Social Democrats Warn Of Crime In Croatian Fishery

The SDP suspects tuna export is not above board, which exports 4,500 tones of tuna, instead of set 7,500 tones.

ZAGREB, CROATIA - Members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Mirela Holy and Ivica Pancic expressed suspicions of criminal activity in Croatian angling at a press conference on Tuesday, wondering why state institutions and inspection were not monitoring the process or doing anything concerning the lucrative business of breeding and fishing tuna. Showing a Croatian Television piece on tuna fishing near the island of Brac, aired in January, Pancic warned that is shows a Japanese ship “Lady Tuna”, which is unsupervised in Croatian territorial waters – without the supervision of customs services, fishing inspection and all other inspections which should be present, according the law.

Pancic asked the Croatian Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Rural Development what have they done concerning this case and why authority bodies have not been there for three months, which how long the Japanese ship has been present in Croatian territorial waters.

- Was it due to non-organisation and incapability or has a political decision been reached for inspections to be withdrawn from that ship? – Pancic wondered.

Illegal activities in Croatian angling

He pointed that this violates the Croatian naval legal code and UN provisions on the right of sea, which strictly bans boarding and debarking goods, money or persons contrary to customs, fiscal, immigration or health laws and other regulations of the coastal state.

Pancic said that unlike the island of Brac, all inspections related to breeding and fishing tuna, were present in the Zadar County.

Assessing that general illegal activities and corruption were present in Croatian angling, Pancic warned that the amount and price of tuna breeding was being manipulated. He pointed out that Croatia can produce 7,500 tones tuna per year in cages, while figures state of 4,500 tones of exported tuna.

Some 30 million euros in someone`s pockets

Pancic pointed out that the Atlantic tuna was an endangered species and that all EU manufacturers exceed the fishing limit. According to these figures, only Croatia sells less tuna than its options provide.

Pancic said that the official price of tuna was 15 euros per kilo, which would be approximately 100 million euros per year, according to the allowed quota.

However, he added that storms in the Zadar County damaged several tuna breeding cages two months ago. The owner estimated the damage at 20 million kuna for 80 tones of tuna. According to this, a kilo of tuna is 33 euros, Pancic said, adding that a kilo of tuna costs 90 euros on the Japanese market. He assessed that some 30 million euros might end up in someone`s pockets.