MFA - Press Releases

Having obtained relevant information about the incident in which a patrol boat of the Croatian police fired shots of warning over the Italian fishing boat caught in the Croatian territorial waters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia sent a note verbale to the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Zagreb.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia repeated that illegal fishing in the territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia was absolutely impermissible and demanded that the competent authorities of the Italian Republic warn the captains of fishing boats that such activity is violation of the state territory and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia.

According to the available information the Croatian police caught the Italian fishing boat ECLIPSSE, registration 3 MN 1012, fishing illegally in the territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia on January 20, 2003, at 8:30 a.m. The crew of the fishing boat were ordered with light and sound signals and over the loudspeaker, in the Italian language, to stop the boat. The boat did not stop and the captain even increased speed, so the patrol boat of the Croatian police started the pursuit firing 5 red flares in the air to signal the Italian fishing boat to stop. The fishing boat would not stop, and the police fired shots first in the air over the boat and then on the antenna and radar systems above the deck. However, the Italian fishing boat did not stop but headed on for state border, so the pursuit was discontinued at 8:45 a.m.

The border line between the territorial waters of Italy and Croatia is defined by a treaty and the Italian fishermen are quite certainly aware of it when they cross the state border.

Press releases