Featured images: Illustration of boating fines enforcement in Croatia/CU
A coordinated maritime safety operation in the wider Dubrovnik area resulted in €30,199.35 in boating fines after inspectors recorded 30 violations of navigation and safety rules.
The operation, called Safe Navigation 2026 Dubrovnik, began at 10 a.m. on 23 July within the area overseen by the Dubrovnik Harbour Master’s Office.
It was organised by the Directorate for Navigation Safety of Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, with support from the Vessel Traffic Service, or VTS.
During the operation, VTS supplied real-time information about areas with increased vessel traffic, suspected navigation offences and identified or unidentified maritime objects.
The inspection was carried out in accordance with the operational plan for the Dubrovnik Harbour Master’s Office and Croatian regulations governing navigation safety and maritime traffic monitoring.
Fifty-one inspections carried out
The operation focused primarily on vessels exceeding permitted speeds in restricted areas, boat rental activities, passenger vessels operating day trips and other participants in maritime traffic.
A total of 16 officers from the Dubrovnik Harbour Master’s Office and its local branches took part, using five official vessels.
By 6 p.m., they had covered 220 nautical miles and completed 51 inspections.
Inspectors identified 30 breaches of maritime regulations and safe-navigation rules.
Speed violations were most common
The largest group of boating fines resulted from breaches of the maximum permitted navigation speed, including operating vessels at planing speed in areas where this was not allowed. Twelve such violations were recorded.
Inspectors also found one overloaded vessel and one case in which the required notification had not been submitted through the CIMIS maritime reporting system.
In two cases, vessels were being operated without valid certificates or other required ship and navigation documents.
Two vessels were prohibited from continuing their voyage because of deficiencies identified during the inspections.
The ministry’s results table also listed 12 other violations.
Over €26,000 in boating fines collected immediately
The total value of the boating fines issued during the operation was €30,199.35.
Of that amount, €26,193.06 was collected immediately at the locations where the offences were recorded.
Inspections have a preventive role
The ministry said that rapid inspection operations, together with the daily presence of harbour master officers at sea, are intended primarily to serve an educational and preventive purpose.
As the number of registered recreational vessels increases, harbour master officers maintain order in Adriatic maritime traffic and inform boat operators and other participants about the main requirements of safe navigation.
According to the ministry, enhanced safety controls and extraordinary inspections have contributed to a continued decline in maritime accidents and incidents, as well as in the overall number of violations recorded across the areas covered by the inspections.
Enhanced monitoring of maritime and nautical traffic will continue throughout the tourist and boating season in the areas overseen by all eight Croatian harbour master’s offices.
