creating typical wet areas that greatly determine its flow and the appearance of the surrounding region. With a total surface of 50 650 ha, the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is one of the largest wetland area in the entire basin. The most significant ecological element in the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is flooding which can appear any time of the year, because of the extraordinary constellation of the Sava River and its tributaries.

In the ranking of tourist values in Croatia, along with many other qualities, the beauty and level of preservation of the natural environment holds a convincing first place along with an ecological awareness that is reflected in the relationship with nature, the organic production of food, and doing business with companies that have harmonised with environment protection standards.

There are eight national parks in Croatia and ten nature reserves: Plitvice Lakes National Park (NP), Risnjak NP, Brijuni NP, Mljet NP, Sjeverni Velebit NP, Krka NP, Kornati NP and Paklenica NP.

The nature reserves are: Kopacki rit Nature Reserve (NR), Papuk , Ucka, Vransko jezero , Telašcica , Lonjsko polje , Velebit , Medvednica , Žumberak – Samobor Highlands , Biokovo and the Lastovo and its surrounding Islands .

These are areas of exceptional beauty that are attractive as tourist destinations but also for all those that wish to study the flora and fauna of the area and natural processes.

Even outside of these protected areas there are many destinations that attract visitors with their preserved natural environment and their hiking and cycling trails, the opportunities for organised water sports such as rafting or canoeing and exceptionally beautiful and clean rivers and other natural sites.

One of the strong points of Croatian tourism is a tourist industry with an offer that is eco-friendly.

There are some 340 eco-producers currently registered in Croatia, many of which sell their products to hotel companies and in doing so offer tourists food of recognisable, full and, in other places somewhat already forgotten, flavours.

Some of them are involved in the exclusively ecological production of fruit, vegetables, cheeses and many other products, and some offer the option of an overnight stay on the estate along with the manufacture.

Fresh food designated as organic -production that is regulated by law in Croatia – is increasingly present on the Croatian market, and there are a growing number of producers that have opted to produce health food, the quality of which is attested to by the appropriate certificate.

Vegetables, fruits and grains are grown on eco-estates using entirely organic methods and are served fresh to guests or are processed into winter preserves, also manufactured following ecologically friendly methods. Fruits and vegetables picked just before they are served – frequently and by the guests themselves – is an experience that is particularly fondly remembered by visitors and that guarantees them that they are being served truly fresh and healthy food.

Eco-estates are frequently workshops of sorts and guests can join their hosts in harvests, the preparation of foods and even their preparation as winter preserves.

With the growing demand for natural, organically grown production, many Croatian hotels have opted to follow the trend and are more and more often putting eco products on their menus.

The trend is present in the entire tourism industry and in particular in many small family-operated hotels whose offer is based on the local values of the region they are located in. Organic production is a part and parcel of their culinary and overall offer and features many locally produced products.

For more info visit Croatian National Tourist Board www.croatia.hr  – the official tourist site of Croatia.

Under the statement “A plague of invasive algae is testing countries’ willingness to work together to save their marine heritage and tourist industries”, Bojana Stanišić writes :

“The pristine waters of the Adriatic have long been the boast of the countries with coastlines alongside it. Azure in colour and much cleaner than the adjoining Mediterranean, they are a major draw for the growing numbers of foreigners holidaying in Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and more recently, Albania. With the decline of heavy industry in all, these waters constitute a precious economic asset.

Now they face a new danger. Year by year, an insidious green underwater predator is making its stealthy advance, disturbing the marine environment as it does so and turning pristine sandy and rocky seabeds into thick carpets of waving green fronds.

The state of the once clear waters around the Ligurian island of Elba is a stark warning of what the Adriatic may expect. Formerly home to beds of dazzling coral and molluscs, they were a paradise for divers. “Today, no one goes there for diving,” Professor Francesco Cinelli, a marine biologist at the University of Pisa, laments, peering into the water at the village of Marina di Pisa. “The seabed is covered by a green carpet”, he explains.

Professor Cinelli is talking about Caulerpa Racemosa, an invasive algae that has spread like wildfire in the Mediterranean, and now threatens to do the same in the Adriatic.” … read the rest of the article

The silver award also went to Croatia as the second place winner was declared the town of Biograd , located near Zadar.

The panel of judges of the Brussels-based European Association for Flowers and Landscape faced a tough task again this year – to select the tidiest town among the 5,600 top candidates, i.e. among the total of 26 thousand nominated towns and villages from across Europe.

Primošten is one of the best known tourist destinations in Dalmatia where there has been organised tourism since the early 1960s.

It is also one of the most picturesque places on the Adriatic sea , with many of the typical narrow streets in the old town core nestled at the top a small hilly peninsula. Natural beauty is not, however, the only advantage of this tourist destination. The tidiness of the place, attested to by this recognition, and the town’s laid back atmosphere, rich tradition, the warm welcome, quality lodgings and the tourism infrastructure in general have been drawing tourists from around the world for years.

It is much the same with Biograd – a town situated in the Bay of Pašman, some 30 kilometres south of Zadar. The town offers its guests numerous attractions and natural beauty – from inviting beaches, greenery, flowers and pine forests. In it vicinity are other natural “gems” like the renowned Kornati Islands and the Lake Vransko Nature Park – known for its fishing and hunting of marshland fowl.

More info on Primosten and Biograd at Primošten Tourist Board http://www.tz-primosten.hr/ and Biograd Tourist Board http://www.tzg-biograd.hr/

The banner is one of the cutest animated banners I spotted lately, made as flash animation, with truly powerful effect.

My guess it is made by http://www.nivas.hr/ – Zagreb based Media Company that also designed Agency’s website.

I wish we see more banners of the similar standard around travel and tourism part of Croatian advertising…

At “Zrak” (Air) part of website, air quality data are updated in real time and presented in graphic format with green, yellow and red dots that are linked to various data charts.

Although it is great to see this new air quality data resource for Croatia, which we are surely going to link from our Croatia Climate and Weather in Croatia pages,  it is shame data are collected only for some parts of Croatia, while other (mainly coastal) parts are left blank, with no data at all.

I hope this will soon be improved.