A Farewell to the Sea

The disintegration of Yugoslavia is also shaking the border supposed to be untouchable and firm - the frontier between Slovenia and Croatia. To make things even worse, it seems that fervent nationalists from both sides feel like switching from verbal disputes to actual fighting for the "stolen territories" in Pomurje, Bela Krajina, Istria... It is for this purpose that a small company of "experienced boys", who had tasted the "real thing" by fighting the southern enemy in Slavonia and Baranja, are on permanent alert in Samobor. The Slovenian territorials are awaiting on the other side, aided by bunkers, built and later demolished. Stronger tones can be heard concerning yesterday's close neighbors and allies from the ex-joint state. It is surprising that the Croats have proven to be more pragmatic than the Slovenes, who are presently using the traditionally "Serbian argument", based on love and hospitality. Namely, the Slovenes are reminding the Croats that they have tolerated and fed bunches of Croatian refugees, only to be repaid by Croatian territorial pretensions.

The mutual love has ultimately vanished, and it was because of - fish!

The farthest point of the former Yugoslavia's coastal waters is located 18.5 kilometers to the west of the line connecting the outer shores of Croatian islands. Also, the Adriatic is divided by a zone of territorial waters, i.e. open sea, which, from the Slovenian side, also includes the outer zone of former Yugoslav (currently Croatian) waters. However, this fact will not be of much use to Slovenian fishermen in the future, for Slovenia has exclusive exploitation rights for the coastal zone only, and these rights do not extend to territorial waters as well. Territorial waters, according to international law, are under the sovereignty of the coastal state, i.e. Croatia. In truth, Croatia must tolerate "the harmless passing of foreign ships through its territorial waters", which means that Slovenian fishermen can sail undisturbed, but cannot fish. The term "harmless" means sailing that does not menace the peace, order, and stability of the coastal state. It practically means that Croatia, in the case a foreign vessel is found anchored or sailing towards coastal waters, has the right to stop it, arrest its crew or even suspend its sailing right, if it judges that this particular ship is a menace to the Republic of Croatia's security.

It is clear that all countries, in general, exclude foreigners from fishing in their waters, and from this standpoint the Croatian decision seems quite logical. The same happened after the signing of treaties between Italy and Yugoslavia (the first was signed in 1946), when Italy started paying nice hard currency sums. For example, from 1974 to 1976 this came to around 770 million liras. Therefore it is not surprising that Croatia is now wanting to charge both the Italians and the Slovenes for the right to exploit its waters.

By imposing a ban on fishing on Slovenia, Croatia has made it clear that it has already decided where the international land borders lie, although negotiations concerning this matter are still far from complete. And that is why quite a number of Slovenes are afraid that their Foreign Minister Rupel, with his servile policy, could permit his Croatian colleagues to summarily define the problematic land border.