The picturesque port town of Kastel Novi in Croatia is struggling with a serious problem. Its port is “falling apart” and with it its livelihood.
Kastel Novi – Croatia’s picturesque landscape and charming towns attract numerous holidaymakers every year. The coastal regions are particularly popular with tourists. Kastel Novi, a port town just a few kilometers west of Split, is one of these popular destinations.
But while visitors enjoy the summer atmosphere on the coast, locals are faced with the challenges posed by the state of their hometown.
The situation in the Croatian port city is catastrophic: every year “some boats sink because of this”.
According to the portal morski.hr The local fishing club has issued a statement saying that the harbor basin is in a deplorable state. The city has promised to renovate the harbor, but so far no progress has been made. The current problem is that fishing boats are hitting the breakwaters. This is the reason why boats sink every year, reports Toni Kelam, a member of the fishing club. Recently, however, severe storms off the Croatian coast have also made life difficult for sailors.
The fishing association has tried several times to draw the city’s attention to the situation. But each time they were told that the renovation of the port was not within the responsibility of the respective authority, the news portal Kelam quotes.
Croatian city’s harbor basin is “falling apart” – residents worry about their livelihood
The seriousness of the situation is made clear by the images and videos published by the portal. During high tide, a fishing boat can be seen repeatedly crashing into the wall of the harbor basin with great force. Other images show flooding at the breakwaters, which Kanem says occurs regularly. This is why the walls of the harbor basin are already “falling apart” during strong tides.
In response to the state of the port, the fishing club has launched a petition to be presented to the mayor of the city. Kanem, a member of the fishing club, describes the situation as “constant fear that we have lived with for many years.” He warns: “If something is not done as soon as possible, this conflict will come to a shameful end” – because the livelihoods of many fishermen are threatened. In northern Croatia, an algae plague turned out to be an unexpected spectacle.
Situation could soon improve – port to be made accessible to the public
However, there is hope that the situation could soon improve. From October, the County Port Authority will be in charge of the port area, as the port is now open to public transport, which was not the case before.
Domagoj Maroević, the director of the county port authority, confirmed to morski.hrthat he is aware of the problems in the port. He promised that a rehabilitation project would be initiated when he took over responsibility: “The port is in a really bad state,” said Maroević.
Scientists on the coast of Croatia recently made a fascinating discovery: underwater scans showed entire landscapes deep beneath the sea surface.
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